November 29, 2011

• Great Service at New Sushi Joint in Normandy Plaza

  

  Last week, on my way to a new sushi joint in West Des Moines, I drove by what used to be The Q. A new sign announced yet another new sushi outlet. That seemed symbolic. In Des Moines, sushi is the new barbecue, the only restaurant genre expanding as quickly here as Q did last decade. In the last two years, Hoshi, Sakari, Haiku all opened just in the Drake-Ingersoll neighborhood. Gateway Market and Hy-Vee started making fresh sushi in their stores. When the The Mandarin moved two years ago from Beaverdale to Clive, it changed its name to Mandarin Grill & Sushi Bar. Most Chinese buffets in the metro have also added sushi to their menu. So have several Thai and Vietnamese places. When Waterfront opened their second store, in Ankeny, they featured a much larger sushi bar and a considerably smaller fresh seafood market, than in their mother store.

  With so many new options, I keep waiting for one of the new sushi joints to do something new or different enough to challenge long time favorites Miyabi 9 and the West Des Moines Waterfront. Even something as obvious as hiring a female itamae (sushi chef). According to Japanese legend, women can’t be sushi chefs because 1.) Their hands are too warm to handle raw fish or sushi rice. 2.) Their perfume and makeup interfere with the food. 3.) Hormonal fluctuations wreak havoc on delicate Japanese food.

  Even modern Japan is relenting on those feudal rules – women were given the right to work past 10 p.m. nearly 20 year ago. But here, in the country most obsessed with political correctness, it’s still a man’s game. Accordingly, Sakura Sushi owner Lala Gao works the front of the house while her husband Lin Xing mans the knives. They project considerable professionalism between the “green tea mochi” colored walls of their handsome place in Normandy Plaza, an eclectic mini mall with a sports bar, an English pub, a full service aquaria, and a pizza carryout. On my first visit I ate everything in a bento box except for an imitation crab stick.

  

  On my second visit, someone remembered that and substituted a tuna roll for a California roll (made here with crab sticks) in a sushi platter, without even being asked.

  

  Another time, Lala asked why shrimp had not been eaten in a soba noodle dish. When told that they were overcooked, she beseeched our table to please request more shrimp in the future.

  Lin has been an itamae since his teenage years, working all over this country. He possesses serious skill – presentations were considerably above average. Noodles were better than most other places too. Too much though seemed indistinguishable from a dozen other sushi places.

  

  Even toro (blue fin belly) was unremarkable. There was no hamachi kama (yellowtail collars) either. In fact salmon terriyaki was the only grilled fish coming out of the kitchen.

  

  Tempura shrimp were not tempura – but furai (coated in Panko), a common practice in a town where I seem to be the only person bothered by this deception. Vegetables on the same platter were actual tempura and delightfully included taro.

  Sakura staff spoke Fukienese. That excited me. One of the eight great cuisines of China, Fujian is deservedly famous for its seafood. Fujian oyster cakes and “Fotiaoqiang” (literally “Buddha jumps over the wall,” similar to bouillabaisse) are legendary dishes as far away as Shanghai, Manilla and even Toronto. I asked Lala about them.

  “We will make “Buddha jumps over the wall” for holidays. We had oyster pancakes (for a staff meal) yesterday. Maybe we will make it for a special someday. You think customers would like it?” she asked.

  I know a few who would. If you know anyone else, please encourage her.

  Sakura

  1960 Grand Ave., 225-9999.

  Mon. – Thurs. 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Fri. – Sat. 11 a.m. – 10:30 p.m., Sun. noon – 9 p.m.

  Side Dishes

  Lemongrass is moving into the old Tandoor space on Eighth Street in West Des Moines… Jethro’s Jambalaya announced a December 1 opening…

  • 2:03 pm
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