GoodEats: Downtown specialty sushi

By: Taylor Seidel, Columnist

I use quite a few different resources when searching for my next restaurant to review. The Internet, Food Network, social media and The Baltimore Sun are my go-to’s.

Courtesy of Taylor Seidel
Courtesy of Taylor Seidel

Every so often I’ll get a recommendation that I have to go to a particular restaurant. Even more rare is when I receive multiple recommendations from different people for one specific spot. When that happens, I have no other option but to check it out.

This was exactly the case with my newest GoodEats venture. I was recommended by two of my friends to go try Shoyou Sushi in Federal Hill. If it weren’t for these recommendations I would have never discovered this hidden gem.

Situated right on Light Street Shoyou Sushi is tiny, so keep an eye out for it. Once inside you realize how little the sushi house is, with only four tables and a couple seats at the sushi bar.

The owner, Bruce Li, is half the reason my friends had recommended the restaurant.

He has a personality as vibrant and interesting as the specialty sushi rolls he creates. Native to South Korea, Li developed his sushi skills in his home country.

The sushi is what brought us through the door and did not disappoint. I highly recommend picking one of the specialty rolls as they are all unique and perfectly balanced. I had to go with the Japanese Burrito, which is a wrapped up roll with shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, crab and avocado, served with a spicy dipping sauce. This was unlike anything I have ever had before and trust me, I’ve had my fare share of sushi.

The Shoyou Style Baked Lobster Roll was another interesting roll. Imagine a California roll topped with baked lobster meat.

The heavy hitter and personally recommended was The Oriole Park. The roll was quite the mouthful with crab, avocado, asparagus, cream cheese, spicy tuna and crunchy unagi on top for texture.

Putting together some unique rolls, a unique owner and a funky little sushi restaurant equals some GoodEats in my book.

Next time you’re in Federal Hill, give Shoyou Sushi and Bruce Li a visit.

Until next time. I wish you GoodEats!

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