Joyce L.
Yelp
** Only a few vegan options are on the menu but the chefs can cater to whatever you fancy. Just ask!! You'll be pleasantly surprised!
Rarely do I seek out sushi joints since it feels a bit pointless as a vegan to pay for seemingly basic food you can also pick up from the Trader Joe's frozen section and dress up yourself at home (ie edamame, kimpap, corn ribs, dumplings/gyoza etc) or to order the only 3 items that had forever been vegan anyway - avocado roll, cucumber roll, and miso soup. The reviews of Tang's Sushi regarding vegan options were a bit inconsistent, but given how highly others have spoken of this place, I figure it would be best to lean and see!
Having spent a few years in Japan, I know Omakase is the way to go when enjoying sushi. It's not just about the food, but the experience and the interaction with the sushi master. So, that's what we did. We were warmly greeted by Brenden from behind the bar and he was eager to ensure a great dining experience. We already knew Tang's offered amazingly fresh ingredients, so my bf left it up to the chef to create a board for him filled with lobster and a variety of tuna. For me, I simply said to keep it vegan and that I wanted to taste their soy (tofu skin) wrap in the sushi roll. Brenden was quick to offer recommendations on what was vegan-accommodating and we added those to the order:
1) Seasoned Edamame- this was infused with that old-seasoned wok/cast iron flavor, garlic, soy sauce and some shichimi. I didn't initially think to order it but it was worth it.
2) Corn Ribs + scallion aioli (not vegan)- Chef whipped up two additional dipping sauces that were vegan friendly: mango chili, and miso "butter". All super tasty!
We each enjoyed our own version of ceviche which had its own Japanese twist to it, set on a sheet of fried wonton wrapper. The vegan ceviche (not on the menu but is totally available upon request) had minced pickles of cucumber, tomato, and onion neatly piled on top of an avocado spread that had hints of yuzu and sweet Italian basil pesto. Tucked into this flavor bomb was a grilled spear of asparagus hiding underneath a sprinkling of pistachios. -who does pistachios in sushi? Apparently Tang's Sushi does and now I'm mad I've lived my life without it until now. As for the fish version, that disappeared quickly. Nothing to report except maybe the serving size could have been bigger for my bf so he could have more to enjoy it long enough to describe what eat ate!
The omakase consisted of a flight of 3 types of tuna (sorry, I only know one was toro...) and lobster balls prepared 2 ways: one glazed & torched and set on a cheddar Lay's wannabe-Pringles potato chip (also genius!) and another with the lobster ball glazed & torched, sitting on top of a California roll. I swear my bf was crying tears of joy. There are photos of everything we ordered in case you'd like to try it for yourself.
My vegan sushi roll of the moment consisted of the most perfectly cooked sushi rice rolled around inari, avocado, pickled cucumber and soy wrap. Draped over the top of the roll were thin coins of steamed sweet potato which were topped with julienne pickled veggies: carrots, cucumber and onions (think banh mi filling), sprinkled with more pistachios, micro greens and dressed in a sweet miso-shoyu dressing. So. Good. It was light, fresh and just what I was looking for. Gone are the days of sadly eating kappamaki and avomaki as the default vegan things. Yay!
The service here was wonderful and if I lived closer, I could easily see myself being a regular here. The chefs are passionate about their craft and seem to take such joy in seeing the diner savor their creations. There was a lady next to us who was having a similar experience. It's tough to deny great quality and service when you experience it. I highly recommend checking this gem out if you are in the area! You will be glad you did!