Here we got some great review from journal north. I dont know how to share the link on izmi fan page so just copied and pasted it. Thank you very much for much support & patronage. OTL By Anne Hillerman / For the Journal | 2 days ago A special occasion or a memorable birthday calls for a place that’s out of the ordinary. My girlfriend, who spent some time in Japan, specified that nothing would do for her milestone birthday dinner except sushi. And she wanted to eat at her favorite place, Izmi Sushi. I concurred. No arm-twisting was involved because Izmi ranks high on my sushi list, too. They take pride in fresh, a must for sushi. And our other friend who wanted tempura – the Japanese version of fried in batter – was happy there, too. We didn’t make a reservation, but luck was with us. The restaurant had some empty tables when we arrived. We were promptly seated, given menus, and informed about the specials: a fancy kind of salmon, yellowtail collar, two flavors of pot stickers and freshly made spring rolls. The waiter took our drink orders and the busser quickly brought water while we went to work studying the menu. One thing I enjoy about Japanese food is that many choices are designed to be shared. Although, as my friend noted, Izmi is famous for sushi, the restaurant offers other examples of Japanese cuisine as well. You can order soup, teriyaki, noodle dishes, tempura and salads. The sushi choices include cooked varieties, and some unusual house specials. Don’t shy away from Izmi because you don’t want to eat raw fish. You can also order Japanese beer and hot or cold saki to go with your meal or try a “saki flight,” a sample selection of various styles of rice wine. Izmi Sushi LOCATION: 105 E. Marcy St., Santa Fe 505-424-1311 HOURS: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 5 p.m.-closing Tuesday-Sunday. FOOD: Japanese. Beer and wine available. SERVICE: Good AMBIANCE: Stylish Our first selection, the day’s special, pot stickers (Japanese-style dumplings) got a big thumbs up. The dumplings, about two or three bites-worth each, arrived at the table almost too hot to eat, beautiful and delicious. We tried the duck and the sirloin. The duck was enclosed in dough mixed with spinach for a pale green color; the sirloin wrapper was crafted with beet juice for a rosy blush. Each order of four dumplings ($10) included a small dish of spicy sauce. One complaint: because both the duck and the beef were ground, the textures and flavors were much the same. However, I had no complaints about the beautiful, bright green sea weed salad, just salty enough, easy to share and a nice starter ($7). We liked the tempura sampler, a divided Bento box filled with different warm treats: little Gyoza or pork dumplings, cigar-sized crisp vegetable egg rolls and shrimp and salmon coated with tempura batter and quickly fried, served with steamed rice ($15). The sushi arrived like art on oblong trays, each order beautifully presented. The servings are large here – you get a lot of fish for your money. The spicy tuna roll – tuna, avocado, cucumber and daikon sprouts rolled in rice with a seaweed wrapper – came with a pearl of sauce on each slice ($10). The “Rainbow Roll” ($14) lived up to its name with wonderful color: red of the tuna, pale orange of the salmon, creamy white of the yellowtail and green from strips of fresh avocado. Beneath is a California roll, the classic combination of crab, avocado and minced cucumber. The highlight of the evening was one of four rolls special to Izmi, the “Ichiban” ($17). Like the “Rainbow,” it features tuna, yellowtail and avocado on top, but inside, wrapped in the rice, you’ll find warm shrimp tempura. And the crowning glory is a generous helping of black caviar. Other special rolls at Izmi include shrimp tempura and avocado with a baked scallop on top; tempura yellowtail, cucumber and smelt egg topped with spicy tuna and fresh water eel; and tuna and cream cheese finished with a baked red snapper. Desserts aren’t a major factor at Izmi. Our choices were limited to three: green tea ice cream, plain or tempura style, and mochi. We had the mochi – small balls of mango ice cream wrapped in a slightly chewy rice coating. They arrived cut in half so we could admire the pretty orange filling. They made a light, sweet end to a fine meal. Service was efficient, friendly and informed. The space is clean and inviting at lunch and the soft lighting adds a touch of elegance in the evening. Booths and tables look out onto Marcy Street, and interesting modern paintings decorate the walls.
Posted on: Sat, 25 Jan 2014 22:44:50 +0000
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