Yummy, crunchy, delicious
The otherworldly charm of Fuji Sushi
By Stacey Wiebe 03/29/2007
Situated conveniently on Ventura’s main drag and yet simultaneously sequestered in another, quieter, dimension, Fuji Sushi is a downtown staple that feels not quite of this earth.
Some of the otherworldly feel has to do with the supreme quiet that shrouds the place during most of the daylight hours, after which, particularly on weekends, it becomes the bustling hot spot you never knew existed.
I’m not going to lie to you: I have dined at Fuji Sushi on many occasions and, while the food has not always been exceptional, I can give the fare a 10 out of 10 more often than not, and even what it’s not perfect, it scores no lower than an eight on the eats scale.
I recently dined at Fuji Sushi with my mother, who, like me, is a diehard fan of the restaurant’s “yummy crunch roll,” a slice of heaven on a plate in the form of tempura shrimp swathed in white rice, dusted in delectable bits of flaky tempura crumbs and drizzled with some kind of peach-colored sauce that lives up to the roll’s moniker.
During our most recent visit, we ordered the yummy crunch roll as well as two combination plates that included, respectively, eight pieces of sizable tempura shrimp and veggies, and teriyaki chicken with a little side of California roll. In addition to the already humongous mass of food, my teriyaki combo included white rice and a simple salad. To top it all off — and make sure we had enough food to tide us over for the next two months — we also ordered a side of pork-fried rice.
Whew. I am stuffed all over again just writing about it.
As always, the yummy crunch rolls were yummy, crunchy and delicious. There is something magical about the combination of the sauce and tempura that truly sets the dish apart.
My mother’s shrimp tempura were large, flaky and expertly made, and she also greatly enjoyed her tempura vegetables, despite the fact that she wasn’t quite sure what some of them were. Still, Mom is one of those amazing people who can take it all in stride: “It was an adventure for my mouth,” she said of the mystery veggies.
I also enjoyed her combo plate very much, despite the fact that I, too, couldn’t quite put my finger on the origin of some of the veggies. But, hey, it was still great tempura.
My generous portion of teriyaki chicken was tender and delicious, and the sauce was very flavorful without being overpowering. Likewise, the California roll was everything a California roll should be, if done right.
Perhaps the crowning glory of this particular dining experience, the pork-fried rice was a veritable miracle on a plate. I don’t know what, exactly, made this fried rice the best we had ever had, but it was imbued with just the right amount of fried balanced with fresh ingredients to make it mind-blowingly great. Superb. Absolutely superb.
So, whether you come for the fried rice and stay for the yummy crunchy stuff, or come for the teriyaki and stay for the tempura … well, whatever it is that gets you there, it doesn’t matter much. Just make your way to Fuji Sushi’s otherworldly corner, find yourself a booth, and dig in.
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