sushi Archives -

Sometimes I review the upscale, high-priced gourmet eateries in this area, and sometimes I review the “eat here every day” delicious, comfortable, and informal eateries.

This month it is the latter, and I’ve been a customer of this particular restaurant for several years, ever since the new owners took over.

Hashi Sushi and Thai, located a few doors down from Walgreens in the Borders Strip Mall in the Northeast quadrant of 441 and Glades Road (9845 Glades Road, Boca Raton, Fla., 561-477-9989), is simply a wonderful Sushi/Thai/Asian restaurant with fresh fish, tender meats, great wheat and rice noodles, sweet hot sake, and low prices. It is decorated in the mellow Asian motif which, as always, is unpretentious, clean, and inviting. (Please see the great little designs with the straw wrappers, continually made by the owner’s mom.)

If you’re like me you probably don’t relish the thought of going into a small, mom-and-pop restaurant without someone recommending it. After all, some of those places are disgusting, unsuited to serve anything to anyone at any time. So, at least let me give you the all-clear on this quaint and special eatery. Years ago, I started with a small, fried rice dish to check them out. Next, I moved up to two small pieces of salmon sushi. (If it wasn’t fresh I’d have smelled it and run away.) Finally, I brought the final arbiter of my safety in food consumption: my wife, Maria.

I’m sure the modest and humble owners–Sakchan Makhamphan, who is also the head chef, and his delightful and attentive wife, Araya Naphakorn, who runs the “front”–would love you to come in for a delicious dinner (and they are delicious) still, I’d guess that their lunch business is their real money time. But they’re never too busy to make you feel special and there’s always quick service.

I have probably eaten everything on the large menu at least once and so, though there isn’t enough room to comment on all, let me tell you that whatever you order will be prepared and presented just the way you like it.

Here’s a sampling: The Tuna Tataki (thin slices of seared tuna, served with ponzu sauce) and the Sunomono (conch, octopus, crab, and shrimp with cucumbers in ponzu sauce) are my favorite appetizers. The tuna is warm and the sunomono is cool so your every desire can be accommodated.

I’m not a big sushi-roll eater, as I prefer to have one fish at a time. But, I love salmon skin rolls and occasionally indulge in Hashi Sushi’s version of a Rainbow KC Roll where the chef chooses the best combination of salmon and tuna mixed with Hamachi, asparagus, scallions, and roe and then wraps it all in a very thinly sliced cucumber. It’s six pieces and large enough to be an entire appetizer, though, for me it is a mere morsel.

Edamame, steamed soybeans, lightly salted, and Shumai, steamed or fried shrimp dumplings, along with Gyoza, steamed or fried pork dumplings, are wonderful openers, as well. I also can’t resist the soft-shelled crab, which is lightly fried and served with ponzu sauce. I’ve said it before about other excellent sushi restaurants, and I’ll add Hashi Sushi to the list, that if you’re cold, or feel a cold coming on, order the Seafood Udon Noodle Soup–ask for it very hot and eat it very hot. By the end of the feast, you will feel much better — sort of like “Japanese chicken soup.” Or, order it when you feel just fine because it is really a satisfying dish.

Fresh, cool, and invigorating salads, prepared in a truly Asian way are abundant; here’s just a few that I have eaten over the years: Oriental Chicken Salad, Oriental Shrimp Salad, Seared Sesame Tuna Salad, Sashimi Salad, and Wakame (seaweed salad).

All the hot entrees are served with miso soup or salad, and rice. I could list them at this juncture but that would be merely copying their menu. Let it suffice to say that the hot entrees are every bit as good as all of the food at Hashi Sushi and Thai. This eatery is not only worth visiting whenever you’re at the Borders’ mall or whenever you’re going to or coming from the Shadowood Movie Theater — it is worth a trip just for lunch or dinner.

Hashi Sushi and Thai

9845 Glades Road, Boca Raton, Fla

561-477-9989

By Charles Marcanetti

[June 2010]

There are three Asian/sushi restaurants that I eat in regularly. They actually triangulate our readership area and depending on where I am when the desire strikes, that’s where I go. This month, having just realized that it’s been years that I am a customer and I never reviewed them, I am singing the praises of Japango, located north of Hillsboro on the west side of 441. It’s been around for a long time, which should indicate how good it is. It is also sexy in its décor and has an exceptionally wide variety of styles and choices of fish, poultry, and meat specialties, cooked, lightly cooked, and raw.

Most “sushi” eateries are simple, small, and aimed at serving fresh fish in an old country-style diner-like atmosphere. For me, as in Japan, that’s the way it should be. Except at Japango they tweaked the philosophy just a bit. It is a “real” restaurant. It is smartly laid out in soft lighting, mellow colors, and encourages a slower dining experience, one where we sit and savor our dishes. Of course, when you try to guide your clientele toward a relaxed atmosphere you run the risk of having poor service. Not at Japango. They have the service timed to coordinate with each table’s rate of eating; a perfectly timed dining choreography.

None of this would mean a thing if the food was lousy. Japango’s fish is fresh, cut to the exact size called for (sashimi is cut thinner than nigiri and nigiri is the better name for what most of us call “sushi”).

Let me explain – technically any fish served with vinegared rice is sushi, but that type of sushi served in rectangular slices – or round – is nigiri. I recommend, without authority, an article at allaboutsushiguide. com/types-of-sushi.html for those of you who are really curious.

Another wonderful treat at Japango is that they have an extensive menu. Some sushi restaurants add some meat and poultry dishes to satisfy the few remaining people who scrunch up their faces at the sound of sushi. At Japango, you’ll find a full Asian/Thai menu and a fairly wide array of Vegan dishes. So, even if your newly converted vegetarian college student son, daughter, or grandchild waxes endlessly about the dangers of this food or that food, even they will not go hungry (don’t send me letters complaining about my insensitivity – I was that person).

While I have sampled much of the menu I have not had each and every item. But, I have had some of each: Japanese, Thai, Sushi, Wok, raw, cooked, and even vegetarian. I have never been disappointed. I feel confident that you will be happy when you visit and return time after time.

However, I feel compelled to tell you about some of my favorites.

The Ultimate Sea Bass Roll – made with shrimp, mango, masago, scallion, asparagus, and enclosed in soy wrap with avocado and grilled miso seabass on top with miso butter, eel sauce, red and green tobiko – is outstanding. The Japango Lobster Bomb – made with tempura lobster, scallions, asparagus, ginger, fish eggs, rolled in seaweed and topped with jumbo prawn with spicy mayo, eel sauce, and further accompanied by tempura lobster in a shell with spicy wasabi – is equally good.

Sometimes, when I am feasting on raw fish I miss the “chewing” sensation so I order a Soft Shell Eel Roll – made with soft shell crab, volcano shrimp, and ginger wrapped in soy paper topped with avocado, eel, and eel sauce. The softshell crab allows me to crunch a little and my palate is sated.

If you enjoy more than miso soup (I love miso soup) you must try the Shrimp and Lobster Wonton Soup – made with homemade shrimp and lobster gyoza in chicken stock, topped with shredded bok choy. It is wonderful.

Are you still looking for warm, cooked food? OK. The Black Bean Basil Sea Bass – made with red pepper, green pepper, onion, jalapeno chili with black bean basil sauce, or the Garlic Lobster – served with two lobster tails, snow peas, mushroom, carrots, baby corn, celery sautéed with garlic sauce, and accompanied with jasmine rice – will each knock your socks off.

They serve only premium hot sake and, as usual, I cannot get enough. I never drive when I visit Japango.

I conclude by telling you that Japango is a sushi and Asian restaurant, suitable for a fine dining experience but lending itself, as well, to a lighter lunch or evening dinner. Bring your guests, your family, and friends. It’s fun, fine dining in a well-lighted, happy environment.

By Charles Marcanetti

[February 2017]

Tag: sushi

HASHI Sushi & Thai