Our friend Dean lives in Inwood, and likes to invite us to get together for dinner there occasionally. Unfortunately, the restaurant selections leave a lot to be desired. We’ve tried several, and each time we felt we could have eaten much better downtown, for the same or lower price.
Happily, such was not the case with Mama Sushi. Looking at the online menu, I saw much that looked appealing. Yelp reviews, which I am often skeptical of, were consistently positive for the food, the complaints centering on inefficient service. I have to say, the service we experienced was excellent, well-timed and pleasant. The decor is modern casual wiith lots of windows, and the noise level was quite tolerable.
We ordered a bottle of Verdejo for $35, which turned out to be pretty good, Dean started with steamed chicken gyoza, while Stanley and I shared pan-fried duck gyoza and baby back ribs. The gyoza were very good and the ribs plump and delicious.
For our main courses, we all chose rolls from the huge selection. I wasn’t sure an order of rolls would be sufficient as a main course, but it was a huge portion, more than enough. I had the “5 Tigre” (yellowtail, tuna, salmon, etc.). Stanley had “El Original”, which contained meats, cheese, and onion. Dean had avocado rolls. I didn’t get to try those, but the 5 Tigre and Original were scrumptious. The 3 dipping sauces were excellent. I loved the intricate combinations of flavors.
This is creative and interesting food. We will definitely return, and maybe try some of the main dishes other than rolls. Just a block from the A train at Dyckman St., it’s very easy to get to, and well worth the trip, I think.
Robert Rems' Open House 