I have been convinced that sushi is one of the best foods in the world. Not only does it fulfill my desire to eat something other than the usual fare served at Wolman, it's delicious and satisfying, without the full and glutinous feeling that comes from eating a cheeseburger or pizza. Niwana, located adjacent to the Pike house on 33rd St., happens to be one of the best places to get quality sushi as well as a large variety of Asian cuisine for affordable prices.
I can't really say there's anything amazing about the inner decor of Niwana. Its dining room is like that of most other Asian restaurants, with a few paintings here and there of Eastern design. However, I assume most Hopkins students probably aren't as interested in the ambiance as they are the good food.
To start off the meal, they have four or five main appetizers, ranging from $4 to $6 in price. There is a dish called Yak Mandu, which is fried dumplings filled with meat and vegetables. They also have a tofu dish for all of the vegetarians out there that is creatively named Niwana Tofu. I haven't tried the tofu, but I have had the Yaki Tori, skewers of chicken and vegetables, that is very good and very affordable at $3.95.
Now on to the sushi selection. As far as mat rolls go, they have everything from soft shell crab to eel, shrimp and tuna. Mat rolls come in servings of four to six pieces and range from $3.25 to $8.95. For anyone who has had both good sushi and particularly bad sushi, like myself, you will be able tell that Niwana's strikes a happy medium.
It's not the best I've had, but its taste is better than the prices would suggest. The specialty rolls like the Rainbow (four kinds of fish with cucumber, caviar and avocado) and the Spicy Mindy (tuna, salmon, caviar, radish flower and spicy sauce) are artful and tasty. These, however, are a bit more expensive at about $6 apiece.
They also serve sushi ? la carte that comes with two pieces and includes octopus, squid, giant clam and salmon roe. I've never tried the salmon roe and I'd suggest that any first-time sushi eaters start with California rolls, made of cucumber and avocado, or tuna rolls. Eel has a lot less texture and is almost softer than tofu or bean curd. Needless to say, it's different from anything you've ever eaten at CVP or Uni-Mini, so keep an open mind.
Surprisingly, the portions given with dinner are quite large. In particular, the have a special called box dinners that include all the parts of a complete meal. The dinner starts out with miso soup, which is made of bean paste and onion in a light broth. There is also a spinach and mushroom version of this soup.
Next, you get assorted tempura (deep fried vegetables and meat), California rolls and a Japanese salad with sweet and tangy ginger dressing. Next comes sticky white rice and the main entree. The main entree is left to your discretion. There are about 15 different ones to choose from including several variations of teriyaki and tempura. The also have a dish called Bul Goki that includes tender and juicy slices of beef that have been marinated in soy sauce.
In all of my excitement about the sushi, I forgot to mention lunch. Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Lunch is about the same as dinner, only somwhat cheaper and with smaller portions. There are two rice dishes comprised of beef, vegetables and sauce served over rice.
And, yes, the wonderful sushi I just mentioned comes as a lunch special made up of several combinations of rolls. There are exclusively vegetarian lunches and a couple that include both sushi and sashimi.
If you go to http://campusfood.com, you can order take-out from local restaurants such as Niwana and receive a 10 percent discount. Then, for instance, you could order sushi lunches for you and your friends, use your amazingly cool JCards to pay when you pick it up and eat your tasty meal on the beach.
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