The Opening of Sushi Izu

It's finally opened! Sushi Izu finally opened at our neighbourhood Woolworths!

Sushi Izu has had an agreement with Woolworths nationwide to open up sushi shops within the premise of Woolworths outlets. And I was very excited to see that the plans made its way to Queensland and to Nundah!

A small standalone shop in the supermarket, Sushi Izu sells a variety of sushi to cater to everyone. From sushi rolls to sashimi, and even portions of the edamame and vegetable gyoza! The staff work in a space right behind the display shelf and you can see them quietly, slicing huge fillets of salmon to making the rolls on the spot.

To me, a test of how good a sushi shop or restaurant is, is how good their Salmon Nigiri is. Without any cooking or fancy sauces and garnishes, it allows one to know how well the rice was cooked, and how fresh the salmon is. The ones made by Sushi Izu was nice and fresh, and the price seemed more reasonable compared to the other rolls and sushi available in my opinion.

I could not go pass a perennial favourite, the Tempura Prawn Roll with Avocado. One thing about eating tempura sushi from take away sushi places is that you do not get the crunch and crispness of freshly cooked tempura, and this was no different. The tempura batter was a little soggy but you could still taste the freshness of the prawn and it tasted good with the rice and avocado.

With so much going on in the box, I had to give the Crunchy Tempura Prawn Roll with Brown Rice a shot. The crunchy bits on top looked and tasted more like crisp rice puffs of sorts, which was disappointing as I was expecting bits of tempura batter. Like the Tempura Prawn Roll, the batter and crispy bits were a bit soggy. I also found the brown rice overcooked, resulting in a soft sticky mush.

The range available was good for a shop that just opened. The staff are very friendly and greet shoppers when they can. I think that they need a better way of displaying what is available as some types of sushi are hidden right at the back of the display shelf. I am thrilled to now have the option of salmon sushi a little closer to home when I need my fix.