Can eat attitude

Reno loves sushi. Specifically, Reno loves “All You Can Eat” sushi, which makes sense in a college town known for buffet-style dining. At least 35 restaurants in the area are serving AYCE sushi, versus 25 steak houses (a third of which are casino-based). I find this kind of amazing in a land-locked area known for cattle ranching.

Every Reno sushi fan will tell you about a favorite spot, but favorites are a fickle business. When a new sushi bar opens, loyalties can shift on a single visit. I’m no better than the rest. I’ve tried at least 20 of the current bunch, and my “favorite place” has changed at least half as many times. Enter Sushi Minato, the latest “hot spot” on Reno’s sushi map.

Located in the Smithridge Shopping Center, the entrance has all the charm a strip mall can afford. Upon entering, though, you’re met with a very modern, austere-yet-tasteful ambiance that is pleasant and welcoming. Seating is cozy, with perhaps 15 seats at the bar and table seating for 20. My wife and I usually sit at the bar, but we chose table seating in order to give the staff a proper test. Herein lays the greatest strength of Sushi Minato: service.

At risk of hyperbole, I’d say that Sushi Minato has the best service of any sushi bar I’ve visited. The servers were very attentive, despite a busy Saturday lunch crowd. AYCE at Sushi Minato is $17.95 for lunch and $22.95 for dinner. The food arrived from the chefs incredibly fast, yet didn’t look rushed. Despite the above-average service, we did find a couple of items missing from our first order. Then again, it was a big order, and they fixed the errors quickly. For appetizers, we ordered gyoza (average), mussels (great flavor and texture), edamame (hot and salted, as they should be), miso soup and tempura cheese sticks. The miso was a standout, served piping hot with plenty of nori, scallion and tofu. I tried the tempura cheese sticks because they seemed out of place, and the best thing I can say is the mustard sauce was tasty. Not bad, but there are better items on the menu.

Reviewing a sushi bar could be an exercise in listing all the ingredients. However, let’s focus on the stand-outs. The rice itself was just as it should be, not overdone. Nigiri is my favorite form of sushi, and all the nigiri tasted fresh and had great texture. Nigiri stars were octopus, seared tuna and cooked scallop. Of the raw long rolls we tried, the Minato and WinWin were tops, though the Chloe and Tania cooked rolls were really tasty. My wife enjoyed the Dani roll (for those who love cilantro). The Leaf roll lacked any distinguishing flavor. The only item that really missed the mark was the Rainbow roll. The layers of fish seemed a bit small in their version of this standard, which was surprising given how generous the chefs were with other items.

A crystal shrimp handroll is something I always try at every new spot, perhaps because it was the first hand roll I ever ordered (20 years ago). Sushi Minato’s version is pure simplicity: deep-fried shrimp, avocado, sushi rice, all wrapped in a cone of dried nori with zero distractions (though I usually add a dash of soy sauce). Sushi Minato easily owns the high water mark on this favorite.

Finally, I’d be remiss if I failed to mention that the house hot sake was among the best I’ve ever had, definitely from a higher shelf than what you’ll find at most sushi joints. Sushi Minato definitely warrants a repeat visit.