A Perfect Pairing
I just checked out the new version of Shinju Sushi last night which, after a move to 719 Walnut Street in Philly, changed its name to Fat Salmon. Most of you probably heard all about the new space and some details via my friends at Mealtcket or Foobooz, but perhaps you haven’t had the chance to check it out yet for yourself. When you do, here a couple of insider tips.
First of all the space isn’t very cozy (although sushi places never really are), so if your looking for a small intimate setting similar to their old location, you won’t find it here. The space is rather industrial and the décor is Philly’s POD meets Florida’s Delano kind-of style. White sleek plastic looking tables line the left wall, and a long white glossy sushi bar of the same material lines the right side. The high ceiling shows off exposed industrial-looking ductwork. There are a few tables in the back and two private rooms for parties.
The sushi bar has the best seats if you want to be close-up and personal with your date (also makes sharing easier), but don’t expect to see what the sushi chefs are doing behind that counter. Only little cut out windows of glass reveal what’s going on behind the tall white wall that separates you from the fish slicing masters. And the seats are so low, that seeing through the rectangular windows is even hard. Despite the raw interior and blue, glow stick-like lighting the sushi is fresh, creative, and beautifully presented.
As of this article, Fat still hasn’t received their liquor license so bring a fish friendly white wine or a bottle of Junmai Sake with you. An Alsatian Grand Cru Gewürztraminer, which I purposely saved for a sushi excursion, went perfectly without overpowering the flavor nuances in the exotic rolls.
Start with the Miso soup ($2). It’s uber umami flavors; with the scent reminding me of smoky bacon fat, contains tiny-diced tofu cubes that are soft and pleasantly slippery on the tongue. This is the first sushi menu in a more upscale restaurant where I’ve seen actual pictures of the specialty rolls next to the descriptions. Not a fan of food pictures on menus, but these aren’t so bad and they actually depict the complicated looking rolls to exactness.
To get a feel for Fat’s creative side, I focused on the house rolls ordering the Duo ($9), Fancy Sushi ($9.50), Dancing Vampire ($9), and White Forest ($9.50). The sushi chefs here use a lot of crabstick in many of the rolls- a flavor and texture that I’m not fond of, and they won’t substitute real crab- I asked. The 4 rolls I chose did not have crabstick in them, as I wanted to avoid it. If you are a fan of crabstick first of all, let me know (I have never met anyone who is), but you will definitely have more choices.
A different view of the snake like sushi
The Dancing Vampire with cucumber, asparagus, crunchy inside, and a mix of tuna and salmon in chili sauce on top was the favorite of the evening; with the Fancy (four pieces of tuna wrapped around rice with chopped spicy tuna on top standing upright) was a close second and visually outstanding. The White Forest was the only disappointment. I thought I’d give the unusual combo of shrimp tempura with spicy sauce wrapped in rice and topped with pico de gallo and a dollop of sour cream a try, but it was all wrong. The faded tasteless tomato and lack of heat in the “spicy” sauce becomes one big bland bite. The sour cream, unlike cream cheese (which I’m also not a big fan of in sushi) was overly think and goopy. Not at all appealing- Mexican sushi is a no-go!
Service was simple, but friendly. Don’t expect them to pour your wine or sake for you after opening it, although they should start getting used to that kind of service now for when the liquor license comes through. I noticed many couples coming in to pick up take-out orders, so I picked up a to-go menu for myself on the way out.
I had wondered why Shinju had changed their name, but after glancing at the front of the paper menu on my walk home, it was clear from their mission statement printed on the front: “WE’re all about sushi, and we’ll never stop SUSHING ‘till the FAT SALMON sings”. Makes sense NOW, doesn’t it?
Filed under: Bites, Restaurant Reviews, Sips, Wine Tagged: | Fat Salmon Philadelphia, Fat Salmon Sushi, Gewerztraminer food pairings, Mealticket, Shinju Sushi
