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For a town that is landlocked,
Austin has more than its share of good Sushi restaurants. The subject
of this week's review is Midori Sushi on 183 near Anderson.
Proprietor David Cho has crafted a very elegant
and tasty little restaurant. The wait staff is very personable and enthusiastic,
the environment cozy and comforting, and the food just rocks. Everything
they do at Midori Sushi takes on a personal hue which leads to lots
of loyal and regular customers. In fact, each time I've gone there,
I've seen some of the same people.
Why? Well let's start with some of the appetizers.
I really enjoy the Gyoza, which are beef and vegetable dumplings. Dip
them in a little soy and chili pepper oil and you have a treat. Also
you must try the Edamame. Americans have gone ga ga over the soybean
lately, and these steamed and lightly salted soybeans are a delight.
Don't eat the outside shell though…just the inside. remember President
Gerald Ford and the time he ate the Tamale husk in San Antonio? And
take a stab at the Beef Negimaki which is tender pieces of rib eye stuffed
with scallions in a nice teriyaki sauce.
The entrees are no less intriguing. The sushi is
fresh and of excellent quality. I've tried the maguro [tuna] and the
hamachi [yellowtail]. You must also sample their Udon soup. The San
Kai Udon is my favorite because it's filled with sea food, those wonderful
thick udon noodles [these rate very high on the "slurpability"
scale] and of course the wonderful, rich broth that forms the basis
for all Udon soups.
The Shrimp tempura is also a treat. Cooked perfectly, the batter is
crisp and very tasty. Not at all soggy as can sometimes be the case.
And the Donbori Mono or Rice bowls are also delicious. My favorite is
the Katsu Don which is a pork cutlet with mixed vegetables with egg
on top of the rice. Again, this is a slurpy, gobbly kind of dish. It
does not lend itself to fastidious dining. But it's a treat.
And finally, where David Cho's real creativity manifests itself: the
Rolls.
There's an excellent Catepillar roll here with eel, cucumber, gobo,
and avocado covered in a delicate eel sauce. This is one of the best
Catepilllar rolls in the area. But you've got to try David's Roll to
sample the full measure of Cho's creativity. Virtually all rolls are
encased in sticky rice. But this one is wrapped in a cucumber! It features
salmon, crab, gobo, masago, along with asparagus, cream cheese and sprouts…all
contained within the cucumber. For a healthy and very tasty food experience,
head over to Midori Sushi this weekend. Maybe they'll name a roll after
you!
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