Sushispotting: Kobe Well Being Tonkatsu, Ginza, Sushiya

Sushispotting is a multipart series to review all 15 sushi restaurants in Downtown Bellevue.
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#3 Sushispotting: Kobe Well Being Tonkatsu

I was feeling lazy today, and hit the first sushi joint nearest my office. This also makes the first NEW sushi joint for me- I’ve never been to Kobe Well Being Tonkatsu. I was a fan of the previous restaurant occupying this space- Asian Spoons. However, apparently I was their only fan. They went out of business a while back.

So Kobe Well Being Tonkatsu specializes in, surprise, tonkatsu (Japanese deep-fried pork cutlet). But they also offer a full menu of sushi and bento. So I sat myself at the counter by the window and ordered one of my fave lunches- a bento box. I love bentos because they don’t force me to settle on one delicious Japanese dish, but rather several at once, and at a discounted price to boot. Kobe’s bento didn’t disappoint- for $9.95 I got chicken teriyaki (but weirdly, no rice), three pieces of tempura, six spicy tuna roll pieces, salad, miso soup, and three slices of orange for dessert. The spicy tuna roll was just how I like it- fresh, not overly chili-oil-spicy, and all the ingredients mixed into the tuna before it’s rolled (pouring chili oil over the top after it’s rolled is a cheapie shortcut, IMHO). The tuna roll made me wish that I’d ordered more sushi- but I had noted that their sushi ran a wee more expensive than the bentos. Call me cheap, but also call me full and happy.

Freshness: 4 fishies
Roll/Menu Variety: 4 fishies
Value/Cost: 4 fishies
Downtown Bellevue Core Walking Distance: 3 fishies
Proper Sushi Ambience: 5 fishies
Overall Deliciousness: 4 fishies
TOTAL: 24 fishies

Kobe Well Being Tonkatsu
850 110th Avenue NE
(425) 451-3888‎
Monday-Saturday 11am-2:30pm, 4:30pm-10pm
Sunday 5-9pm

#4 Sushispotting: Ginza

Oh, Ginza. How do I love thee. No website, no marketing, yet packed to the sushi gills every day for lunch. And on the nicest Downtown Bellevue street to boot- Main Street.

I discovered Ginza years ago, and I will admit it: I don’t like to tell people about it. It’s mine. It’s been run by the same family for ages, out of a quietly hidden location behind Main Street. The menu includes not just sushi- served from a proper sushi bar- but also Japanese tapas (izakaya), udons, and rice bowls. And their lunch menu is a deliciously screaming deal- $9 for the special bento of the day, which today was one salmon hand roll, a tuna hand roll, salad, miso, rice, and nigiri. I know that sushi is a religious argument, but there is nowhere else I have been in Downtown Bellevue that compares to Ginza.

Dang. Now you’re all gonna go. My secret is out….

Freshness: 5 fishies
Roll/Menu Variety: 5 fishies
Value/Cost: 4 fishies
Downtown Bellevue Core Walking Distance: 4 fishies
Proper Sushi Ambience: 5 fishies
Overall Deliciousness: 5 fishies
TOTAL: 28 fishies

Ginza
103 102nd Ave SE
(425) 709-7072‎

#5 Sushispotting: Sushiya

Sushiya is one of those quiet, unknown sushi restaurants. Which I find weird, since it’s well located in Downtown Bellevue, and quite good. I ordered the daily special- a true sushi aficionado will always order the special- which was 5 pieces of nigiri, salad, miso, and udon noodle soup. Besides the variety of their menu, Sushiya scores for free green tea and including miso soup. These are important sushi-eating components.

I hadn’t been to Sushiya in a few years, but was happy to taste that their fish was fresh and delicious. Its prices are standard for sushi lunch, and while I enjoyed everything, there wasn’t a whole lot to make Sushiya stand out. But if you’re looking to try a hidden Downtown Bellevue restaurant, I recommend a sushi break at Sushiya.

Freshness: 4 fishies
Roll/Menu Variety: 4 fishies
Value/Cost: 4 fishies
Downtown Bellevue Core Walking Distance: 5 fishies
Proper Sushi Ambience: 5 fishies
Overall Deliciousness: 4 fishies
TOTAL: 26 fishies

Sushiya
300 110th Ave NE suite 104
(425) 467-1453
http://www.sushiyabellevue.com/