Saturday, June 6, 2015

Sushi Jin: Sushi meets ancient Pompeii

Sushi Jin
Fenton St near Roeder Rd, Silver Spring
7/10 on my bangin' scale

Sushi Jin in Silver Spring has been on my must try list for a while now, but I've always been a little skeeved out by the slatted window coverings that prevent a small female like myself from seeing what I'm getting into. I'm glad I finally decided to try it out--inside was a small but bustling restaurant serving notable sushi.

On a Friday night, the restaurant was full. Tables at the front (2 person) and booths at the back (2-4 person) offer an intimate feel. We were seated at the crowded sushi bar, which offered an excellent view of three sushi chefs creating their works of edible art.

We started off with steamed shrimp shumai and miso soup, which were both warm and comforting, but otherwise unremarkable. For the main course, we ordered sushi from the a la carte menu. We tried several rolls and a few nigiri, each of which were fresh, well-seasoned, and often sweet. Particularly interesting was the Amazon Roll, a vegetarian roll featuring cucumber, radish, asparagus, and a few other veggies. This roll was completely refreshing, basically a salad wrapped in rice. 

Last, but certainly not least, came the impeccably-plated volcano roll ($12, pictured below).  When this dish came, I was like, OMFG THIS IS THE BEST. IMAGINE MY PLATE IS POMPEII IN 79 AD. I've certainly seen dragon rolls in the shape of dragons before, and a few other kitschy platings here and there, but never a FOOD SPLOSION. The volcano roll includes two shrimp tempura, two types of fish roe, a spicy/sweet mayo-based sauce, and crunchy toppings, which all melded together to make a crispy and sweet dish.


Sushi Jin's Volcano Roll

I won't divulge any more spoilers, but sitting at the sushi bar also gave me a great view of several other beautiful and/or hilarious concoctions.

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