From the outside, Aji Sushi tends to blend into the small strip center. Located off Texas Ave. and nestled between a nail salon and a pet store, it would have been easy to miss if I hadn’t been intentionally looking for it.
The inside of the restaurant tells a completely different story. Walking into Aji Sushi, I was immediately hit by how serene the atmosphere is; it isn’t too loud and the lights are dimmed which gives the place a personal, cozy feeling. There are two distinct sections of the restaurant, with a sushi bar in the back along with various plants and cultural pieces around the area.
A Japanese/Vietnamese fusion restaurant, Aji Sushi is a small, casual sushi joint that serves a nice variety dishes and appetizers for its customers to enjoy. From the traditional Japanese Udon soup to various chicken, beef and shrimp dishes, there are a lot of options but the one which takes up most of the menu is the restaurant’s extensive list of sushi and sashimi.
I started with a small handful of sushi rolls so I could see how well this eatery lives up to its name and man, the sushi here more than warrants being the center of attention.
One of the first rolls I ate was the Texas Ave. Roll. The roll featured fish fried in tempura batter, stuffed with the house crab mix and topped with chopped fried shrimp, eel sauce, spicy mayo and the restaurant’s famous Cowboy Sauce. This roll has a nice crunch to it that helps to balance the softness of the crab mix and the three sauces, which garnish the dish add a burst of flavor that made this roll quite savory and a delight to eat. Although, fair warning to those who are more on the fence when it comes to spice, this roll does have a little kick to it due to the spicy mayo and hot Cowboy Sauce.
The next roll I tried was the Caterpillar Roll. Another tempura roll that includes shrimp tempura and cucumber and is decorated with sliced avocado and eel sauce. More subdued than the Texas Ave. Roll, this one is more sweet and quite a mouthful with the shrimp, cucumber and avocado top. The eel sauce helps to bring the entire roll together and combine to make a smooth flavor.
Aside from the sushi rolls, I did try one of the more eye-catching appetizers Aji offered, the Heart Attack. I was quite hesitant to order the dish since it was named for its intense spice, but in the end, my curiosity encouraged me to give it a chance.
I was not disappointed. The appetizer features Asian-fusion style jalapeno poppers stuffed with spicy tuna and cream cheese and topped with eel sauce, spicy mayo, wasabi mayo and crunch. It’s not nearly as overwhelming as I originally thought it would be. The dish talks a big game but in the end, the spice is more than tolerable and did not send me to the emergency room.
The price of eating sushi here is a little high for a college student budget. The tempura rolls range from $8 to $13, but considering that getting the same rolls from the grocery store cost the same, the price isn’t so bad. The Heart Attack was relatively affordable at only $6.
All in all, I would most definitely recommend this restaurant for a get together or even just for studying since it does have such a calm, quiet atmosphere.