One of the best sushi establishments in Utah, Tsunami now has three locations. The third and newest location, in the river bottoms at 106th south, in South Jordan, just opened, and I figured that would give me a good excuse to put up a review. The other two locations are Sugarhouse (their original location), and Fort Union.

The Tsunami restaurants are, I will admit, a little trendy for my tastes, and not very traditional at all. The first time I walked in to the Sugarhouse location, I felt a little out of place. The clientele seemed to be lots of young hipsters and older, wealthy people. The new location seems to cater more to the BMW and Mercedes crowd, but if that doesn’t put you off, you definitely need to check this place out.

I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t tried any of the regular menu entrees at Tsunami. I go to Tsunami for their sushi, which is excellent. Their selection isn’t vast, but what they do have is very high quality. They have the usual (in North America) plethora of rolls and other ‘tame’ stuff you’d expect to find, as well as nigiri and sashimi. They do not have temaki, or hand rolls, on the menu, but if you politely ask your sushi chef, they might be willing to make one for you.

My last trip to Tsunami was at an odd time (about 4:30 in the afternoon), so I enjoyed the undivided attention of an excellent Itamae named Scott. I asked him what was fresh, and what he recommended that day. His tastes, apparently, run very close to my own. He started me of with some seared maguro (tuna) sashimi that was served with some green onions, daikon radish, a shiso leaf, and a special dipping sauce. I’m not usually a fan of seared or grilled fish, but this was excellent. The maguro was very tender, almost like tuna belly, and the flavor was very bright and not at all fishy. This is definitely worth trying.

After the sashimi, I had some Scottish sake (salmon), which was excellent. It was a farm-raised salmon, but it tasted more like the wild varieties. According to Scott, this salmon is raised in deep waters in a much more sustainable manner than domestic farmed salmon. However it was produced, it was very tasty – tender and flavorful.

The most wonderful thing I enjoyed that day was some kampachi nigiri. Kampachi is a Japanese Amberjack. This was a new fish for me, and it was just delectable. Scott prepared the kampachi nigiri with a little course sea salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. He then advised me to use just a drop or so of soy sauce. This was nearly a religious experience. I have to admit that this was the best nigiri I have ever had. I am totally in love with this fish prepared in this manner. The sea salt provided a slight crunch, and brightened the texture, while the lemon juice made everything just come alive. The touch of shoyu was just the thing to tie everything together. It was perfect. After I declared my delight with this fish, Scott mentioned that he made a special roll with kampachi that is not on the menu. This roll included kampachi, jalapeño pepper and mango, and is dressed with sea salt and lemon juice. I told him that I thought it sounded amazing, and he was kind enough to make for me a small sample of the main ingredients – some jalapeño and mango, sprinkled with lemon juice and sea salt, and then rolled in a piece of kampachi. After I popped it into my mouth, I thought I would just die from delight. He truly hit the magic spot with that combination. The next time I venture to Tsunami, I’ll find Scott and ask him to make one of those rolls for me.

So, if you’re not put off by the trendy/rich crowd, try Tsunami. The food is excellent, and the service is very, very good. I always leave there happy, and I’m sure you will too.

–Jason