Shun

Neighborhood: U-District
Address: 2510 NE Blakely St Seattle (map)
Phone: 206-522-2200
Web: N/A
Parking: Free parking space

Overall Rating: 8.7 / 10pts

ATMOSPHERE:
Compared to Village Sushi on the Ave, the interior feels a lot more welcoming as the tables aren't super close to one another and you are seated on a nice large tables instead of being crammed. I am worried about their location as it doesn't stand out at all. I had heard that it was next to McDonalds near U-Village, but I drove past it, not knowing that it's located behind the gas station. There is a little sushi counter on the corner that seats about 8 to 10 people where there are usually two sushi chefs that take your order.

SUSHI:
They have special of the day, which is always a sure sign that the chef has tasted today's market of fish and have hand selected the best he can offer. Like any decent places, the best way to fully enjoy their sushi is to do omakase (chef's choice), but if you just want a few sushi and try warm traditional food from the menu, ordering from today's special will be just fine. The fish has great texture and the freshness is almost comparable to the high end sushi places in Belltown, but at a bit lower cost. They may not go into my top 5 but, it's definitely a consistent place that I wouldn't mind going back on a regular basis. The fact that their large sushi combo doesn't have any Americanized rolls is a big plus (on the photo). Someone told me that the main chef here has trained under Shiro-san for a few years.

OTHER DISHES:
They have wide selection of traditional Japanese food including cod kasuzuke and egg plant dengaku. Though not the best in town, both tempura and agedashi tofu were quite good and I would definitely eat them again. I was also attracted to their asari misoshiru (miso soup with clam in it) and soba salad. They have a few sake to choose from including Otokoyama, which you can get for a decent price.

SERVICE:
The wait staff was attentive and both the food and drink order came to the table much quicker than I expected despite the restaurant being 90% full. Overall, it's a nice mid sized sushi place where you can get to know your sushi chef if you go a couple of times and sit at the counter.

Village Sushi

Neighborhood: U-District
Address: 4741 12th Ave NE Seattle (map)
Phone: 206-985-6870
Web: N/A
Parking: Street

Overall Rating: 8.4 / 10pts

ATMOSPHERE:
Village Sushi just opened in University District, just a couple of blocks away from the Ave. Considering that there aren't any decent sushi place in the U-District, it's a great news to the local sushi lovers. Located on the quiet 12th Ave in between 47th and 50th St, this place looks like a big shared housing from the outside. Inside is nice and clean with a decent counter space. Due to owner's preference, there are some jazz albums decorated on the walls. Tables are put together quite closely to one another, so if you are a larger person, you might feel a little crowded, but compared to other tiny places such as Musashi, it feels a bit more spacious, probably for the taller ceiling.

SUSHI:
Overall, they serve fairly fresh and decent tasting sushi, but definitely not the freshest fish in town. They have some seasonal seafood specials (such as raw oysters), but when comes to sushi, they stick to their menu, and if you ask them, "what's fresh today?" they simply respond, "everything is fresh" and offer no recommendations. The main chef is Indonesian, but have worked for a long time in numerous local sushi restaurants, so he knows his stuff. The price is reasonable for decent level sushi. Their sushi regular comes with 6 pieces of nigiri plus 6 pieces of rolls (3 California and 3 spicy tuna) for $12.50 (you can also get Sushi Deluxe for 8 piece nigiril plus rolls for $15.50). Their uni was surprisingly good for $6 for 2 pieces, but everything else just tasted above average, and not that memorable.

OTHER DISHES:
Look for their seasonal specials posted at the entrance. When I went, they had rockfish usuzuke (just means ultra thin sliced sashimi flavored with ponzu-like citrusly sauce) which was quite tasty for about $7. Their chirashi is listed at $19, which sounds pricey, but it comes with more than enough load of various sashimi on top, so if you are in mood of lots of sashimi, or want to share with someone, it's great to try. They have very small sake menu, so if that's your thing, you may be disappointed by the selection.

SERVICE:
Service is usually pretty good. Some of the waitresses are more knowledgeable about the menu than others, but overall, they are all attentive and try to make your dining pleasurable.