Into The Deep

Deep Ellum is not an area of Dallas that I frequent, but I was in the neighborhood last week. Going in I knew Deep Ellum is really run down, not the safest place in Dallas, but used to have a lot of really cool hole-in-the-walls that are landmarks to Dallas. A) Luckily, some are still there. B) What happened down there? Hopefully the City of Dallas gets the rejuvenation process going soon. I just hate seeing sad little areas of my town.

However, I did go to one of the still thriving establishments in Deep Ellum: Deep Sushi. Per our server, Deep Sushi has been there since the 90's. It left for a short stint, but is back and there to stay.

On the way to Deep Sushi, my friends got a little lost. Yeh, it's in a rough neighborhood, to say the least, but DO NOT let that scare you away! It's at 2624 Elm St, Dallas, TX 75226. The outside of the building looks a little aged, but other than that, it has a nice neon sign acting as a homing beacon for newbies and regulars. The interior is very clean, Asian themed decor with the sushi bar as the main focal point. It was a nice evening so our crew decided the patio was our best option. The patio is very nondescript and basic. Black metal tables and chairs, and not over crowded. For me, the patio was perfect for food, friends, and fun. (The only pitfall of the patio is the bums try to panhandle while your eating dinner. How rude! - said in Stephanie Tanner voice circa Full House.)

The menu is one of the best I've seen! I LOVE sushi and exotic food so I was very pleased to see a menu full of traditional Japanese items such as seaweed salads, octopus and cucumber salad, sushi entrees and suimono. They do offer Americanized meals such as teriyaki and tempura, but alot of these are beef items. (I wonder if beef is a staple in the Japanese culture.) Our group of 4 went with one of the Sushi Boats. The price tag was scary but divided by 4, and the amount of food you receive, it was totally worth it. It literally was a wooden boat filled with sushi and rolls. It was a tame sushi selection in my opinion, but I still had my nigiri white tuna, so I was happy.

I loved this place so much, I did a bit of digging on the Internet when I got home. Not only is Deep Sushi open for lunch, they have lunch specials AND happy hour! Sushi+cheap booze=HEAVEN! Check out the menu and specials online at www.deepsushi.com.

How To Eat Sushi (Or At Least Look Like You Know How)

Sushi gained popularity in the US about 10 years ago. It continues to live up to its chic and trendy reputation. However fun and eclectic this traditional Japanese food may be, it still bewilders many man, and women, today.

Whether it’s a first date or a business dinner, you will definitely need to look as though you have mastered the basics of sushi. Below are a few etiquette tips and the essentials of sushi.

There are three basic types of sushi: Nigiri Sushi, Maki Sushi, and Sashimi Sushi. Let’s first discuss Maki Sushi.

Maki Sushi: If you have stepped foot into at least a SuperTarget in the last year, you have seen this type of sushi. Maki Sushi is rolled sushi. It is made with fish, rice, and a multitude of vegetables. Traditional maki sushi has seaweed on the outside (the dark green weird stuff). The most popular sushi in the states is an “inside out roll.” It is “inside out” because it has the rice on the outside, with the seaweed on the inside. Crunchy rolls, or fried rolls, are also considered inside out rolls. Whether it’s inside-out or right-side-out, maki sushi is in the lowest price bracket.

Nigiri Sushi: Nigiri sushi is nothing more than rice with raw fish on top. Based on the type of fish, you will typically get 4-6 pieces with an order of nigiri sushi. This type of sushi is a bit more pricey than the maki sushi.

Sashimi: (My personal favorite.) Sliced raw fish. That’s it. You pay the biggest bucks for sashimi out of the 3 types of sushi. It should have the highest quality fish and be very fresh. My advice is not to eat this unless you are at a *legitimate* sushi restaurant. (Chinese buffets DO NOT qualify as *legitimate* sushi dining.)

Now just a bit on manners. It doesn’t matter who you are with, girlfriend, first date, boss, coworker, etc., looking like a clown while eating is not advised. Sushi is no exception to this rule. While everyone is given some leeway when eating Japanese food, cluelessness is not excused.

· Eat sushi how you want. Eating it with your hands is very old school and completely acceptable. If you aren’t able to embrace this Eastern tradition, use the chopsticks or the best way possible to get it from the plate to your mouth, within reason.
· A HUGE misconception is to mix your wasabi in the soy sauce. Don’t do that. If you want additional wasabi, let the sushi chef know and they will put it on your rice.
· The most important suggestion is how to properly dip your sushi in the soy sauce: DO NOT EVER, under any circumstance, dip it rice side down. (I realize that is impossible with inside-out sushi, but for everything else this applies.) Flip your sushi, fish side down, and dip! This keeps your sushi from falling apart everywhere and you from looking like an idiot.

Now that you have the basics of sushi, grab some friends, or a date, and test out your new found sushi-intellect. Plus you’ll impress everyone by knowing what to do. Plus, the better you are at managing sushi after a few saki bombs, the better off you are; in my opinion!