Restaurant review: Ginger Sushi

Sushi has not always been one of my favorite foods. In fact until I ventured out with my former roommates from college after we graduated, I wouldn't touch the stuff. Now, my husband and I are on a first name basis with the people at Ginger Sushi in Fanwood, NJ. It helps that this little spot is only about a minute from our house, but even if I lived farther away, I'd drive for this sushi.

Over the past two years, we've tried a number of menu items. They offer an extensive sushi menu as well as hot Japanese dishes from the kitchen. For starters, the avocado salad is a classic with the creamy ginger dressing. Their miso soup is also very good.

For the more adventurous, try the garlic storm. You'll smell it about a mile away. Thin slices of raw red snapper are arranged on a plate and then a brilliant mix of hot olive oil and garlic are poured over it. The hot oil cooks the fish just a tad and the garlic transforms it into something sublime. There's also a seared tuna appetizer with a special sauce that's amazing. The chef lightly sears the tuna and then smothers it with a sauce that has onion, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and some other goodies. I would eat the sauce with a spoon given the chance.

For sushi, we tend to stick with the rolls. They offer a number of different tiers - regular rolls are just that: a number of fish and veggie options. Simple things like spicy tuna and salmon avocado. Try the spicy shrimp. Yum!

The next level includes shrimp tempura rolls, Philadelphia rolls and other favorites.

But turn the page. This is what it's all about. The Ginger special rolls are 10 piece rolls and each is practically a meal in itself. Two of these and a couple of spicy shrimp rolls mean dinner for me and Jeff. Spice-fiends that we are, we almost always choose rolls with spicy something or other. The Spicy girl has spicy tuna and spicy salmon inside and fresh tuna and salmon on the outside. Delish! My favorite of late is the Spicy Crunchy Hamachi roll: inside is spicy yellowtail, avocado and cucumber and outside is fresh yellotail and crunch with a nice drizzle of spicy sauce. The Jumbo Spider roll is also always delicious - the softshell crab is always cooked to perfection. Another new favorite is the S.T. roll. This one is defined by a unique outside of lightly seared tuna - Chef Kim sears it with a blowtorch and then wraps it around the roll. Yum!

We're usually too full for dessert, but we do love the special citron tea they offer. It's a refreshing fruity drink that's as good as any dessert!

Ginger sushi is BYO (note well, if you have an extra sip of wine in your bottle, offer Chef Kim a glass!)If you live in the Fanwood area and like sushi - go see Mr. Kim at Ginger Sushi. It's always fresh and always delicious. And did I mention that they usually give you a sample of their signature fried California roll and the meal ends with a yummy moshi ice cream and fresh orange sections?