Tasting sushi

The number 28 Mizzou Entrée at Bamboo is made with crab meat, cucumber, rice, seaweed, and fried shrimp in a white sauce. Bamboo offers 44 different varietys of entrees, and specialize in their sauces, according to apprentice chef Bruce Inn.   ¦  MICHAEL STONACEK/Missourian

I admit I had never tried sushi before last week. The idea of seaweed, rice and raw fish rolled together never quite hit me as appealing. But, I’m not a picky eater, so I decided to give it a try.

Columbia now has at least five restaurants serving sushi, and you can also pick it up at various supermarkets.

I decided to start at Bamboo, a new sushi restaurant off West Broadway by Hy-Vee.

I immediately loved the atmosphere. There was a serene feel to the restaurant, and the menu provided pictures with the options so I was able to see what to order.

Prices ranged from $5.99 to $13.99, with 44 different entrée options. I was impressed. After much deliberation, I decided to try the Mizzou, the Tiger and the Dragon.

Picking out my choices was the easy part; managing the chopsticks was quite a bit harder. But, by the time the food arrived, I pretty much had the hang of it.

The sushi looked delicious. Of all three, the Tiger was my favorite; it had spicy crab meat, cucumber, rice, seaweed, yellowtail and scallop with sauce.

All in all, the first experience was a success, but I wasn’t ready to stop there. Later in the week I headed to Sake on Tenth Street.

The small restaurant actually has a vibrant atmosphere. Prices range from $3 to $18.

I wanted to try something new, so I got the California roll, the Big O roll and the Volcano. The Big O roll was probably the best food I have ever tasted, with crab, avocado, cream cheese and tempura.

As far as sushi goes, I’m hooked.