[Editors’ Note: This restaurant review ran in our April 26 Food Issue, in which a number of local restaurants, ice cream parlors and cafes were put in our critics’ crosshairs. Check our website for more mouthwatering goodness.]
Fancy real sushi? Ajihei is the gem that the Princeton community has been missing out on and what sushi purists dream of. As soon as you step in, you are flooded with the aroma of a legitimate sushi bar: warm steamed rice tinged with sweet vinegar and a lovely breath of miso soup. From the Japanese curtains and decorations to the warm mellow lighting and calm ambiance, from the comfortable atmosphere and cozy wooden tables to the jazzy melodies floating in the background, the restaurant entertains the air of an authentic Japanese bar — classy, delicate and very welcoming.
To start, my friends and I ordered some edamame and miso soup. The edamame was nothing special (though overpriced), but the miso was a perfect balance of dashi stock infused with the scent of the sea. Though the tea is light and unexceptional, the traditional hand-painted Japanese tea sets and dining ware contribute to the simple and classy vibe of the bar.
Handcrafted upon order and presented beautifully, the sushi rolls boast a perfect rice-to-filling ratio, with the rice seasoned with just a dash of sweet rice vinegar and salt and steamed to an excellent sushi rice consistency so as not to distract from the flavor and texture of the filling. The fish is incredibly fresh.
Though the restaurant boasts a very simple menu and the wait may be a tad long, it is guaranteed that anything you order at Ajihei will be top-notch. The quintessential mark of Ajihei sushi is its careful attention to detail. Not only is each sushi roll presented beautifully atop a traditional wooden pedestal with a swab of wasabi, but the sushi is arranged delicately with traces of green chives rolled in, adding to the aesthetic appeal — an apt reflection of the chef’s meticulous attention to small details. The service is impeccable: Not only will your tea refill as soon as your cup passes half-empty, but the staff is also non-intrusive and always attentive.
With its casual-romantic atmosphere, Ajihei is the perfect spot to bring a date whom you wish to impress, to please sushi purists who don’t mess around with the modern inclination towards “fusion” food, to relax with a few close friends and to indulge in the most phenomenal sushi on Nassau. And best part of all? The pricing is exceptionally reasonable for the sushi and service you receive.
Read on to find a breakdown of some of Ajihei's many sushi rolls:
Spicy Tuna Roll: Not exactly what one might typically consider spicy, the exotic spices enrobed around the fish did add a unique flavor to the roll. I appreciated that the tuna was not mashed into the spice as usual spicy tuna rolls are, because the texture of the fresh tuna sashimi, sliced in the perfect thickness and along the grain, made this roll remarkable and memorable in its own right.
Scallop Roll: The freshness of the scallops added a wonderful texture to this roll, which was infused with a strong, but not overwhelming, scallop flavor.
Shrimp Tempura Roll: The tempura shrimp, though a hair overcooked, was seasoned well and fried to a golden crisp. The crunchy, warm shrimp with a mild hint of flavor is a sure-to-please classic for guests who are less adventurous with their sushi.
Salmon Skin Roll: Highly recommended at only $6.50, this giant roll is a burst of flavor: sizzling salmon skin rolled into warm rice.
Rainbow Roll: This was a giant blend of a variety of flavors packed into a roll four times the thickness of standard sushi rolls, with salmon, tuna, avocado, salmon roe and crab. Usually rainbow rolls are topped with six different sashimi fish and avocado, but unfortunately, this roll was wrapped simply with rice. Though the roll was impressive in its grand palette of colors and the flavors paired together well, the sheer size of the roll and sundry assortment of fillings made it difficult to consume without the filling falling out.
Dragon Roll: This roll came as a luxurious display of avocado sliced paper-thin atop a giant roll of warm, fresh unagi (eel). Unfortunately, the avocado-to-fish ratio was disappointingly high, and the roll did not fit the standard description of a dragon roll, which generally has salmon, tuna or crab rolled in along with cucumber and avocado as filling and topped with avocado and unagi. Nonetheless, the freshness and unique taste of the unagi combined with the magnificent presentation of the roll made up for its shortcomings.
Ajihei
11 Chambers St.
5 out of 5 paws
Pros: Careful attention to presentation; very fresh seafood; traditional purist take on sushi.
Cons: Narrow menu; “larger” rolls slightly disappointing.
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