I'll say "yes" to Sushi Nami anytime!

One of the only meals that I'll never turn down is sushi.  I have to be in the mood for pub food, pizza, Mexican or fine dining, but it's a rarity when I say "no" to some delicious raw fish. Of late, our favorite spot to go is Sushi Nami Royale.  The quality of sashimi is great - important since we eat so much of it; there is a pretty good variety; and between 3-5 pm and 9:30-11:30 pm, they have a Tsu-Nami menu, where food AND booze is 20% off!  Ding, ding, ding! It's a no-brainer.

We make a serious effort to try different things when we eat at Sushi Nami, but one thing stays the same: the Sashimi Appetizer - a great deal at the regular price of $9.95, and even better when it's 20% off. The pieces of tuna are like candy and the salmon is plump and supple on your tongue.  I'm not a huge fan of the Surf Clam, but do love the little parcels of snapper wrapped around pieces of cucumber.

Sashimi Appetizer $9.95

2 Salmon, 2 Tuna, 2 Snapper & 2 Surf Clam

We also generally try to have a salad (or two!).  On this occasion, we order both the Kani and Sunomono  salads.  SN also does a good size portion of the Hiyashi Wakame (Japanese Seaweed Salad) for $6.95.  The Kani salad is delicious and creamy.  With shredded crab meat, and long strands of carrot and cucumber, I like to twirl it around my fork like spaghetti.  The good amount of avocado adds another creamy layer while also playing the role of the 'cherry on top'. 

Kani Salad $7.95
Crab Meat, Cucumber & Flying Fish Roe

The Sunomono salad is pretty delicious too - but definitely not for the faint of heart as serious octopus tentacles are involved.  Again, the texture of the shredded seafood is what I really love, paired with the slight crunch of roe.  The sauce here is based on soy and is quite mysterious.

Sunomono $9.95

Shrimp, Cucumber, Crab Meat, Octopus & Seaweed

And because a good roll is always nice, we opt for the Spicy Scallop roll which is pretty tasty with the spicy sauce and tempura bits.  A spicy salmon/tuna is a good 'go-to' as well, but the Fusion rolls are really special.   I'll have to make another trip to Sushi Nami soon to illustrate what they are all about!

Spicy Scallop (6pcs) $ 5.95

Chopped Scallop, Green Onion, Tempura Bits & Spicy Sauce

But you can't have sushi without a bit of deep fried...so we try the Karakuchi Shrimp Fry - three large shrimp stretched on skewers and deep fried in tempura batter, then coated with a spicy sauce. What a crunch!

Karakuchi Shrimp Fry 7.95

Lightly fried Shrimp and coated with the house Spicy Sauce

 

This is such a great deal and is really one to take advantage of.  How can you go wrong with a guaranteed 20% off almost everything in your order?  I say "almost" as there is a specific Tsu-Nami menu with limited items, but I'm sure your palate will be more than satisfied with those available.  

jane's to go? I'll take that!

At the end of June, myself and my staff fun day team managed to pull off one of the most adventure-packed staff fun days to date.  Using our  powers of persuasion, we managed to have a day full of excitement capped off with gourmet-good food.

We started off at 9am with a session of laser tag at Alpha Strike.  That shit is sooo much fun!  I have never squealed and giggled so much in my life -- and being able to take down my boss didn't hurt ether!  When we were finished, we boarded an Ambasstours double decker to take us to our next destination: Kartbahn in Bayer's Lake.  We speed around the track for an hour or so and once we had our fill of burnin' rubber,  got back on the bus to pick up lunch - a gourmet brown bag from jane's on the common.

We had preordered the week before from an incredible selection of smoked salmon, roast beef, turkey, ham and cheese and veggie sandwiches.  With these came a drink and two side salads; broccoli with dried cherries, fennel and nuts and a tasty orzo and chickpeas with sundried tomatoes.  To top it all off: a decadently dense gluten free brownie, which I took home and later warmed and topped with vanilla fro-yo and fresh raspberries.  

If you're ever looking for a great quality lunch or need a change from fast food, this is the spot to go.   Fer real, this part was the highlight of my day, and wayyy better than take-out pizza!

Nacho Action at Gatsby's

A couple weeks ago in late June, I filmed a commercial for Nova Scotia Tourism as part of the 'My Nova Scotia' campaign.   On June 17th,  I stood on the corner of Argyle Street across from Durty Nelly's,  in the same position for three hours...on 2 ft. high apple crates.  Yup, that's 180 minutes without moving my lower body - which by the end was wrapped in a tarp to keep the wind off of my tender tootsies.

When all was said and done and we wrapped shooting at 11 pm, all I could think about was a) a calf massage and b) nachos.  By the time I dragged my tired carcass to Gatsby's, I was ravenous and ready to storm the kitchen.  Thankfully, my pal took matters into his own hands and ordered a platter of nachos and a bowl of meaty chili.

That was a pretty good move if you ask me.  Two of my favorite (edible) things are melted cheese and a good bowl of chili.  In the state I was in, a pile of chili topping a cheese-coated, salty corn chip was pure heaven.  A bottle of beer made it all the more blissful.

I feel as though I'd be doing With Bite readers a disservice if I didn't say that the nachos were alright - I remember them being much better.  They have all the good stuff: loads of cheddar and mozza cheese, red and green peppers, tomatoes, red onions, jalapenos and the addition of sweet pineapple if your palate so desires.  I think I was just a tad underwhelmed because the cheese wasn't thoroughly melted.

                                            

The chili was a pretty standard ground beef chili with the usual additions. The server was thoughtful enough to divide the portion into two smaller bowls - she knew where our heads were at. :)

                                            

If this review sounds somewhat negative, it's not my intention.  Gatsby's has consistently good pub fare, but it's just that: Good.  It's not mind blowing, and it certainly isn't gourmet, but it's inexpensive, tasty fare that hits the spot just when you need it to. 

When I'm in the mood for pub food and beer, Gatsby's is pretty go-to, especially on Tuesdays when the apps are 1/2 priced.  In addition to the 'chos and chili, I've also had a tasty quesadilla and a nice bowl of mussels in a white wine-based broth.

Hankerin' for Henry House

Up until a couple of weeks ago, I had never had a Reuben sandwich.  Several people were shocked about this fact, but I didn't really see it as a big deal.  I'm actually not all that much of a sandwich gal.  I like the occasional Bahn Mi or a little hot turkey action over the holidays, but most of the time, I could take it or leave it.

And then...I went to the Henry House. I've been a few times before and on this particular occasion, for some random reason, my psyche was jonesin' for some the smoked meat. As far as my research goes, the HH has a pretty standard edition: (marbled) rye bread topped with sweet Thousand Island dressing, tangy sauerkraut, nutty Swiss cheese and a pile - I mean pile, of smoked meat.

Well...I'll have that again. I tried to do the noble thing and save half for later, but failed miserably.  The slight heat from the meat's seasoning mixed with the subtle flavor of the Swiss cheese is a flavour combo that I'm sure to crave again.  Not to mention the yummy, crispy, skin-on fries that filled out the plate.

Reuben Sammy

                            

My pal's lobster roll was huge!  With big 'ol chunks of lobster, including a full claw, the mayo-based dressing was light and didn't overpower the lobster's delicate flavour.  Paired with a tasty Caesar, she was a pretty happy gal.

Lobster Roll w/ Caesar Salad

With our bellies full, we finished off our pints on the patio.  If you're in the South end of Halifax, the Henry House has a great patio on which to spend a sunny afternoon.  And it's not bad in the winter either!