There are very few things in life that thrill me in the way a beautiful slice of raw fish delicately seasoned and resting on a soft bed of rice can. Forget ambrosia, sushi is the food of the gods in my book.
And for too long, I had to travel a long way from home to find sushi that I could recommend to my friends. That is true no more, thanks to Sushi Kara.
When I first heard about Sushi Kara a few months back – I did not believe that good sushi could be found in a strip mall on Bellflower Boulevard in east Long Beach. I also had a hard time finding the place because they were open for months under and outdated sign with a different name. Thankfully, a new sign was recently installed so it is easy to find Sushi Kara now.
Sushi Kara is a relatively small place, dominated by an L shaped sushi bar along the western wall. Since I discovered the place, I have been several times for lunch and dinner. Every time I have dined at Sushi Kara, I left impressed with the quality of the sushi, the price and the overall experience. Several people have also dined here on my recommendation and all gave positive reports and agreed that it was the best choice for miles around.
Let’s start with what matters most – the quality of the fish is excellent, overall. The chefs at Sushi Kara are generous with their servings and use very high quality fish. All of my sushi staple fishes: Tuna, salmon, snapper, oysters, scallops, to name a few, have all been outstanding. My one disappointment was with ankimo – monk fish liver – which I would not recommend here. Again, lunch or dinner, I have always been impressed with the nigiri sushi whether ordered as part of a lunch special plate or by the pair at the bar at dinner.
Sushi Kara also has a long list of rolls – both traditional and creative. The one pictured is a called the Mexican roll and while it bears little resemblance to anything I recognize as sushi, was very tasty and delighted the person who ordered it.
They have a number of udon and other Japanese dishes on the menu but I have not tried any of them. Why would I when the sushi is so good?
On top of all of this, Sushi Kara has a generous “happy hour” where your second large beer is $1 which helps ensure that I, and most of the folks at the bar with me including the chefs, have a wonderful time while we enjoy delicious sushi.
For those of you who, like me, want to find a place for sushi in Long Beach, give Sushi Kara a try.
Sushi Kara
2830 N Bellflower Blvd
Long Beach, CA 90815
(562) 425-9492
