The Most Comprehensive Review of a Local Sushi Restaurant in Juanita written in November

by oBelIX

Whenever I see an article titled “The most ….” or the “Top ten things you must …” I question it. Something in my gut tells me that it is inaccurate and as with most things on the Internet it turns out to be true. Today, I sat down and decided to write “The Most Comprehensive Review of a Sushi Restaurant” and realized the need for a far more specific title so that when someone like me reads the title the only way to prove that it is inaccurate is to write a review that is more comprehensive than mine and ergo improve the quality of the Internet.

Oto Sushi – a small place, nestled between a massage parlour and another restaurant, behind a Walgreens.

11628 97th Ln NE
(at Juanita Dr)
Kirkland, WA 98034
(425) 825-8899

The staff are very friendly and it’s open till late (10pm). The open-till-lateness is very useful, coming back after hitting the gym and finding that there is no food in the house. The ingredients are fresh and the rolls are not only delicious but also beautifully presented.

tl;dr – if you do not read further:

The Norwegian Pepper Salmon is delicious
The Caterpillar Roll is a work of art
The Snow Crab is soft and soothing and melts in your mouth.
The Rainbow Roll is stunning as well

Pictures and roll descriptions in my order of preference of the rolls.

The Caterpillar Roll

If you do not order anything else then order this. Crab. Eel. The sauce is tangy. It is delicious and presented beautifully.

The Rainbow Roll

This is a roll you get everywhere. It’s got four different fish meats on top of it – they are of different colours and hence the name “Rainbow Roll” (I’m sure you got that from the picture ).

The Mango Salad Roll

Crab, wrapped in lettuce and beetroot. Simple. Elegant. Healthy. The sauce (raw mango flavoured) goes really well with the roll. Oh, and each piece is rather big and kind of hard to fit in your mouth like a gentleman.

Lion King Roll

This roll looks like a mess. It seems like a crazy jumble of thoughts and when you take a piece of it and put it in your mouth you realize just how crazy it is. There is so much going on in this roll – the creamy sauce, the spice, the sweetness of the crab, the wasabi and the soy sauce – and yet it all just comes together as you eat it.

The Norwegian Pepper Salmon

It’s seared, has a slightly burnt taste and sprinkled with black pepper. Enough said.

Godzilla Roll

Eel and spice – it tastes very nice.

Dragon Roll

The Godzilla Roll’s older cousin. Similar.

Tiger Roll

Tempura. Snow Crab and another fish whose meat is in the mouth. Slightly chewy but the coolness of the snow-crab is very refreshing. Good to finish a meal with.