Sushi pig

I don’t know what it is with sushi joints booming in the bad economy but, again, another new one has opened. And Hiroba Sushi is well worth anyone’s down market bargain grab.

It was a bit hard for my husband and I to find, located on Skyline in the midst of what appears to be solely residential housing. After a few turns and backtracking, we found it and were delighted. Tipped off by a colleague, my husband and I headed out after a long day for all-you-can-eat sushi. We came home stuffed to the gills—yes, yes, pun intended—and delighted. The place is small, but the orange walls and unique décor give it a feeling that is not suffocating but cozy. The staff, too, is friendly and eager to serve, but not pushy. The cooks behind the bar were exceptionally swift and attentive. Many kindly asked if our meal was to our liking. The servers were all quick to pick up empty plates and wipe our messes. (Soy sauce and wasabi can be quite a splashy mishmash.)

All-you-can-eat is the basic attraction ($21.95 dinner, $16.95 for lunch, ending at 4 p.m.). One can select from the numerous nigiri and maki roll options, as well as any appetizers and one dessert. We love sushi but do not like being limited to five or six choices when ordering all-you-can-eat. Hiroba limited nothing; everything was fair game. Among the many maki rolls were such delights as the spider roll (soft shell crab, cucumber and avocado, $8), the Kelly roll (tempura shrimp, yamagobo, sprouts, fresh mango sauce and wasabi, $9.50) and the snow mountain (crystal shrimp, avocado, assorted fish and spicy crab). Now, I don’t know about you, but spider rolls usually exhaust my pocketbook. But included in all you can eat? This is a find.

I began—and ended—with the black sunshine (spicy crab, asparagus, topped with eel, avocado, tobiko, $9.50). It was delicious. Our cook took great pride in his work, asking a number of times if we were satisfied and what new order he could begin preparing for us. We were never without. My husband went right for the guapo (cream cheese, crystal shrimp, cilantro, avocado, spicy crab, spicy sauce, $9) and soon began singing his own rendition of Homer Simpson’s famous “Spider Pig”: “Sushi pig, sushi pig …”

We continued with a variety of nigiri and maki: octopus, eel, salmon, yellow tail (all $4), rukki (spicy tuna, avocado, shrimp on top, $8.50), volcano (spicy tuna, assorted fish, green onion, spicy sauce, $9), and Tempura (salmon, cream cheese, jalapeños, crab, $9). Pretty much the only thing we did not order was the uni ($4), or “sea urchin.” All of it was fantastic. The eel were large, hot and juicy and the octopus pleasingly squishy, just the way it should be. I kept my orders coming. The maki rolls were some of the best I’ve ever had. Toward the end we decided that, in order to do the place justice, we had to order the Hiroba roll (crystal shrimp, cucumber, avocado, spicy crab, special sauce, $9.50). Wow. “Does whatever a sushi pig does.”

While generally a fan of nigiri, I have to say that the combinations of the maki here were truly mouth-watering. In the end, as mentioned above, I had to finish off with one more black sunshine. My husband, however, attests that the Hiroba roll is where it’s at. Decide for yourself. All we can say is that it’s well worth the all-you-can-eat price. “Look out! Here comes the sushi pig.”