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| - When in Pittsburgh's South Side and craving sushi most people flock to the corner of 17th and Carson to Nakama. When I first moved into the neighborhood I followed suit. After squeezing myself into a chair at the sushi bar to avoid the painfully long wait, I was served below average sushi during which I could hardly hear the person next to me talking. Personally, I don't need valet parking, button down shirts and high heels to enjoy my sushi. I was officially on the hunt for another sushi joint in my neighborhood.
Little Tokyo Bistro was next up on my list. Upon entering the sushi bar is immediately to the right and I was greeted with a smile and a "Hello!" by the chef's. I then was promptly seated and already liked the more subdued, low-key atmosphere. The décor is what you would typically expect from a sushi restaurant. The most important thing for me is cleanliness (besides food) and in my experience Little Tokyo meets this requirement.
For starters we decided on miso soup and seaweed salad. The miso soup was a bit lacking in the substance department but the seaweed salad was very satisfying. During this Friday evening, it was busy but not overcrowded and it took about 20 minutes for our rolls to arrive at our table. Like most sushi restaurants, the rolls are served family style and are brought out on one plate. We asked the waitress to point out the names of each roll so we knew who ordered what, perfect. On this evening, I had decided on a yellow fin, spicy tuna, and an eel roll. All three were fresh and terrific tasting. More importantly the sushi stayed together as picked it up with my chop sticks and dipped it in my wasabi soy sauce mixture (admittedly 3/4th wasabi...I love the stuff). There is nothing more frustrating than sushi that falls apart as you pick it up. Upon our exit we were again greeted with a friendly smile and a "Thank You!" by the chef's.
If I'm craving sushi and I want to stay in the South Side, Little Tokyo Bistro is my go-to place. Another plus is they are available for pickup. I've had about a dozen meals here and all of them have been very solid. This isn't my favorite sushi in Pittsburgh (Andy's wins that award) but it sure hits the spot as my neighborhood favorite.
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