Sapporo Sushi

Review by Chris West

1940 East 6th Street
Cleveland, OH 44114-2225
216-597-7000

The Atmosphere

Due to the wonderful weather lately, EAT felt it was only appropriate to walk to our next destination: Sapporo Sushi. Located on E. 6^th Street in downtown Cleveland, the restaurant is easy to get to, and has several metered spots on the street if you're lucky enough to snag one. Sapporo is one of those places you walk into knowing what you'll smell like for the rest of the day. The air is rich with the scent of hot oil ready for Americanized deep fried sushi rolls. Entering the small restaurant reminds me of a scene from Big Trouble in Little China minus Kurt Russell. After making sure the coast was clear, we were greeted by the sushi chef who instructed us to have a seat.

We were then greeted by our waitress and given a mug full of Genmaicha tea (green team & brown rice). Originally, Gernmaicha was known as the tea consumed by the poor Japanese, but now it’s known as the “people's tea”. The green tea mixed with brown rice quickly became part of the atmosphere as it warmed our hands from the cold. The dining room is equipped with a TV blasting Soap Operas, and a huge boom box hung on the wall.

A large bar area is all that separates the kitchen from the dining area, giving bar patrons a bird’s eye view of all food preparation. The dining area is packed in with small tables and chairs, perfect for small or medium size groups. Any conversation above a whisper can easily become a group conversation amongst several tables.

The Menu

Sapporo gives its customers several ways to understand their sushi and rolls. Not only do they have the standard sushi photos in a clear Sapporo beer display, but they break it down in a carefully crafted menu. This menu breaks down each roll by ingredient, allowing even the most novice sushi customers to be confident in their selections. The staff there is friendly and ready to answer any question you may have.

The Food

After drinking two cups of Genmaicha, we were finally presented with our order. We decided that we would each order from the menu then split everything amongst the table. The presentation of the sushi is a thing of art, and it's obvious today’s sushi chef is well-versed in his practice. Our waitress is quick to point out which roll are which, and leaves us to our feast. Today’s selections consist of five sushi rolls and an order of Tako (Octopus). Our first roll is the Sunday Morning. A deep fried delight filled with cream cheese, salmon, and cucumber. We also ordered the Pretty Woman (crab, salmon, avocado, and cream cheese topped with fresh kiwi), Crunch Munch (shrimp, cucumber, topped with shrimp and tempura crunchies), Sapporo Roll (crab salad, lettuce, carrot, cucumber), and Yamagobo (Mtn Carrot).

On first bite the Sunday Morning became my favorite roll as it melted slowly in my mouth. Knowing this roll probably goes against everything that sushi stands for, I didn’t care. Each of us went through and tasted each of the rolls and the Tako. Each of the rolls brought a variety of different textures and flavors, however the flavors were far from overwhelming. In the end, I found myself going back to the 'oh-so-healthy' deep fried Sunday Morning which had the most taste. The oozing cream cheese worked deliciously paired with the cucumber and salmon.

The Crunch Munch and the Sapporo Roll are very similar rolls with the exception of the lettuce. Both of these rolls are the average sushi rolls that you can find at various places in Cleveland. The flavors of these rolls are reigned by the crab salad dictatorship, and it's often hard to taste the other ingredients. The Yamagobo roll falls into the same category. These mountain carrots should have searched for greener pastures with some flavor and taste. If you are looking for soft carrots in rice this roll is for you, otherwise I would to other selections on the menu.

Lastly, the Tako was a surprise. This was my first time having octopus, and I wasn’t sure what to think. Its soft rubbery texture may be a turn off to some, but for me the biggest turn off was the fishy taste of the outer suction cups (yes, I said suctions cups). Probably won't order octopus again.

An hour later and everybody is feeling fine, which is a great sign since our innocent bystander had a bad experience with her last sushi experience.

Departing

Upon leaving Sapporo I’m not sure if we will return. The service was great, and they were able to quickly divide up the check and run our credit cards. While the ingredients were prepared correctly, most of the flavors were bland and easy to forget. Nothing we ordered stuck out to us as being horrible, but at the same time this is far from the best sushi that Joel and I are used to. In the end, Sapporo is an average inexpensive sushi restaurant frequented by local business men and women. We also took note that Sapporo is open late and is B.Y.O.B.

Comments

Add New

Find Lunch