Sushi Tango Anyone?

Sushi Tango
3001 Hennepin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55408
612.822.7787
http://www.sushitango.com/

Sushi Tango is located on the second floor of Calhoun Square, with a second location in Woodbury. You've probably seen the Sushi Tango face before as you drive down Hennepin even if you've never been. It is relatively new to the Uptown scene, but has managed to hold it's ground. In close proximity is an array of other sushi restaurants such as Fuji Ya, Chino Latino and the newly opened Tiger Sushi. I guess it's safe to say that Sushi Tango has a far amount to offer, otherwise it wouldn't have survived so long.

To date I've never had an awful experience at Sushi Tango, but it seems Uptown (particularly Calhoun Square) is visibly suffering during this economic downturn and isn't what it used to be. There is some fresh construction going on though, so hopefully things will improve. On that note, the once great CS parking ramp is also under construction. You can still park there, but it is all valet and the cost is $7.

It's funny that it's taken me so long to write about Sushi Tango because I actually go there more than a little. It was also the first sushi place Mr. B had ever been to, so it hold a special place in the heart.

THE ORDER
Edamame $4.75 ($3.00 during HH)
Yes, I like my steamed, salted soy beans...sue me. Nothin' wrong with these guys, plus they're only 3 dollars during HH!

Gyoza $5.00 ($3.50 during HH...don't hold me to that, but they were cheap)
Pronounced something like this 'GEE-YO-ZAH'. These little dumplings are filled with Chinese pork and pan fried. Served with a salty, sweet and sour dipping sauce. These things are awesome. We had them at Fuji Ya also, but they were steamed and not fried. Still good.

Tango Tataki $10.00 tuna or beef ($7.00 during HH)
We had the tuna. Seared lightly and topped with garlic, ginger, shiso leaf, kaiware, lemon juice, ponzu and togarashi. You may not know what half of those things are, and if I have time I'll explain. Just know it's good stuff. Mr. B would live on it if he could...then again he did manage to get off his caterpillar roll kick after eating too many.

Tekka Maki $4.75
Good ol' tuna. You are my only friend. Yummy. You get 6 pieces. The only thing that makes me sad is it's not on the HH menu. Still, $4.75 ain't bad.

Futo Maki $6.50
I've decided to try this everywhere now. So far I've had Samurai Futo and Fuji Ya Futo. It's basically the same no matter where you go, just lots of deliciousness stuffed into nori. Although I got 5 pieces instead of 4, I'd have to say this was not my favorite so far...but it's defintely in the top 3...becuase it has to be...because I've only tried 3.

Dynamite Roll $6.00 ($3.00 during HH)
This roll has assorted fish mixed with sesame oil, Thai pepper, lettuce, kaiware, cucumber and spicy bean sauce. If you're a big wimp stay away from the guy. I even get a little watery eyed when I'm eating this one, but it's good. This is probably my favorite roll at Sushi Tango, plus it's on the HH menu. Awesome.

Toro Sashimi $15.95 (Market price)
If I'm the Futo girl then Mr. B is the Toro dude. He started out by saying this was his favorite Toro ever, but then 3 seconds later changed his mind and said it was his 3rd favorite. Miyabi 9 of Des Moines still ranks #1 in his book...I would have to agree. The toro here was more thinly sliced then others we've tried. That may be a plus, but Mr. B prefers thicker slices. Plus $15.95 for 2 pieces of sashimi is a hefty price. At Fuji Ya (although it is big eye toro) it is only $7.95 for sashimi. However, this fish goes by market price so the cost will fluctuate. Maybe it's $15.95 at Fuji Ya right now too. I should probably go and investigate after work.

THE VITALS
# of People: 2
Reservations: No
Day/Time of Visit: Wednesday, March 4th - 5:45 pm
Will I be back: Yes, I like the atmosphere and the HH prices are reasonable.
YAYs!: Friendly staff, nice atmosphere, ample seating, good HH drink deals, attached to parking ramp.
Nays: No simple sushi on HH menu, only rolls. Maybe a little understaffed? Staff is friendly, but it seems pretty busy during HH and like there aren't enough servers.
Notes: Try the dynamite!

Seacrest out.

-BananaWoo