Cedar Rapids, IA — Sushi House

Sushi House 2655 Edgewood Parkway SW Cedar Rapids, IA

(319) 396-1990 website map

A hometown sushi bar! Sushipilgrim is from Iowa — not known for its sushi. Until now I have only been able to enjoy sushi on the road. There are some Chinese mega-buffets in town that serve sushi and even a Chinese-Thai-Sushi place but it's not the same. I guess a new Japanese Steakhouse/sushi place just opened up but sushi is a small part of their menu.

Today my wife and I went out to lunch and she suggested we try the Sushi House. I was surprised for two reasons; first Mrs. Sushipilgrim only tolerates sushi and second I did not realize that Sushi House was even open yet. Well, I am always game for sushi so we decided to go. After Taki in West Des Moines, I was not expecting much.

When we arrived at Sushi House, I was pleasantly surprised. The restaurant has a very clean minimalist decor. There are some colored hangings on the walls and potted bamboo as a privacy curtain between sections. This is a large restaurant with a good sized sushi bar.

Sushi House is a full service restaurant with both Japanese and Chinese items on the menu. My wife ordered Lo Mein and Nabayake Udon. The Lo Mein was excellent and the Udon — I can barely describe the Udon. Let me just say that there are few things that can make February in Iowa any better than a steaming bowl of Udon. Having a full menu makes Sushi House a good choice to take a sushi newbie they are sure to become hooked.

The star of the restaurant is the sushi. The selection was good and when available includes exotic species like Uni and my favorite — Mirugai. I inquired about the Mirugai but I was told they were out. I ended up ordering the Sashimi combo (chef's choice) and a Philadelphia roll. When my order was ready, the waiter said that he had been wrong and the sushi chef gave me an order of Mirugai sashimi on the house.

The first sign that this was going to be good was the presentation. All of the food was as beautiful to look at as to eat. The sashimi was artfully placed on ice in a bowl. The bowl was filled with shredded radish and had wasabi in a carrot star. The chef had also carved a small piece of cucumber into the shape of a swan. All of the fish was very firm and fresh. My wife tried the salmon and really liked it.

The piece de resistance was the Mirugai. The mirugai was served in a bowl, on a bed of ice. In the back of the bowl were three smooth black river stones. Next to them was a large cowrie shell. The Mirugai had substance but was not gummy or rubbery. It was absolutely perfect.

The roll was arranged in a rather ordinary way on a long glazed earthenware dish. The only negative was that the roll was inconsistent. The end pieces appeared to have little or no creme cheese in them.

Service, presentation, selectiona and quality were all very good. It was easy to imagine this restaurant in New York or California. But Sushipilgrim is glad it is here in Iowa.

Sushi House: 4 rice bowls