Austin Texas may not be the first place you think of when you think of sushi. You might be thinking Mexican or naturally, steakhouses and there are plenty of both in the center of the city as well as on the outskirts, but its inevitable that I’d crave sushi over the course of a week’s insanity around street food via food trucks (which are very very good btw) and Mexican joints serving tortillas, tacos and even burgers. Sometimes you just want sushi and there’s nothing else that takes the craving away. We’ve all been there. This past March, I took in two sushi places, both of them quick walking distance from the city center, not far from the convention center or Congress Street’s main drag.
Both are very very different: Piranha Killer Sushi on San Jacinto Boulevard, a more casual traditional sushi restaurant and Finn & Porter, which is really a steakhouse, housed in the same building as the downtown Hilton, but it has a well known sushi bar which serves fresh and more unique rolls than the average sushi joint. The below seared tuna salad served with avocado atop a bed of lettuce was delicious.
Piranha Killer Sushi serves up a twist on classic Japanese cuisine by fusing flavors of the Pacific Asian Rim. Kenzo Tran opened the first Piranha Killer Sushi location in Arlington in the fall of 2001 and now has a total of six restaurants located in Flower Mound, Fort Worth, South Arlington, Austin and San Antonio with more locations on the way. Below is an assortment of some of which we ordered and some of which we marveled at as the sushi chef prepared orders in front of our eyes.
A more traditional salmon roll.
Hot peppers are more popular in Texas than they are in New England or on the west coast.
Sashimi – yellow tail, tuna and salmon served with ginger of course and lime.
Wanna add a bit of fried options into the mix? No problem.
And more complex rolls.
Traditional choices as an accompaniment to something a little more adventurous.
Tuna keeps winning the order of the day.
Bottom line: the ambiance is fun, the drink options varied, and the salads fresh and tasty. The sushi is good but not out of this world, so for more creative options and it also tastes a bit fresher, try the sushi bar at the Finn & Porter Steakhouse a mere five minute walk away. Below was my absolute favorite dish – hamachi, Asian pear, parmesan flake and shredded coconut with a miso vinaigrette & habanera.
Beautifully displayed.
Other great options include the Pepper Tuna, a pan seared spice rubbed tuna, belgian endive, mandarin orange with ginger dressing, mustard oil & ponzu, the Lobsteryaki, a vanilla butter poached lobster tail, cucumber & dried cranberry rolled in saffron rice, with seared foie gras & truffle balsamic teriyaki, the Fire Roll, which is shrimp tempura, avocado, topped with spicy assorted fish, tempura flakes, tobiko, green onion and spicy mayonnaise, the Sea Dragon, which is a yummy fresh tuna, served with macadamia nut, serrano & tobiko rolled and topped with green apple & shiso pesto (I loved this too), and lastly, another great recommendation is the Nangoku, which is a spicy salmon, avocado roll, wrapped in soybean paper, fried tempura style.
Below, a bit of decadence, albeit with more calories too.
You get my point about a little more creativity, however the prices reflect this compared to Piranha.
The sushi chef busy at work.
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For more on food and wine in Texas (Texas Food and Wine), or Food & Wine in general in North America, check out our North American restaurants and food section.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
