Comments on Vanilla Garlic: Taro's - Not So Much a Review as an Overall Critiq...

I am a sushi addict, and these look delicious! I ...

2008-04-17T17:29:00.000-07:00

I am a sushi addict, and these look delicious! I keep thinking I'd love to try making my own sushi so that I can feed my addiction (at a lower cost!)

Paradise roll at Sushi Cafe. That's all I have to...

2008-04-16T23:25:00.000-07:00

Paradise roll at Sushi Cafe. That's all I have to say.

Hi there. Our little jewel away from the mainstrea...

2008-04-16T07:13:00.000-07:00

Hi there. Our little jewel away from the mainstream sushi "diners" is Blue Nami, the original in Orangevale in the Save Mart Shopping Center. Tiny has 10-11 tables in combos of 2's and 4's with about 8 counter seats. A little Patio outside. It's quaint simple and mostly very delicious. We were tired of the "Mikuni Hype" and wait to get a table. We new about this place(because we live about 1/2 mile away) so decided one night to try it. We go once a week. Give it and go if you have not already. You will leave very happy and satisfied. One of my favorite rolls is the Crazy Crazy and Jack's special 2. Service is excellent and you feel like you have been invited into someone's home. Debby :)

Great line: "...and some traditional Japanese fare...

2008-04-16T06:45:00.000-07:00

Great line: "...and some traditional Japanese fare if you want to try something new."

I too yearn for the very simple sushi menu - the one that fits on a single page. I don't want to spend 20 minutes examining every possible variation of weird ingredients.

But part of me suspects that this unseemly smorgasbord is what has helped get more people into sushi. It was one of the cool things about coming back home to California, seeing men in wifebeaters, or a pair of 12-year-old boys, eating at a sushi restaurant. But there's always a price to going mainstream.

I agree completely. We love Nishiki, but mainly be...

2008-04-15T19:34:00.000-07:00

I agree completely. We love Nishiki, but mainly because we know all the sushi chefs and they make us simple, beautiful, tasteful food again and again.
One of my pet peeves-cream cheese.
I have some girlfriends that die for the stuff with their rolls.....what the hell? I don't have the heart to tell them how weird that is to me...

I do love me some nigiri....and the good ol' rainbow roll. i went to Tokyo Fros (to meet so friends) and they ordered something with butter sauteed shitakes. It overpowered everything and was just. not. great.

Hey, where is this Taro place? I live in Davis and...

2008-04-15T16:13:00.000-07:00

Hey, where is this Taro place? I live in Davis and Moshi Moshi is my favorite sushi as well. Zen toro is a close second though. I saw you were located in Davis from Elise's site, is that right? I just moved here last September for grad school, thought I'd drop in and say hi!

I agree to some extent about sushi being trendy, although I do enjoy the "crazy" rolls. My favorite roll of all time is from Robongi in Hoboken, NJ. It was a special roll for the week and it had some fish (forget which) along with strawberry, kiwi and mango inside. It was absolutely incredible, better than anything I've tried at Moshi Moshi. Also, if you ever go to NYC, go to Josie's East, they've got some to-die-for brown rice sushi with various fruits...delicious.

Last one: In San Francisco in the Marina, Naked Fish is an excellent sushi place, but down the street a couple blocks is a tiny little sushi place that offers much better prices and a multigrain rice (black and red) for the rolls that is so tasty. While you eat, the four chefs behind this tiny counter are just pumping out these multigrain rice rolls for to-go orders.

- The Peanut Butter Boy

Well then, my baklava-gorging friend, you must try...

2008-04-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

Well then, my baklava-gorging friend, you must try our little sushi place, Blue Nami. It's tucked into a strip mall in Orangevale, and while it does offer some freaky-deaky crap, its traditional sushi is some of the finest I have eaten in many, many states.

You must try Akebono on Freeport! Sit at the sush...

2008-04-15T08:31:00.000-07:00

You must try Akebono on Freeport! Sit at the sushi bar.

Very well written piece G..very clever.

Great essay. I love your blog and totally agree wi...

2008-04-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

Great essay. I love your blog and totally agree with you about sushi. There is a lot to be said about simplicity!