Before the end of my internship for SA Flavor, I wanted to make sure to highlight one last favorite restaurant of mine. I enjoy sushi, but I am one of those people who gets a bit nervous trying sushi at a new place (unlike tacos, which I will try from a food truck on the side of the road). It’s raw fish – you have to be careful! Recommendations are usually a must for me and Kumori Sushi & Teppanyaki was introduced to me by my friend, Adriana and her husband, Durrell. Like I have mentioned in previous posts, I am lucky to have friends who share a love of food!
Kumori has four locations in the Rio Grande Valley, which is where Adriana is from, and the owners decided to bring the restaurant to San Antonio. The restaurant, located in the Stone Oak area, is very hip inside with dim lighting, sleek furniture, modern artwork and a nice bar area. As far as sushi goes, it is reasonable priced. Last night I decided to order to-go from Kumori because I finally got tired of turkey and dressing leftovers. I ordered the spicy edamame, the Bonga Bonga roll and the Maui Wowie roll.
I’m a big fan of edamame. It always makes for a simple appetizer before a meal. Instead of the traditional salt, the spicy edamame from Kumori is covered in their sweet and spicy sauce. It lives up to the spicy name because it leaves my mouth mildly on fire, but I love the flavor. The red sauce is the perfect amount of salty with a hint of sweet chili and you still can taste these flavors despite the spicy takeover. I get addicted to this appetizer and have finished the whole bowl by myself.
The Bonga Bonga roll is my favorite at Kumori and I order it every time I go. Inside there is crab, avocado and cucumber and the roll is topped with salmon, spicy mayo, scallions and macadamia nuts, which add a slightly sweet taste. I like the texture changes from the soft rice, avocado and fish to the crunch of the macadamia nuts and cucumber. The salmon on top is lightly seared, which brings out a savory flavor. The spicy mayo topping, although not spicy at all, adds to the savory flavor and brings together all the ingredients. I like this roll because it is different and multi-dimensional. You get to taste a few very different flavors at once that all end up going together well. I like dipping this roll in eel sauce to add sweetness.
The Maui Wowie roll was recommended to me by the server who took my order. He said it was his favorite crab roll. Inside there is tempura soft shell crab, cream cheese and avocado. The roll is topped with tuna, spicy mayo, scallions and sesame seeds. If the two rolls I ordered had a contest on looks, the Maui Wowie would win because it is pretty and bright. I had never had soft shell crab in sushi, but I was excited to give it a try. The texture of the roll is very soft, even though the crab is fried with the soft shell crab having a smoky flavor. I am usually not a fan of cream cheese in sushi (I know – crazy talk), but for this particular roll the cheese went very well with the flavor of the crab. The tuna on top is raw and a beautiful color. As with the Bonga Bonga roll, the spicy mayo really pulled all of the flavors together for a terrific combination of smoky richness. I did not dip this roll in any sauce because nothing seemed to fit well with it.
If you are a fan of sushi, you will love trying Kumori! It is a perfect spot for a date night or a start to an evening out. I hope you enjoy!
Kumori Sushi & Teppanyaki, 700 East Sonterra Blvd. Suite 308, San Antonio, TX
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