Sushi Express: Two Chopsticks Up!

We just got back from Sushi Express, located at 50th & University Way NE in Seattle’s U District. Sushi Express opened recently (there are still Grand Opening banners in the window) and it’s definitely worth checking out! The most noticeable feature as you walk in is the oval track with garden-scale model train that circles the sushi bar between the customers and the sushi chef. The chef and sous-chefs create appetizers and rolls and put them on the flat cars of the train. Different items are on different colored plates, and a color key fills you in on the cost of items. Prices range from $1.50 (edamame) to $4.50 (deep-fried oysters). Rolls are two pieces. You can make special orders, which are delivered directly to you. The fried items were a little on the crunchy side but still good (deep-fried spicy tuna roll was meaty and goooooooooood). Among the cool rolls we watched go past on the train were one with salmon and carmelized onions, and a Rainbow Roll #2 (lots of cool ingredients in a beautiful roll with an albacore, er, core).

What we had:
1 edamame (boiled salted soybean pods) from the train
2 spider rolls (deep-fried softshell crab and shrimp roll) 1 ordered, 1 from the train
2 spicy tuna rolls (fresh tuna mixed with spicy mayo in a roll), ordered
1 deep-fried spicy tuna roll, ordered
1 California roll (cooked crab & avocado roll) from the train
1 negihama roll (fresh yellow tail & green onions with mayo), ordered
1 deep-fried oysters from the train

What we paid:
$27 + tax & tip

Pros:
Yummy sushi, no waiting (at least on Sunday evening) great experience (it’s fun to check out the cool rolls as they go past on the train and figure out what they are by the menu descriptions), nice staff.

Cons:
Some slightly overfried fish, transitory electrical problem meant no hot tea and no air conditioning.

The verdict:
Yum! We’ll definitely be going back! And you should go there, too, ’cause we can’t have another sushi restaurant closing down.

Special thanks:
Our dear friend Junko recommended Sushi Express. Domo arigato, Jooonk!