The Prague Post
November 23rd, 2008
Endowment Fund     Business Listings ONLINE      Reservations      Classifieds    Subscriptions
Hotel Prague Centre

Home » Archives » Night & Day

Doobie-ous achievement

Mr. Sushi survives ups and downs - and its neighborhood

By Dave Faries
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
June 11th, 2008 issue

Mr. Sushi


Malá Štupartská 3
Prague 1-Old Town
Tel. 725 111 555
Open daily 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m.

Food **
Service ***
Atmosphere ***
Overall **

JAN PŘEROVSKÝ/THE PRAGUE POST
Looking the part: Head chef Filip Štoviček and his handiwork at Mr. Sushi.
FROM THE MENU



Vegetable tempura 199 Kč
Yakitori chicken 199 Kč
Hot spicy tuna 279 Kč
Sashimi 179-279 Kč
Nigiri 79-699 Kč
Maki 119-249 Kč

Imagine sitting at a sushi joint munching on small tuna-salad sandwiches.
Well, not exactly sandwiches. More like rolls of rice and seaweed filled with all the elements of a good old-fashioned school lunch special. There’s a dab of mayo, lettuce and albacore cooked to a point so tacky that Starkist would be jealous — everything but the bread.
Mr. Sushi calls it the “hot spicy tuna roll,” but, aside from a splash of kimchi paste that builds momentum as you work through the plate, it carries the same mellow, sweet flavors (and all the comfort) of tuna salad.
It’s the perfect cure for the munchies. And, considering the restaurant’s proximity to Chateau Rouge, you’re bound to suffer an attack sooner or later.
Denizens of the popular nightclub frequently stagger outside for a quick toke, so haze from smoldering weed floats through open windows along the block. La Provence, just a few doors down, must also contend with spillover from Chateau, as drafts of secondhand smoke contend with the hearty steam of bourguignon.
But Mr. Sushi must deal with other issues, like how to avoid mucking up its tempura. Strips of sweet, juicy bell pepper, crisp cucumber and other fresh vegetables fall prey to crust heavily laden with oil. In its proper form, tempura batter fries quickly and turns out light, sheer and crispy — not the kind of thing that leaves an oil stain on your slacks if you happen to fumble the chopsticks.
A strip of tired shrimp, apparently beaten into submission by angry fishermen and served on a sloppy mound of rice, makes for an unconvincing ebi nigiri. Dull, brownish tuna in a maki presentation also seems a bit dazed by the ordeal. Comparatively feeble to begin with, albacore (or “white tuna”) fades almost completely when paired with seaweed, a sliver of cucumber and the thin swipe of wasabi applied by the chef. Meanwhile, an inside-out roll wheeled before serving through toasted sesame sacrifices less assertive flavors — salmon, avocado, cucumber — to the acrid blast to tiny, but quite potent seeds.
One expects to encounter sushi of modest quality in Prague, even at the better joints. And Mr. Sushi has moments when it can duke it out with the best.
The salmon I tried on two occasions dissolved, slowly and evenly, on the tongue thanks to thick veins of fat plunging in waves across the pale orange flesh. Rich yet delicate in flavor, it’s nice as sashimi or nigiri, although a little lost in flashier constructions. The chef rolls maki firm and tight, often swiping wasabi across the dried nori (seaweed) for a little jolt. Nigiri presentations generally cling together well, and also feature a touch of the green horseradish.
Other highlights include spits of yakitori chicken — if, that is, you appreciate the robust flavor combination of charred caramel and malt, backed by a sharp, lingering aftertaste — and  California rolls covered in flying fish roe the color of amber.
Purists may scorn the sometimes cumbersome “California” creations as an insult to tradition. But the bright uramaki rolls remain exceedingly popular. And Mr. Sushi’s tobikko gold finds a remarkable balance, with the gentle, sophisticated taste of salmon riding over the cool sensation of avocado. Sticks of cucumber follow up, bright and just a bit earthy.
The roe supports it all, expanding on the malty rice with a trickle of sweetness. Behind this comes a more noticeable crest of brackish salt that quickly breaks, leaving in its wake a natural, fishy character.
In other words, it’s rather impressive for a fusion knockoff.
Mr. Sushi operates a delivery service, but it’s worth a visit to the Old Town location. Although management is still working out some kinks, service seems prompt and the room serene, almost calming.
Of course, that may just be from the secondhand smoke.

Dave Faries can be reached at dfaries@praguepost.com


Other articles in Night & Day (11/06/2008):

Browse the Current Issue

If you enjoyed this article, why don't you subscribe to the print version!
We accept secure online transactions provided by PayPal and Moneybookers

Be the first to add a comment!


Full Name: *
City: *
E-mail: **
This comment can be published in the print version of The Prague Post
Enter the text on the right:
 visual captcha
Comment: *
* Required field. In order to be approved for display, comments must have a first and last name and a city.
** E-mails are required and will only be used for internal purposes.

Most visited in Business Listings

Provokator
Hotel booking
The Prague Post Online contains a selection of articles that have been printed in
The Prague Post, a weekly newspaper published in the Czech Republic.
To subscribe to the print paper, click here.
Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.