Fountain's Favorite Five Sushi Spots

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This month, David wanted to highlight some of our community’s best Sushi restaurants in hopes to provide you, our readers, with a new favorite spot while also helping these restaurants regain some of the business they may have lost during the pandemic.

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From Maki, to Nigiri, to Sashimi, David is on the hunt to discover it all. This Japanese cuisine has a wide variety of preparation and presentation methods that are sure to excite your taste buds.

KITANI SUSHI Peachtree Pkwy/ Sharon Rd

When first walking in the door of Kitani, David Fountain and fellow Foodie, Jennifer Asher, were promptly greeted by the owners, Lie and Ating. Operating Kitani Sushi since 2008, this pair makes a wonderful team. Lie is behind the bar preparing sushi with precision, while Ating is there to greet you with enthusiasm. Thing immediately asked for David and Jennifer’s names and continued to refer to them throughout the evening, creating a personable experience.

When placing their order, David and Jennifer did not regret starting with the Tuna Ahi Poki, which was prepared beautifully with fresh and tender Hawaiian marinated tuna and spicy sesame oil. Their next choice on the menu was a featured item, the Double Spicy Tuna Roll. Jennifer said that this is the best spicy tuna roll she has had the pleasure of eating. The presentation was not only picture perfect, but the taste was exquisite. Saving the best for last, David highly recommends the Spicy Dragon Roll. It consists of Shrimp Tempura, and a cucumber top with spicy tuna. Look closely and you will notice the roll is creatively shaped like a dragon- what a unique touch! Overall, this hidden gem is now Jennifer’s all-time favorite sushi. The entire experience is what keeps the regulars coming back for more.

IZUMI ASIAN BISTRO Market Place

Walking into Izumi, David was happily surprised with the open and airy atmosphere created by high ceilings, large windows, and opaque skylights. The feel of this sushi location is quite different than others and creates a hip and fun location to enjoy their unique sushi selections. The menu is very colorful and offers a wide variety of choices, sure to satisfy your sushi needs. David ordered the Tuna Lover Roll, which is spicy tuna and avocado, topped with tuna, scallions, masago, and screaming sauce. This roll is named perfectly and is recommended for anyone in the mood for tuna.

David also ordered the Natsumi Roll which included spicy tuna, mango, and crabstick. This is a fun and unique alternative to traditional sushi as it is wrapped with thin cucumber skin instead of rice and seaweed. David’s favorite dish was the Dynamite Roll. Made of crab stick, avocado and cucumber, topped with a baked lobster salad, spicy mayo, and eel sauce, this roll offers a very dynamic tasting experience. Fellow foodie, Caroline, ordered the Crazy Crab Roll, and was impressed seeing the dish arrive at their table. This crab stick tempura was covered with crispy tempura flakes and eel sauce, making it the perfect dish for those who enjoy a crunch. Between the inviting atmosphere and large variety of sushi options, this location makes for the perfect sushi enjoying experience.

RICE RESTAURANT AND SUSHI BAR Keith Bridge Rd/ Browns Bridge Rd

Upon arrival, David and fellow foodie, Jennifer Asher, immediately felt immersed in the elegant yet comfortable atmosphere of Rice Restaurant and Sushi Bar.This location prides themselves on creating an environment for families to have a good time and enjoy their delicious pan-Asian varieties. David and Jennifer began their meal with a Tuna Tartare- diced seared tuna, avocado, house marinade, wasabi mayo and eel sauce.

The dish was fresh and did not skimp on the sauce, making it an extremely tasty appetizer for the two. Recommended by their waiter, Jennifer and David were pleasantly surprised with the Mango Tango Roll. This roll included spicy yellowtail and tempura crunch, topped with seared tuna, avocado, serrano pepper, mango, black tobiko, and wasabi yuku dressing. All these flavors paired wonderfully and left both foodies wanting more. David and Jennifer also enjoyed the Explosion Roll and the Spicy Tuna Roll. Open since 2005, this location continues to impress customers with their consistently fresh and beautifully prepared sushi, casual and inviting atmosphere, and welcoming service.

HAPPY FAMILY CHINESE FOOD AND SUSHI Downtown Cumming

Located in downtown Cumming, this family-owned restaurant is eager to please with their fresh sushi and friendly service. Upon arrival, David and Fellow Foodie Caroline were promptly greeted and seated with their menus.

The waitress was extremely helpful and took time with us to share some of their popular items and give some backstory on their establishment. After dealing with family loss and having to close their doors for many months, this establishment is now back and better than ever. David ordered the Yellowtail Crunch Roll, Bagel Roll, and his personal favorite, the Atomic Bomb Roll- spicy tuna topped with baked minced salmon spicy mayo, eel sauce and sriracha. Caroline enjoyed the Happy Family Roll- shrimp tempura and cream cheese, topped with avocado, crab, crunchy, and special sauce. She said the flavors complimented each other well, especially with soy sauce and wasabi.

Happy Family Chinese and Sushi recently completed renovations and expanded the restaurant, making it much more open and inviting. If you are looking for a casual but still very tasty location to enjoy some fresh sushi, this is the place to be.

ICHIBAN STEAK AND SUSHI The Collection

This location provides a unique vibe as soon as you walk in. The restaurant has a industrial look meshed with the Japanese style décor, making this is fun place to sit down and enjoy their tasty sushi options.

David started off his meal with the Bang Bang Shrimp, which is shrimp tempura and cucumber topped with tobiko, sriracha, aioli, and kabayaki sauce. For the main dish, he ordered the OMG Roll and the Ichiban Roll. The OMG roll had a unique and flavorful taste, combining both spicy tuna and jalapeno. The Ichiban roll was David’s personal favorite, and it was salmon tempura and cumber topped with escolar, salmon, avocado, wasabi lime aioli, kabayaki sauce, and spicy aioli sauce. David is a lover of sauces, so this dish left him wanting more. The quality, freshness, and atmosphere of this location is what makes this a great choice for your next sushi outing.

WORTH THE DRIVE

FUMI Duluth, Dunwoody, Dacula

The inside of this establishment is beautifully laid out and provides an upscale feel. They offer a large menu full of Sushi and Hibachi varieties.

David opted for the Roll for Two Love Boat, which gave him 6 different rolls to enjoy. This Love Boat included a Spicy Yellowtail Roll, Shrimp Tempura Roll Crazy Roll, Godzilla Roll, Fumi Dynamite Roll, and a California Roll. All the rolls were very tasty, but David’s Favorite was the Godzilla Roll, which is spicy tuna and scallion deep fried with a special sauce. The Love Boat options give parties an exciting vessel to view and eat the many sushi rolls that FUMI offers. All the sushi was extremely fresh and created a very enjoyable tasting experience. If you are looking for a unique and exciting sushi adventure, or the perfect location for a special event or occasion, FUMI is the place to be.

MF SUSHI Avalon/Alpharetta & Inman Park/Atlanta

This sushi restaurant is certainly one location to go out of the way for. As you enter MF Bar, there is a casual yet luxurious feel.

They offer indoor and outdoor seating with modern, updated décor, creating the perfect atmosphere for relaxation and enjoyment. David and Jennifer began their meal with the Baked Lobster, which MF Sushi is known for. Topped with Japanese mayo, eel sauce, tobiko and scallion, this appetizer certainly did not disappoint. They also ordered the Spicy Tuna Roll, which defiantly satisfied Jennifer’s sushi needs. If you are looking for an upscale night out with quality sushi and a full bar, MF Bar is the perfect sushi destination for you.

THE MONTHLY FOOD ADVENTURE CONTINUES WITH BURGERS:

Summer is just around the corner, so it is time to start the grill and prepare some juicy burgers! We will be looking for the best burgers in Forsyth, Gainesville, and Dawson. Let us know some of your favorite burger joints in these areas, or worth the drive locations