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On Main Street in downtown Annapolis, the raw fish rolls in abundance.
Just on one side of the street alone, there are three temples to Japanese sushi; Yin Yankee, Nano and Joss, each with its
own style, personality and devotees.
So imagine this: What if you walked in, oh, let’s say on a Sunday afternoon,
asked each place to make you a maki, something they considered one of their best or “signature” sushi rolls? Maybe
even an appetizer, too. A fun experiment, eh? Here’s what happened:
Yin Yankee: First stop, so I didn’t quite have my game on yet. I
stumbled through my request, and got a bit of the tourista eye-roll
from the waiter, but we persevered together. Yin Yankee, with its seven-year history, is the hippest sushi spot of the three,
handrolls down, in innovative food, environment, music, everything. The result: - Appetizer: Tuna Avocado Salad: pieces of tuna sashimi, stuffed in a fresh avocado, drizzled with a spicy cream,
surrounded with pieces of papaya and mango. ($10)
- Maki:
The Ern Roll. (I thought it was Erin, named after a waitress, but oh well, menu says otherwise: ($14) Inside: Crab, Asparagus
& Cream Cheese Sriracha. Outside: Yellowtail, Tuna & Avocado (for an entertaining short detour, check out what sriracha is)
Nano Asian Dining: A very friendly spot, no problem! We had quite the chat with Lady Ling, one of the owners, while the sushi chefs went to
work. Basketball game on the flat screen and a struggle of English dialects, but we worked out Nano’s has been in its
location less than two years. Ling came here from eight years at Baltimore’s Kawasaki. Their offering:
- Appetizer: Sashimi Sampler: ($9. She checked with us to see if the price
was okay, wasn’t that sweet?)
- Maki: Kamikaze. Inside:
Spicy tuna, avocado, crunchy flake. Outside: Barbecued eel with eel sauce. ($12.95)
Joss Café and Sushi Bar. The grandaddy, Zagat rated, 16 year history. A cadre of five or six chefs
welcomed us loudly and waitstaff listened to my odd request. Between them, with a chef and waitress in the lead, they came
to a conclusion, opting for one of their most popular rolls. Fine, I said, and pointed to a dramatic black salad. “What’s
that,” I asked. It became our appetizer. So from Joss:
- Appetizer: Black Seaweed Salad. Inky black, with edamame.
- Maki: Rainbow Roll. Inside: Avocado and crabstick. Outside: Slices of salmon, flounder
and tuna. (sorry, folks, I have to double-check my facts here.
What Happened Next: The Devastation
Now to take it all home and do a comparison. Way too much food for
just the photographer and me, so we call our best buddies and ask if they’ll help us out. Sure! But they’re not
too keen on sushi. No problem, that’ll be good input. Plus, it means more for us. Diane helps us quickly style the food
and then backs away with a glass of champagne to watch. Jim, with a bad cold, gamely offers to participate. The two teens
pull up chairs, and grab the chopsticks.
What devastation! We looked like a bunch of landsharks. I remember, to
my everlasting horror, actually knocking a piece of tuna sashimi out of one of the girls’ chopsticks. I apologize. But
I was jtrying to salvage ust one piece for the photographer, a sashimi fan. I am certain this is not the Japanese way, and
will humbly try to make good. Somehow.
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Oh, right, the results…
In popularity alone, based on our generally unsophisticated palates:
1. Kamikaze roll from Nano’s.
2. Rainbow roll from Joss.
3. Sashimi from Nano’s.
4. Avocado and tuna appetizer from
Yin Yankee.
5. Ern roll from Yin Yankee.
6. Black seaweed salad from Joss
Interpretation of the results:
First of all, this was a totally unfair test. For
one thing, none of the restaurants had any idea of our individual tastes, or who they were serving. It was just for fun.
That said, the food was all great. I was very surprised at the popularity of the eel roll, but the texture and flavor
were fabulous, no hint of chewiness. The crunch in the eel roll was also a pleaser.
All the fresh fish and sashimi
was terrific. Oddly, all the avocado was a drawback for our crowd, and the cream cheese kept the Ern roll from Yin Yankee
out of the running. Oh, and the guy with the cold was the one who liked the black seaweed salad.
So who wins? I
think the teens did.
Bottom line about the restaurants:
Honestly, you really can’t go wrong. Plus, if you’re
a sushi-phile and your friends are not, I promise you they’ll be thrilled with the other menu offerings. It’s
all in choosing the kind of place where you’re most comfortable:
Joss. The quarters are cramped, and it’s extremely popular, for very good reasons. The fresh fish is amazing, and while
we were waiting for our take-out, we had a great talk with a senior chef about the beautiful fish behind the glass. I learned,
for example, that all the rockfish is farm-raised; a plus for a friend of mine who was waffling about raw fish from the bay.
If I were going again, I’d pick an off-time, sit at the sushi bar, and let him feed and educate me. Nano’s. An open and super-friendly place. You’ll get great service, and you’ll get delicious sushi. My personal favorite,
that I refrained from asking for, is the Valentine roll: Spicy tuna, crunchy flake, wrapped with fresh tuna and cunningly
cut into a heart-shaped roll. I asked Ling what makes her place different from others, and she had three answers: the
rice, the soft seaweed paper, the real-sized pieces of fish.
Yin Yankee. This place is all about innovation. Unique and delightful combinations of flavors, using great ingredients. It too is a tight
fit in seating, and a little more expensive, but if you’re after the different and delicious, check it out. Especially
the funky maki: Like Spicy Scallop Roll: Seared scallops, orange, cucumber w/spicy house sauce $12. Or, Stop, Drop & Roll:
Spicy guacamole roll with two shrimp tempura, crabstick, avocado, cucumber & guacamole w/cilantro $10.
Did
I ignore some other local faves? You bet. Tsunami, right around the corner, is also very good. There are walk-in shops around the City Dock, too. More when we all recover.
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