Restaurant review: Momotaro Sushi

When I heard that Momotaro Sushi had opened in Carytown, steps away from Carytown Sushi and within blocks of a handful of other popular sushi spots, my first thought was, "Hasn't Richmond had its fill of raw fish yet?"

I thought the same thing when we went through a tapas craze not long ago with small plates spots becoming all the rage and established restaurants adding tapas to their menus.

Don't get me wrong. I adore certain food crazes, but are we really that predictable?

Actually, I'll eat my words on that last statement. My recent dinner at Momotaro Sushi was much better than just predictable. While its menu isn't anything we haven't seen, Momotaro offers fish that is exceedingly fresh, and its hole-in-the-wall coziness adds a different vibe to Richmond's lineup of contemporary sushi hot spots.

No bigger than most Fan District apartment living rooms, Momotaro has an ambience that comes about through Christmas lights lining the front windows, a paper dragon on one wall and a large sushi bar flanked by one flat-screen TV.

In other words, you probably won't go there for the atmosphere. However, you will go there for the sushi, specifically the rolls.

Shortly after my two dining companions and I grabbed a table near the back on a semi-busy Friday evening, a cordial server arrived to explain a few of the special rolls. What I found most notable about her explanation was that Momotaro doesn't make fried rolls.

By no means am I opposed to an indulgent shrimp tempura roll topped with enough craziness to steer far clear of healthfulness, but when it comes down to it, I like my sushi rolls raw . . . without cream cheese . . . or filet mignon . . . or any other wacky element whose only purpose is to cover up the flavor of the fish.

Luckily for us, Momotaro does its rolls with just enough pizzazz to keep things interesting but not take away from the star ingredients: blissfully fresh salmon, tuna, yellowtail, etc.

After ordering Sapporo and a bottle of Ozeki Nigori unfiltered sake, a wonderfully sweet complement to anything dunked in soy sauce, we started with miso soup ($1.95), edamame ($4.95) and shumai (dumplings, $4.95).

The miso was heartier than most I've had, its intensely cloudy broth mingling with green onions, pungent seaweed and tofu. The edamame was served right out of the steamer with a light dusting of salt.

The six shumai were surprisingly tiny but packed a flavorful punch, further enhanced by the soy dipping sauce.

Sushi-wise, we started off with the Nigri starter ($11.95), a few of the chef's sushi choices and a spicy tuna roll. While the rice pads beneath each piece were fragrant, I wasn't that wowed by the sushi itself. However, the tuna roll gained added dimension from black sesame seeds.

The huge hit of the evening was the Hot Mama roll ($12.95), peppered tuna inside topped with spicy salmon, spicy mayo and a dollop of Sriracha. As my, uh, witty dining companion explained, it was "Jennifer Aniston on the equator" hot. This translates to a warm heat -- not an incapacitate-your-taste-buds type of heat -- which gave way to an addictively smoky aftertaste.

The Jessy roll ($10.95), tuna and avocado topped with salmon and tobiko (flying fish roe), was refreshing but not as spirited as the Hot Mama roll.

The Botan roll ($13.95) is a must-try for eel lovers -- eel and avocado topped with crab, avocado drizzle and sweet eel sauce. I would have preferred it not to have been imitation crab, but the combination of flavors was spot on.

We ended with green tea ice cream ($5.95), a mammoth scoop topped with chocolate sauce and sprinkles. Unfortunately, the toppings masked the delicate essence of the green tea -- disappointing, considering the price.

All in all, Momotaro is a reasonably priced, albeit humbly casual, alternative to many of Richmond's sushi spots. And that's what makes it stand out in my mind. It's definitely worth a try.

Freelance writer and graphic designer Dana Craig considers dessert the most important food group. The Times-Dispatch pays for the meals on her unannounced visits to restaurants. Contact her at .

Momotaro Sushi info

Rating:
Where: 2803 W. Cary St.
Phone: (804) 355-0060
Noise level: average
Vegetarian options: selection of vegan maki rolls
Smoking: smoke-free
Hours: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; noon-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 5-9 p.m. Sunday
Prices: sushi/sashimi $3.95-$5.95, sushi rolls $2.95-$16.95, sushi combos $11.95-$44.95
Check for two: $55 (including two appetizers, soup, three specialty sushi rolls and tax)