I Eat Sushi: Ginza Sarasota

ALL YOU CAN EAT ASIAN CUISINE & SUSHI is the first thing you see when you pull up their website.  

Is this another Asian Buffet, you ask. NO! It is all fresh and made to order! All you can eat sushi for $13 at lunch time ($15 on weekends) or $25 at dinner time.  In a world where one specialty roll will cost you $12, this deal is insane. Sure, it's nothing out of Jiro Dreams of Sushi, but at that price, the quality is spot on.  They offer other entrees that are not included in the AYCE deal, but come on. Who the heck wants Chicken and Broccoli when you can have all you can stomach of a bit of this and a bit of that?

I usually start my meal off with a seaweed salad, a miso soup, and a Dancing Crab Roll (my absolute favorite) with a side of spicy mayo. Maybe I might also get an order of Edamame or Crispy Fried Aged Tofu if I feel like living dangerously. Everyone seems to like the Fried Pork Dumplings as well. The AYCE lunch offerings aren't quite as extensive as the dinner menu, but it's close enough.  There are still a TON of options to suit everyone's tastes.

Dancing Crab Roll

As colorful and exotic as it may appear, the Dancing Crab Roll is actually pretty tame. It is a cooked maki roll with tempura shrimp, cream cheese, imitation crab, and avocado. It is drizzled with eel sauce and topped with smelt roe (tiny fish eggs).

Aged Tofu & Volcano Roll

I also really enjoy the Volcano Roll. It's made with salmon, white fish, avocado, cream cheese, and scallions, and is deep fried and topped with "special sauce".

The Dragon Roll with eel, cucumber, and avocado and the Spicy Salmon are also crowd favorites.

Raw Stuff:
If you are brave enough for the unadorned raw stuff, Ginza's got all that too. Again, you're not getting sushi rolled by the masters, but it gets the job done.

But Becca, what if I don't like sushi???

Relax, Bob. Is it ok if I call you Bob?
There are other options such as noodles, tempura (can never go wrong with tempura), hibachi, and rice dishes. Yes, even YOU will manage to walk away full and satisfied.
I love me some steak hibachi, but the quality of the dish here is 50/50.  Fifty percent of the time the steak is cooked to perfection, but the other fifty percent of the time it's just ok. But for me, it's sort of a guessing game each time I go. "Will the steak be good today? Nah. It's not that great. I bet it will be amazing next time!"

(The Steak Hibachi was ON POINT on this day.)

Fried Pork Dumplings, Vegetable Tempura, Miso Soup, & Seaweed Salad

*Tip: DO NOT get greedy and over order, because you will be charged extra for dishes you order but do not eat.

And finally, the crowning glory of the meal, THE ASIAN DONUTS!  Perfectly fried pillows of perfection rolled in sugar crystals for an extremely satisfying finish. Thank you, Chinese civilization, for fireworks, pandas, and donuts!

If you are Asian and can appreciate a good red bean dessert (If you're Caucasian you're thinking, "Why the heck would anyone eat beans for dessert?"), the Sesame Balls are a nice tasty mouthful.

Top: Chinese Donut, Bottom: Sesame Balls

SO, you drive to Chick-Fil-A on Fruitville, throw up your hands in anguish when you realize it's Sunday, then remember this post.  Ginza is tucked away behind Chick-Fil-A next to the Yellow Strawberry in the far, back corner of the plaza. Go get you some sushi!

Ambience: 7/10

Service: 8/10 

Food: 8/10

Good for: Casual Lunch or Dinner

Lunch Buffet (Mon-Fri.): $12.95
Dinner Buffet: $24.95

http://www.ginzasarasota.com/index.php