Growing up in one of the many landlocked areas of the South, fish rarely made its way to the dinner table. Unless in stick form, fried or from Long John Silver’s, these "delicacies of the sea" were little more than slimy aliens to me. But I’ve grown, traveled and expanded my palate since then, and seafood is now a much-beloved treat. I’ve had sushi on my mind a lot lately: From eating world-class sashimi on a recent trip to Miami to taking a sushi making course from the local Dish T’ Pass, I’ve probably eaten my weight in raw fish. These days, sushi is a staple of my diet. Those little rolls have wiggled their way so deep into my heart that they’re one of few foods I’ll even allow to replace my typical egg/meat/cheese breakfasts. Although sushi variations are seemingly endless, this month’s quest focuses on Western-style sushi, also called uramaki (rice on the outside with two or more fillings). I chose some of the most commonly ordered renditions (rainbow, Philadelphia and caterpillar) to keep things simple and fair when comparing between restaurants.

Rating standards included quality, presentation and flavor. As usual, I focused my efforts on downtown Chattanooga. Totto Sushi and GrillTotto was the first stop on my list. A friend and I ordered our food, and it arrived on our table not 10 minutes later. The presentation was simple but elegant—colorful, considered and precise. Digging into the Philly roll, I was pleased they showed restraint on the amount of cream cheese, using just enough to properly accent the salmon and avocado. Next up was the rainbow roll, which is typically a California roll topped with a variety of colorful fish (creating a "rainbow" effect). Although the quality of fish didn’t blow me away, I really wasn’t expecting much from such a simple roll. However, by this point, I was doing a lot of excess chewing because of the skin left on the cucumber shreds and the slightly gummy rice. Lastly was the caterpillar, a sweeter roll that features eel, which is a favorite of mine. Upon first bite, I was surprised to taste a cloying flavor with a bitter aftertaste—much like hoisin sauce straight from the jar.

This unfortunately overpowered the entire roll, and the eel was lost in the mix. Overall, I found Totto’s sushi to be only slightly above average.sushi in london england However, unlike many sushi restaurants, it won’t cost you an arm and a leg. best sushi delivery londonAll the rolls came to about $25.how to buy fish to make sushi Although the price is hard to beat, it’d be a mistake to expect the best sushi of your life from this eatery.yo sushi voucher february 2014 Sushi NabeThe locally loved Sushi Nabe is a family-owned business that’s been in the area for more than two decades.where to buy sushi fish london

Their practice and skills make Sushi Nabe stand out, as well. To start, their rice is perfectly soft, well-proportioned, and has subtle sweet and salty tones. where to buy sushi fish londonThe fish is as fresh as I’ve seen away from the ocean, the staff is knowledgeable, and the décor is traditional and charming.sushi delivery london se Sushi Nabe seems to go the extra mile with these simple rolls: The Philadelphia had an added layer of salmon on top. While that’s not common, it added a nice burst of extra flavor. The rainbow roll was amped up by replacing traditional crabstick with fresh tuna. In Nabe’s caterpillar roll, the eel is the highlight. The flavors combine expertly together to make this roll sweet but not overpowering. It was easily my favorite of the three caterpillar rolls in this article.

Although you may cringe at the bill ($37 for these three rolls), the quality is certainly present. SekisuiAlthough not native to Chattanooga, Sekisui is one of few sushi options for those who live, work and play downtown. The plate arrived with a simple but varied presentation for each roll. I immediately noticed the fish was exceptionally fresh (tied with Nabe), nearly melting on my tongue. Their Philadelphia roll is a good representation of this simple dish, with sparse use of cream cheese that allows the other flavors to show through. The rainbow was really brought to life with ample portions of bright, fresh fish. As for the caterpillar, Sekisui was the only restaurant to use traditional eel sauce rather than sweet-then-bitter hoisin. Although this helped accent the flavors in the eel, it still felt a bit lost among the other ingredients. I have very few criticisms of Sekisui, but their inconsistency can be irksome. The rolls are sometimes unevenly cut and occasionally want to fall apart because of the abundance of rice.

What they lack in consistency, however, they more than make up for in freshness, flavor and value. Three rolls came to $20 total—almost half the price of Nabe and several dollars cheaper than Totto. For the quality, there simply is not a better deal in the downtown area. BonusAlthough there aren’t as many options for downtown sushi as I’d like, that’ll soon be changing. On the horizon, Chattanooga’s new izakaya/ramen house, Two Ten Jack, is slated to include sushi on their menu within the next several weeks. After a fantastic dining experience I had weeks ago, I’d be lax not to mention this. This month’s quest was my toughest yet. In the end, only Sekisui and Sushi Nabe were contenders for the title, each having qualities that provided certain advantages. If you’re looking for more traditional, painstakingly crafted sushi, Sushi Nabe is your place—just be prepared to pay the price. However, if you’re looking for great quality and a surprisingly good deal, Sekisui can satisfy.