Nassau Sushi Company on a roll with Japaneese, Korean cuisine

Nassau Bagel and Sushi Company

179 Nassau Street (609) 497-3275 Hours: Mon. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Sun. 2:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Food: **** Atmosphere: *** Service: **** (Ratings out of four stars)

A popular maxim among foodies is to be cautious of restaurants that offer multiple cuisines or have a menu so long it could double as one of Dicken's latest works. The theory behind this axiom is that if a restaurant is making too many types of food then the quality of each dish will probably be lacking. With this in mind, I was rather wary when I first entered the Nassau Bagel and Sushi Company. With cuisines as disparate as bagels and sushi on a menu of over 80 items, I was prepared for the worst. An hour later, however, I left the restaurant feeling pleasantly full and even more pleasantly surprised.

Upon arrival at Nassau sushi, the waitress welcomes every customer with small bowls of typical Korean appetizers. One bowl is layered with kim chee (spicy pickled cabbage — a Korean staple), while other bowls are filled with sesame bean sprouts, blanched spinach, spicy radish, and sweet pickled cucumber. These dishes are meant to awaken the senses with their sharp flavor, and they do the job well.

As shown by the Korean appetizers, Nassau Sushi Co. is not merely a sushi restaurant – half of their menu is devoted to Korean cuisine. This is a result of the culinary background of owner/chef Charlie Choi, who is Korean but worked as a sushi chef for 24 years upon immigrating to America. Opting to downsize the Nassau Bagels store he purchased about a year ago, Choi decided to use his expertise and open up a Japanese/Korean restaurant. As a result, Choi maintains a full menu for each cuisine with everything from Japanese gyoza and sashimi to Korean bulgogi.

In terms of his Korean fare, Choi serves a large range of authentic Korean dishes. The Chap Chae ($11.99) – verimicelli noodles with beef and vegetables in a sweet sesame marinade – practically melts in your mouth and is a good option for those who shy away from anything too spicy. Also delicious is the Stone Pot Bibim Bop ($11.99), which combines sweet sesame marinated beef with rice, vegetables, and chili sauce.

Bibim Bop can be ordered plain or in a stone hot pot, and I would highly recommend the stone pot option. The pot itself is heated so that the rice in the bottom of the dish forms a crunchy brown crust, adding a pleasant texture when combined with the rest of the dish. Otherwise, the Bibim Bop is served cold, and two crucial elements of the dish (the heat and the texture) are absent.

My favorite dish among all the Korean options, however, was the Hwe Dup Bop ($13.99), which is assorted sashimi-grade fish slices combined with salmon roe, rice, and crispy vegetables in a sesame-ginger hot sauce.

For the purely carnivorous, a good option is the Kalbi Gui ($15.99). Served with salad, soup, and rice, this dish features large cubes of marinated sirloin which tastes a bit like Korean-style teriyaki. For vegetarians, I would recommend the Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry ($10.99), which tastes far less generic than it sounds. The dish combines sauteed vegetables with chunks of soft tofu in a flavorful sweet sauce.

Also, although the menu is seemingly absent of other vegetarian options, Choi and his fellow cooks are more than happy to alter almost any dish to exclude meat.

As for the Japanese section of the menu, Choi's sushi selection stands up to the likes of Ichiban and other Princeton sushi establishments. Nassau Sushi offers all the staples such as California Rolls ($3.95) and Spicy Tuna Rolls ($4.50) as well as some more exotic options. If you enjoy caviar, a good choice is the Charlie Roll ($8.95) which features spicy crab rolled in seaweed and rice then topped with avocado and three kinds of caviar. If not, Choi himself recommends the French Roll ($8.95 which incorporates shrimp tempura, smoked eel, and scallions accompanied by dynamite sauce. You also can't go wrong with Choi's sashimi which is significantly more expensive (dinners ranging from $24.00 to $55.00) than his sushi, but also of excellent quality.

In terms of ambience, the interior of Nassau sushi falls right in line with your stereotypical Japanese restaurant. Bamboo dividers separate the tables, and the walls are adorned with random Hiroshige prints. The tables are a simple white with mini bamboo centerpeices, and classical-style Musak permeates the background. A flamboyant personal touch, however, can be found behind the bar in the form of a sushi-inspired clock situated next to a Samurai sword.

Overall, Nassau Sushi Company is a fantastic new addition to the Princeton dining scene. Joining the ranks of Thai Village and Masala Grill, Nassau Sushi offers an excellent ethnic alternative to the European fare that permeates the Princeton community. With a diverse menu, excellent food, and reasonable prices, Nassau Sushi and Bagel Company is a surprisingly pleasant anomaly in the world of cross-cultural cuisine.