A Sushi Sensation: Hokkaido is the place to go!

It was a chilly and wet evening as my friend and I rounded the corner and walked through the fence to Hokkaido. This little, hidden, Japanese eatery in the town of New Paltz was somewhat crowded, but very quiet, which was a nice surprise. The place itself felt very comfortable due to the confined area, dim lanterns, the paper screens and pull down shades on the windows, and the wood paneled walls as well. Unfortunately, because of a lack of seating my friend and I were sent to the sushi bar in the back corner until a table opened up shortly after. We would have waited patiently but it was nice to see the hostess wanted to help us enjoy a good meal right away. This really displayed the sort of quiet charm and sweetness of the employees. After only a few minutes we made our switch to a small table in the center of the dining area and took our time glancing through the extensive menu selections. 

There were appetizers, udon dishes, noodle dishes, rice dishes, sushi and sashimi, specials, combos and beverages galore. Yet I hadn’t had sushi in quite some time and so it did take me while to make a final choice as to what rolls I wanted. It would have been nice to try a wider selection, however we were not willing to empty our wallets, even though it would have been quite easy. We both ordered the miso soup which was really flavorful because of it’s fish based broth as opposed to water based. It also had a good amount of soy and seaweed in it which was great because I usually get very little of both at other Japanese restaurants. We split an order of edamame, or steamed soy beans, that were a perfectly warm temperature and not super salty.

Their dishes were also very visually pleasing. These soup spoons are my favorite to eat from! The small wooden table enhanced the warmth of the environment and made our food appear to be more home made. 

Miso Soup and Edamame

We were both  drooling as our plates were placed in front of us. I ordered a special, a mango salmon roll, and tried it immediately. WOW. The fish was very fresh, and there was a hint of spice and a small crunch to the entire roll. Then the mango...I love mango. It added the perfect amount of tang and sweetness that lingered about shortly after swallowing, and it was spectacular! My tuna roll, though not as exciting as the other, was equally as fresh. Simply wrapped in sticky white rice and seaweed, and greatly complimented by a dab of wasabi and a dip into the soy sauce. My friend ordered a yellowtail scallion roll which he allowed me to try. This would not have been a first pick for me because I don’t quite enjoy yellowtail. Despite my own palatal opinions, it was also really fresh and the scallions added a nice, light crunch. He also decided upon a spicy salmon hand roll which seemed a little too complicated for me to try so I asked him to describe it for me. He said it had good texture because of the larger fish pieces, that the coldness of the fish was a nice contrast to the warm white rice and that there was a really good balance of spice and flavor.  “Delicious!” is how he concluded.

Mango Salmon Roll and Tuna Roll

Yellowtail Scallion Roll and Spicy Salmon Handroll

 Once the plates were completely empty, I felt content and not too full. The final cost was a little expensive, however this is to be expected at higher quality sushi joints and yet it was totally worth it! The entire experience was very relaxed and peaceful like a zen-sushi-temple, if ever such a place existed. 

To be honest, the only complaints I can come up with about that night was our silly seating swap and the fact that there was no music playing. Though I didn’t really hate the quiet too much, I think I’m just so used to background music that the lack of it distracted me. To end on a lighter note, on our way out I noticed some outdoor seating. This titillated my desire to come back and enjoy a simple, light, and mouth watering sushi dinner in the springtime sun and hopefully I’ve inspired you to do the same. When it comes to craving japanese cuisine, Hokkaido certainly knows how to enlighten your taste buds.