Shiku Sushi: modest eatery with superstar rolls
Shiku doesn't look all that exciting from the street. Its facade is handsome, but not particularly eye-catching, and many potential diners walk right past the restaurant to visit other, more glitzy establishments down the street.
Those folks are depriving themselves of something great. Some of Seattle's tastiest sushi rolls, izakaya dishes and cocktails can be found at this unpretentious Japanese restaurant and lounge.
Pretty much every one of Shiku's specialty rolls is worth trying. The Bruce Lee Roll — a spicy tuna and cucumber roll topped with an albacore, avocado and shrimp tempura, mixed with jalapeños and spicy mayonnaise — delivers every bit of the punch its name would imply, and it's just one of a dozen rolls that you've absolutely got to try.
Other house specialties include the shrimp tempura, snow crab and avocado Dream Roll; the sweet potato, carrot, zucchini and asparagus Veggie Delux Roll; and the snow- and softshell-crab Zig-Zag Roll, which comes with half a fried softshell crab on the side to drive the delicious point home.
The kitchen also makes some more traditional rolls and nigiri — the sweet shrimp, flying fish roe and yellowtail are recommended — but the specialty rolls are just too good and too much fun to pass up.
Happy Hour visitors to Shiku have a dynamite cocktail, beer and sake list to order from, and some great izakaya dishes to pair with those drinks. Try the Yakitori Trio, a plate of chicken, beef and tofu skewers. Or the Kakuni Pork, which is slow-braised in brown sugar and soy sauce. Both are tender, savory perfection.
If you're not sure about this restaurant, the izakaya dishes will help to ease you in. Order one of them with a Lychee Martini or a Laughing Buddha Ginger Beer, take a seat at the bar, and before long you'll wonder how you ever managed to walk past Shiku Sushi.
Posted by Geoff Carter
