Wasabi Sushi Bistro

Sushi, Sushi, Sushi!!!

 

This weeks choice to delight my taste-buds and expand your horizons is Wasabi Sushi Bistro.  This charming sushi venue is located off of I-10 and Wurzbach Rd.

This time my husband and I brought along with us my two cousins, Erin and Gabriel. This place is a personal favorite of all of ours, but be warned that it can get pricey if you order multiple sushi rolls.

They're excited to be here!

My Sushi Story

I will admit that before I tried sushi, I was not thrilled with the idea. As kid, we ate frozen fish sticks probably once a week for what felt like years. Since then I have not been a huge fan of fish. Every time I eat it the after taste always reminds me of cheap fish sticks. I already hated fish and the thought of eating it raw was an instant turn off for me.

Back when my husband I first started dating, he had just returned from a trip to Japan.  According to Chris, the sushi there was ridiculously cheap and so much bigger and better than anything they serve here. I insisted I'd starve if I went there due to my hatred of fish.

Chris and I back in the day

Eventually his craving for sushi had gotten really strong and was practically begging to go eat some. I reluctantly agreed to try it, worried that I wouldn't be able to eat anything. He assured me that there were non-fish items and I'd be fine. We ended up going to this little sushi bar (not Wasabi) and I ordered something with shrimp.  It actually wasn't all that bad.

This was an important moment for me for a few reasons:

• I had never really tried anything out of my comfort zone up until that moment.
  
• This was the moment that the "fear" of not being able to find anything to eat somewhere exotic was now gone.
• The side effect of trying sushi is I am forever on the hunt for something different and new.

On to Wasabi

Since my first encounter with sushi, I have found some really awesome sushi places. Wasabi will always be towards the top of my list. Their menu has a vast variety of sushi rolls; everything from the standard rolls to deep-fried rolls. 

With every dinner, you receive a bowl of miso soup while you wait for your rolls.  They have a well balanced miso soup. All the flavors are light and non-competing with each other. It's a nice start to get you ready for your meal.

When your sushi arrives, its almost too pretty to eat. Almost.

Spicy Tuna Roll (left); Yellowtail Roll (center); Unagi Roll (right)

We always order more than one roll and usually share. My cousins ordered the spicy tuna roll, yellowtail roll, and the unagi roll.  

• Spicy tuna roll:  raw tuna and spicy mayo rolled in rice and topped with sesame seeds
• Yellowtail roll: raw yellowtail fish rolled in rice and seaweed
• Unagi roll (or freshwater eel roll): cooked eel, cucumber, and avocado rolled in rice; topped with sesame seeds and eel sauce.

Spurs Roll (left); Alamo Roll (center); Dragon Roll (right)

 My husband and I went for a few of the specialty rolls. We ordered the Spurs roll, the Alamo roll, and the Dragon roll.

• Spurs Roll: Shrimp tempura, crab meat, and cream cheese rolled in rice; battered and deep fried topped with avocado, spicy crab meat and special sauce
• Alamo Roll: Shrimp tempura, avocado, and crab stick rolled in rice; topped with cooked unagi, tempura flakes, and eel sauce.
• Dragon Roll: Soft shell crab and avocado rolled in rice; topped with cooked unagi, avocado, and eel sauce

Freebies!: Seaweed salad (left); Cantaloupe with a sweet glaze (center); Fresh Ginger Ale (right)

 
One of the best tips I can give you when visiting Wasabi is to sit at the bar!!!!  If you get a table, the sushi you order will be awesome, but at the bar you always get freebies.

Remember don't be afraid to try something new, you may just find a new favorite. Check out Wasabi Sushi Bistro's menu and prices at their website or you can check them out on Facebook.

Get Directions

Tips For First Time Sushi Diners

We've all been here. Don't panic and just enjoy the ride.  Here are some suggestions to help you through:

• Most important: Keep an open mind and understand that you do not have to jump in head first. Start slow and work your way up to the more "scary" rolls.
  
• If the idea of raw food does not appeal to you, try something with all veggies, such as a cucumber roll, or something cooked, such as a shrimp tempura roll.
• The green stuff on your plate is not avocado so do not eat it in one bite! Its a spicy paste called wasabi. Use it sparingly or not at all. If you like an overall spice, mix a little with your soy sauce and dip your sushi in it. 
• Ginger usually comes with the wasabi paste. It's meant to be a palette cleanser but I find that the flavor can be a little too strong. Also use sparingly or not at all.
• Don't be ashamed to ask for a fork or spoon if you can't use chopsticks. There's no need to be unnecessarily awkward.

Texas Hamburger Company

Welcome back!

My next stop is one of my favorite greasy-spoon joints, the Texas Hamburger Company. Believe me when I tell you, this is a tasty burger!

This little mom and pop restaurant is located off of Babcock and Huebner Rd and has regularly ruined my diets for over a decade. I'm the kind of girl that is not above a good What-A-burger. But when I'm craving a good homestyle burger, this is where I go.

They keep it simple. You won't find any waiters or secret sauces here. Just good food, with fresh ingredients, and at a great price. The portion sizes will definitely guarantee that you will not go home hungry.

Our Meal

 

I ordered their cheeseburger with a side of their hand cut fries. Isn't it beautiful? The problem with fast food burgers is the patty is often dry and somewhat bland. Texas Hamburger Company's burgers are always well-seasoned and deliciously juicy.

Nom Nom Nom...

Seriously, there are days I cannot eat this burger fast enough.  Their french fries compliment the burger well but are soft. So for those of you into crispy french fries, I'm sorry. You will not find them here.

My husband ordered their chicken Philly cheesesteak with cheese tater tots on the side. Neither of us had tried this item before and I think my exact response after trying it was "Wow." The chicken was cooked fajita style with grilled onions, peppers, and mushrooms. I'm not a huge fan of raw onions so I usually avoid items with large quantities of them. They were cooked perfectly and blended so well with the mushrooms and peppers. The only thing missing here was the cheese whiz (true Philly cheesesteak fans know what I'm talking about).

On a side note, they accidentally gave us a beef cheesesteak first instead of chicken. They did however box it up for us and let us take it home. The meat was made out of chopped up hamburger patty which wasn't my favorite combination but it was still tasty. I heated this in the oven for lunch the next day and it made good leftovers. I'd still recommend the chicken Philly cheesesteak though.

Overall, I love this place. There may be other places out there with fancier burgers but let's face it. Sometimes you just want a simple homestyle burger that's not fast food or going to cost over $10. They will always satisfy that craving for me.

 

 Other Recommendations

• Turkey burger - THE best turkey burger I've ever had anywhere.
• Sweet potato waffle cut fries
• Chicken fried steak - Portion size is not what you would expect for price. I suggest sharing.
• Milkshake - Made with Blue Bell Ice Cream. Yum!

Visit the Texas Hamburger Company's website for menu & hours : www.texashamburgercompany.com/ 

Get Directions 

Pasha Mediterranean Grill

On my first stop of my cuisine adventure, I visited Pasha Mediterranean Grill off of Wurzbach Rd. and I-10. 

Pasha was opened around 2008 and has become a local favorite for many San Antonians with a love for Mediterranean cuisine. They were recently named "Readers' and Critics' Choice: The Best Middle Eastern Restaurant 2014" by the San Antonio Current. It was a well deserved win! Along with all the wonderful dishes, another great benefit is its all reasonably priced with entrees ranging from around $10-$18.

The restaurant was booming at lunch hour!  Parking at this location is not the best so I recommend trying to either beat the rush or wait until its over.  Luckily, my husband and I got there at the tail end of it so we didn't have to wait at all. At this location, the dining area is a little on the small side. I believe that the building was converted from an old Taco Cabana but they made it work well for them. Also our waiter was very friendly and provided great service.

Now onto the food! Their drink selection is small. They offer no cocktails but have a selection of sodas, iced & hot teas, Turkish coffee, and some specialty bottled beverages.  One thing to note for the iced tea fans out there: the tea is infused with a mild rose flavor. In other words, it tastes how a rose smells. It was a little off putting for my husband at first since it wasn't the standard sweet tea we are used to. However, he said that as our meal went on, he didn't notice it as much since he was enjoying all the other flavors in his food.

After your drink orders are put in, they will give you complimentary nan along with a mix of oil and spices to dip it in. For those of you that have never had nan before, it tastes like a tortilla just thicker. The oil and spice mix is very flavorful; much better than just the plain olive oil you get at many Italian restaurants. 

I ordered the gyro plate, which is a roasted sliced beef and lamb mix that is served with a Greek salad, tzatziki sauce, and roasted garlic hummus. The meat has a dry appearance to it but it is actually quite soft and delicious. The Greek salad has feta cheese and a tangy dressing that compliments the meat well. I personally like to add a little of the tzatziki sauce to the salad. The hummus was great to dip both the meat and the nan in. The little crispy bits of roasted garlic added a nice crunchy texture to my meal.

My husband ordered the chicken shawarma plate. This normally comes with the Greek salad and hummus as well. He decided to substitute those with the basmati rice and a roasted tomato instead. Since my husband is awesome, he lets me taste everything he gets and this was delicious! The chicken was tender, well seasoned, and juicy. The rice was lightly seasoned with a little butter mixed in to keep it from being too dry. He ended up wrapping the chicken, zesty pickles, and aioli in a piece of nan. He said it was like having the best chicken salad sandwich ever.

For dessert, we split the Greek yogurt cheesecake. This was one of the best cheesecakes I've ever had in a restaurant. It was wonderfully thick and creamy with just the right amount of sweetness after our meal. The only downside to this cheesecake was that I was too full to eat my own. Do not fill up on nan and save room for dessert! It's worth it!

This ends our wonderful trip to Pasha Mediterranean Grill.  I recommend making a trip yourself and enjoying this tasty gem. For more information on Pasha's other locations and hours, visit their website at www.gopasha.com. Get directions here!

See you all next week!