Battle Sushi - 帰着 (Conclusion)

Part One - The Warrior Returns

It's interesting to me that the Japanese kanji for "conclusion" includes the word "return". It's obvious and unfortunate that I've been away from this project for so long, a fact for which I have only a nagging cold to blame. Feeling the bias that a faulted palate could bring to this challenge, I deemed walking away from Battle Sushi to be the only fair way to size up those included contestants equally and with an open mind. It has been a leave unwanted, but with my senses finally returned I have stepped back onto this field and approached my final combatant fully refreshed, with eagerness and an empty belly; here then, are the results of the occasion:

Chapter Four - Samura

The most immediate and recognizable err with Samura is its location. At the intersection of Woodlawn and Silvercreek lies the intrusively vibrant yellow sign of the Super 8 motel; and nestled quaintly in the glare behind this midnight sunshine sits a small, humbled little restaurant by the name of Samura. As a diner, my hesitation to enter begins and ends with the thought of eating sushi in the parking lot of a motel; it doesn't exactly scream quality to me. However, I am a fair man and, project or no project, I let the food and overall experience make my final decision.

Atmosphere: it's a small restaurant, housing, at max, 20 two-seater tables. The decorative koi, classic wood, ancient-look paintings and traditional Makei Neko (the waving kitty we all know and love) are all there and so I can't be disappointed, or, for that matter, blown away by the decor. What I can say this place had that no other before it has presented, is the sushi bar, which was far more inviting and much larger than any of its predecessors in this battle, and so upon its cozy, inviting stools is where I chose to park myself for the meal.

Menu: the selections were all there, save for the toro, which in this case didn't even make the final menu cut. It was well laid out and supplied descriptions catered to that very specific moment in which you find yourlself looking at the selections and questioning "What the heck is Tamago* anyway?" Prices were more than fair from what I could observe, with my order of 18 pieces ringing in at only $11.50, and I was sufficiently satisfied having ordered the dynamite roll, California roll and kappa maki.

Service: it took a scant five seconds for the sushi chef to greet and invite me to sit wherever I felt comfortable. I was shortly thereafter presented with a menu and allowed what I would deem the delicately perfect amount of time to make my order decision. I had to pay upfront for my meal, which I thought was a little out of normal practice, and while I don't charge this restaurant with demerits for this, I still for some undecided reason feel it worth mentioning. From my place at the bar, I was able to watch and observe the chef create the maki set I requested with precision and speed, and if you've never watched or seen a true sushi chef at work, then I may suggest you take in the impressive display sometime in your near future, it's not as easy as it you may think.

Food and presentation: presentation was very suiting and acceptable. Wooden plank boards garnished with wasabe and pickled ginger were the platforms on which the maki rolls were handed over to me, and they were very pretty in design. The flavours were acceptable, nothing was off putting and I had the distinct impression that I was eating fresh fish, but there was still a little something missing. It may have been in the nori, or perhaps the overall quality of the cuts of fish, but something fell short and unfortunately wasn't 100% there for me.

Overall, I was pleased with my experience. It was an enjoyable setting, with very courteous and friendly staff to back up the design. Prices were fair for what I paid, perhaps even a little more so, and the food all tasted better than average. The only downsides I give Samura is that a) the rice was warm, which I understand is unavoidable in "made to order" situations, but it doesn't mean I have to like it, b) the flavour could have been amped up, if even by only a slightly higher quality of ingredients to tip the scales, and c) the location does not in any way invite anyone to enter through the doors; however, for this flaw I have decided to deduct points from the Super 8 and not from Samura.

Overall I have given this experience 3 out of 5

Part 2 - Showdown At High Noon

As bookends tend to do, the final chapter in this story has met me with the rain. It is a welcome sight as it has caused me to reflect back on all my experiences to now, and do so with an open and fair mind.

It has been a wonderful path for me to follow, laden with countless amounts of sushi, friends and memorable occurrences. Being that there are only four major sushi locales in this city, or at least four who specialize solely in the dish, I know and understand that my blue ribbon is being hung by the shoulders of an elite few. Limited as my options may have been along the way, I have done my best to keep this specific matter on a fair and level playing field with my past experiences, learning from those restaurants of faded years, but not letting them sway my tastes at each current table.

I have looked at this operation from all angles, weighing out the buffet choices at Fuji and Hockey against those "a la carte" as in Sushi Choice and Samura. I have considered the service and ambiance that each had to offer, and, of course, I have charted the tastes, freshness, flavours and presentations respectively along the way.

So, though the path, as it is with most epic battles, was longer than anticipated, without further ado, my fellow readers, I wish to present to you the winner of this battle, the victor who rose from the carnage to seek their claim as "Best Sushi Joint In Guelph, As Awarded By Me" The drum roll please........

And the winner is.....

Sushi Choice!

[pause for fanfare]

Bang for your buck: service, ambiance, freshness and over all taste, they have won me over as the best sushi restaurant in this city. I have done my best in being fair and tried with vigor to appreciate the all-you-can-eat food parade and it can be a tasty affordable treat as Hockey Sushi was more than willing to prove, but something within that trough just doesn't agree with my tastes. Like a nagging awareness that what I'm eating is of questionable quality, I just can't shake the thought and smell that permeates my senses before I even taste the food; ah, but such is not the case at Sushi Choice. Samura was an admirable close second and note-worthy contender, and, as promised, I put location aside when considering the victor, but it was the flavours that tipped the scale on the this one, Sushi Choice just squeaking by with the photo finish.

Granted, they may not be large enough for a dinner party, but we're talking sushi here, and I've yet to plan or be invited to a large group outing at a sushi establishment, it just doesn't appeal so widely to the masses....yet; after all, that is the point of this blog. It is perfect for lunch, awesome with a group of four and ideal for a date night. They have achieved, in my mind, a fair balance of food, presentation, cost and experience. In the end, they won my vote, captured my heart and fed my hunger for darn good sushi.

To all the other contestants in this dome: I raise my chopsticks for the efforts put forward, but there can be only one, and this city's Highlander has been chosen. I hope that these entries have been a source of both entertainment and education; that perhaps some of you who once feared the very thought of sushi, may one day consider it as an option for your feast. Of course, I stand by my choice as winner over all others, but at the same time I encourage you to challenge me on this; I would love to hear of the experiences you endure and revel in among your travels, and hope that you will share them so that I may experience anew. Until then, I am off on more adventures, in search of a new project, and I seem to be craving Mexican....

Sayanora

-Phil

Sushi Choice, winner, victor, humbled combatant,

45 Cork Street

Guelph, Ontario

*Tamago = Egg