My Favorite....SUSHI

BLUE
Omaha based sushi restaurant, Blue, opened its Fort Worth location in September of 2010. The new restaurant, led by Executive Chef Ped Phommavong and run by General Manager Perry Parrigin is located in the hip museum district at 3131 W. 7th St. The lively blue and red toned contemporary eatery is great for a group, date night, or just drinks in the full bar that they call the “Sake Bomber Lounge.” My favorite starters are the sweet and savory Coconut Crab Soup ($6) which resembles a corn and crab chowder and the spicy Mango Crab Rangoon ($8). My favorite specialty Maki, or rolls, are the Cali King ($11) with king crab, avocado, and cucumber and the Snow White ($10) roll with crispy sea bass and avocado topped with a spicy sauce. If I’m feeling adventurous, I will get the house sake ($11.50) served hot. Blue offers 80 options of cooked and raw sushi and 17 Asian inspired entrées and small plates.

PIRANHA KILLER SUSHI
Chef and Owner Kenzo Tran opened Piranha Killer Sushi in Arlington in 2001. The restaurants popularity grew and by request Tran opened a second location in Sundance Square at 335 W. 3rd St. The orange glow from inside and the modern furniture give the sushi bar a warm and energetic atmosphere. I cannot eat at Piranha’s without getting my favorite signature rolls, the Marry Me Roll ($12.95) and the Wasabi Crusted Salmon Roll ($10.95). The Marry Me Roll hold most of its ingredients outside of the rice, as it is a plain shrimp tempura roll topped with sliced avocado, fresh tuna, and sweet strawberries. When I’m not in the mood for sushi, I choose the Chicken Teriyaki with Grilled Vegetables ($12.95) or the Vegetable Yaki Udon ($10.95).

SUSHI AXIOM
In 2001, Sushi Axiom opened on Hulen behind Central Market as a whole in the wall sushi restaurant. Fort Worth caught on, and the restaurant now serves some of the best sushi in the area and has opened five other locations, with one more coming soon. My favorite is the location in Montgomery Plaza at 2600 W. 7th St. Axiom is the perfect location for entertaining a large group any night of the week. Their clever menu changes among locations, but signatures such as the ever popular Colonial Roll ($9) and Tower of Pisa ($13.95) are Axiom staples. The names of items on the menu pay homage to Fort Worth: Colonial Roll and TCU Roll ($11.95). The Colonial Roll is an ordinary shrimp, crab, avocado, and cream cheese roll but is sautéed tempura style and then cut into pieces. This filling roll competes with the Tower of Pisa, a layered stack of spicy tuna, crab, avocado and cucumber, and sushi rice. Dinner cannot be complete without their famous Martini Axiom, a fruity pomegranate mixture.