“Cheap sushi” often sets off warning bells, but at Sushi Deli 2 that warning bell has become a siren call.
By the time the restaurant opens for dinner, a line has already formed outside. The tables fill up minutes after seating begins, and a steady stream of eager diners clamor to put their names down for the next open spot. Once you get past the chaos at the hostess stand, your only obstacle will be deciding what to order from the myriad of economical options on the menu. From rolls to nigiri, everything costs a fraction of what it would at most sushi joints, while keeping to a high standard of freshness and quality.
Start your meal with the miso soup. Crunchy tempura croutons set it apart from the run-of-the-mill standard, and a brimming bowl of it will only set you back 85 cents.
For the best deal, hand rolls win hands down. The hefty, small-sized rolls consist of papery sheets of nori wrapped around sticky rice with fillings like spicy tuna and sweet-glazed eel that melt in your mouth. Sushi Deli 2 takes the taco concept a step further and pulls off Asian-Latin fusion with the Mexican hand roll. Nori replaces a tortilla in this Japanese version of a fish taco filled with fried fish, sticky rice, avocado and spicy salsa. Hand rolls range in price from $1.99 to $2.50 during normal hours, but drop to half price during happy hour (5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.) You’ll be full after three or four hand rolls, but they’re so tasty and affordable that you won’t be able to resist a few more. The happy hour drink discount won’t dazzle you (the already inexpensive small sake drops to 99 cents) but the regular drink special, one large beer plus one small house sake for $5.50, might tempt you to go overboard with sake bombing.
Be careful when venturing on to the rest of the menu because not everything at Sushi Deli 2 escapes the “cheap sushi” stereotype. The Hot Hot California roll tastes like McDonalds got its hands on a package of supermarket sushi, doused it with “special sauce,” sprinkled it with still-quivering fish flakes, and left it under a heat lamp. However, avoid the imitation crab and spicy sauce and the menu’s more hit than miss.
