As a sushi neophyte, I've been too initimidated by the experience to notice the artistry behind the spicy tuna rolls. On Thursday, I joined my friends Lien and Jill for sushi at Ronin Cafe in Lakeville. We wanted to try not only the sushi, but some of their other dishes. After eating a few plates of sushi, we were so full that we only had enough room to try their signature dish, drunken noodles. The premier South of the River food critic, Bill Roehl, already reviewed this wonderful establishment here, so I will say only that I wholeheartedly agree with his assessment of the drunken noodles.
We had ours with chicken and shrimp since we were unable to make a decision. Our heat level was a 3 out of 5, but I would have preferred a spicier offering. I am kicking myself for not visiting this place sooner during my lunch hour. It's a tiny restaurant tucked behind a competitor's real estate office in an eponymous strip mall, but once inside you're in capable hands.
We sat right next to the sushi bar, so our chef Miko, was quick to offer recommendations and educate us about our meal. I loved the interaction with Miko as much as the incredible food. We started with a platter displaying a Crunchy Big Roll, spicy tuna rolls, California and dynamite rolls.
Because I was with old friends, I decided to just attempt to use the chopsticks instead of a fork. Remarkably, I fared well in that effort, though I still couldn't use the wood to pick up a single grain of rice. Where I struggle the most with sushi is in portion size and shoving an entire roll in my mouth. The rolls at Ronin were perfectly structured for popping right in without feeling like both cheeks are full. The artistry of the platter impressed me, and the aesthetics should be acknowledged as much as the flavor.
We asked Miko for input on our second course, and he steered us toward the White Elephant ( shrimp tempura, asparagus, avocado inside,wrapped w/ mutsu & topped with scallions, kabayaki sauce, seven spice aoili and grilled eel). On our menu, it was described as "melt in your mouth" and that is truth in advertising friends.
Sublime. And look at that presentation. I loved everything about it-even the grilled eel, which scared me a little on the menu but thrilled my tastebuds beyond belief. Next up was Spider Rolls, which was constructed using soft shell crab. I did have to break down and use my fork on these, because in spite of my loquaciousness, my mouth isn't THAT big. Again, delicious.
I'm not brave enough to go for sashimi...yet, but our waitress let me take a shot of Miko's handiwork on this platter.
I haven't experienced enough sushi yet to measure Ronin against it's competition downtown, but I think if you're a novice, this is a great place to start. It's an atmosphere that's not intimidating and in fact, geared toward introducing amateurs to the cuisine while at the same time indulging a more experienced palate. On a Thursday night, the restaurant was near capacity-encouraging given it's suburban digs and a tight economy.
