Chirashi sushi (translation: “scattered sushi”) is typically presented as a bowl of sushi rice artfully topped with raw fish and served with wasabi and pickled ginger. Toppings can include nori, daikon radish, wedges of scrambled egg, roe and vegetable slices. But the dish’s centerpiece is the fish, so it’s important it be flawlessly fresh and delicious.
BEST BET
THE PLACE: Izumi Sushi
731 W. Randolph St.
312-207-5299
THE STATS: Chirashi sushi, $17
THE COMMENTS: What you get: Underneath beautifully arranged small cuts of fish–including mackerel, tuna, salmon, sea bass and snapper–plus a layer of cucumber slivers, cooked shrimp, omelet and sweet pickled vegetables sits a delicious vinegary sushi rice sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.
The verdict: Crisp, crunchy slivers of cucumber, mouth-size omelet wedges, and sweet strands of pickled squash and daikon wonderfully balance the star of this dish–exquisitely fresh fish. All ingredients are excellent, but the fish is truly superb.
THE PLACE: Sushi Mura
3647 N. Southport Ave.
773-281-9155
THE STATS: Chirashi sushi, $18
THE COMMENTS: What you get: Big slices of fish (heavy on tuna, with salmon, sea bass and octopus), sliced cucumber and lemon, fresh shredded daikon, egg wedges and the wasabi-and-ginger garnish, atop sushi rice.
The verdict: Fish slices are larger than bite-size, but still navigable. Lemon lends a nice bite to the fish (perhaps closer to its expiration date than what’s ideal). The egg is slightly sweet and tasty. A pleasant dish but not spectacular–without the wasabi, ginger and lemon slice, it would be almost bland.
THE PLACE: Sushi Arigato
822 Clark St. Evanston
847-425-1167
THE STATS: Chirashi sushi, $15.95
THE COMMENTS: What you get: Bite-size, tasty cuts of a wide variety of sea creatures–grilled teriyaki fish, salmon, tuna, bass, squid, octopus, cooked shrimp and crab–garnished with a seaweed salad, shredded daikon, cucumber and, of course, wasabi and ginger. Underneath, still-slightly-warm sushi rice is topped with nutty-tasting shredded nori.
The verdict: The seaweed salad, redolent with sesame oil and crispy roasted seeds, is a perfect counterpoint to slightly sweet fish and rice. Alternating bites of fish, refreshing daikon and sesame-seaweed salad is a real delight. This chirashi is enjoyable to eat–and the price is right.
———-
Cheryl Bowles, cbowles@tribune.com
