Sushi joints are kind of like dive bars. They’re kind of like diners. They’re sort of like coffee shops. Sure, you’ll probably go to any café in a caffeine pinch, and if a friend requests your presence at your second favorite dive, you likely won’t protest—too much. But nothing will really compare to the kitschy décor, heavy pours, friendly service, greasy smell, free refills or whatever else keeps you coming back to your main hang.
Sitting at a sushi bar is much the same. You form a connection, however loose, with the chef. You can see the chef. You know the chef. You trust the chef.
While those strong ties are certainly endearing, it can make diners apprehensive to venture out past the favorite.
Personally, I’m a Yamato girl. I like the intimate, homey and unpretentious feel. I like the way you can catch chef Naguro Nakajima rolling his eyes ever so subtly at newbies when they grace his bar with silly (yes, there are some) questions. I like the uni. I like the amount of wasabi spread carefully between fish and rice. I like the hearty, fatty tonkotsu broth of the ramen. I know I can get my fix satisfied there time and time again. It’s safe for me.
However, Yamato isn’t the only option in the sushi world of Tucson and monogamy just isn’t healthy when it comes to dining. Enter in a new sidepiece: Sachiko.
Sachiko serves regions of Tucson that can sometimes feel like sushi deserts—the south side and the east side—with two locations. Off Wilmot Road, you’ll find the latter, which offers a spacious dining room with bar seating that isn’t so done up and hip that you feel like you’re in an episode of Sex in the City.
While the digs feel comfortable, the service is, unfortunately, not on point. On one visit, I placed a drink order three times (water, yeah, water please, fine, Sapporo) over the course of 15 minutes before anything came to the table (and before any food was ordered). On a different visit, the server came within two minutes of being seated and asked for my order. She walked away, seemingly peeved, when I said I’d need a couple more minutes. With a menu including a full sushi bar, yakitori, tempura, donburi, yakisoba, udon, ramen, salads, fried rice and some Korean options too, a couple minutes seemed normal to me, but hey—what do I know?
Those issues aside, Sachiko does plenty right. Delicate, bright and fresh slices of intriguingly floral red snapper, lightly sweet halibut and buttery salmon take center stage at the sushi bar. The walls are covered in specials, offering fresh catches for those looking to try something different. A good place for anyone to start is either at the Sushi Deluxe tray if you’re solo ($13.95 for 6 pieces of nigiri) or the Small Sushi tray if you’re with a friend ($27 for 14 pieces). Both come with California rolls for more timid orderers, but also offer a roulette-style selection of fish to try.
The straight-forward options from the bar are contrasted by dishes like the green mussels and the Hawaiian poki bowl. The mussels, for instance, come smothered in cheese and mayo, baked and then topped with roe—a decent option if you’re skittish around shellfish, but not so if you want to taste the mussels themselves. While the poki salad ($11.95) offers tuna in the raw, lightly dressed in a sweet, tangy poki dressing with distinct sesame flavor, the dish is needlessly embellished with flavorless greens that add crunch, but little else.
Simplicity works well for Sachiko in some instance, like in the seaweed salad ($5.95) which is a pretty on-the-nose take on the classic side. Other times, such as with the hiyashi tofu ($4.95), letting ingredients speak didn’t work to the dish’s favor. Fresh tofu is a vastly underrated ingredient in this country. When prepared with care, the texture is akin to a velvety panna cotta and the flavor is luxurious and creamy. So, when a bowl of obviously straight-from-the-package tofu (you could see packaging indents in it not unlike your aunt’s “homemade” cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving) came to the table, it was disappointing to say the least. The server warned when I ordered that, “most Americans don’t like that,” but I have a feeling very few people, regardless of where they’re from, like eating raw tofu on its own straight out of the container.
The ups-and-downs of finding a new ancillary Japanese eatery for my dining roster luckily ended on a high note at Sachiko. With seven ramen options ($8.95-$11.95), including shoyu, miso, tonkotsu, Tokyo-style, curry and more, the restaurant positions itself to be a haven for broth lovers to sate their unquenchable soup lust. However, the secret weapon at Sachiko is the damn near perfect noodles that go in those broths. Chewy, wavy and substantial, the noodles encourage slurping until the soup is finished.
This, of course, is just a small sample of what Sachiko has to offer. Despite some misses, the menu overall seems one worth exploring, even if you go for lunch (tempura and sashimi bento box is the way to go here). So, if Sachiko isn’t already in your roster when those nigiri cravings take over, maybe it’s time to add in an alternate and (briefly) put your number one pick on the bench. After all, as long as the fish is fresh and the knife is sharp, venturing outside of your sushi joint norm can’t really hurt—too much..
This article appears in Apr 7-13, 2016.
Do they still have a presence on Valencia Road? That joint used to rock a lunch time.
After having read this, I’m going to definitely have to agree with my former boss, Brandon Katz.
Whoever was the editor in charge of approving the publication of this article should be drug tested.
End. Of. Story. #amateurhour
Also it’s Poke, not Poki.
The majority of the content of a “sushi” article isn’t about the sushi. Of 12 paragraphs, one covered sushi. This drivel is the equivalent of reviewing a burger establishment and focusing on french fries, ketchup and milkshakes. Half the article is unrelated opinion and nonsensical ramblings.
An embarrassment to journalism.
Plus, the photography is reminiscent of a middle school student taking instagram photos with their cell phone.
I agree with Saundie! Heather, you are truly an awful writer. And this: “I like the way you can catch chef Naguro Nakajima rolling his eyes ever so subtly at newbies when they grace his bar with silly (yes, there are some) questions.” You must surely have popped out of your mother’s womb fully versed in the ways of sushi, since you would never, ever ask a “newbie” question! Presumably, Chef Nakajima is a professional and polite to his customers even if he’s heard the same questions a thousand times. You just come off as arrogant and snotty.
The ramen at Sachiko is completely forgettable. Not that there’s great ramen in Tucson (Obon is OK) but Sachiko’s is not even close. The sushi, however, is terrific.
I’m disappointed that you are so dismissive of the hard work that goes into producing even simple sushi dishes. Further, I’ve been to Sachiko on many occasions, and have never had a problem with a single one of their servers. They’re unfailingly friendly and attentive.
On another note, I find it deplorable that you refer to finding “a new sidepiece” instead of “another restaurant to frequent”. Really? Did it cross your mind that “sidepiece” is a truncated version of “side piece of a**” — a specific way to objectify and dehumanize a person with whom you have sex on occasion? (Google it. The normal language surrounding this term is egregious.) Please keep misogynistic sexual terms out of your restaurant reviews.
Brandon, don’t you think you’re being a little rough on ……
dive bars? 🙂
Living in the east side sushi desert, I’ve been eating sushi at Sachiko for over 15 years. While the restaurant (which is excellent) may be “new” to the author, it is not new to me. It’s not a new restaurant by any definition.
Describing it as “new” multiple times, the author shows her ignorance.
Brandon! You are so absolutely correct BUT your own restaurant is not helping Tucson’s food scene either. You serve average food at above average prices. Sad. Who is doing more damage to the Tucson food scene? A bad reviewer? Or an overpriced restaurant with just average food at the heart of downtown? Maybe if you had put less effort into the interior decorating and a little more effort into the food… I don’t know. It does look nice inside though, so you got that right.
I think the food at OBAN can hardly be called “average” and the prices seem to compare to other sushi in town.
Humanbean – if you think the food created by Chef Paulo is average I am sorry to say you have no where to eat in this town. You can pick and choose any place to dine you want, it doesn’t have to be mine. We do what we do, and put all our effort into it. Maybe we are just not the place for you. Either way, if you want to put a comment like that out there and want to be taken seriously, you may want to use your real name. Hiding is for internet trolls, not people with credible opinions.
Tucson Foodie the place that writes bull shit reviews of Obon couldn’t even select Obon to be the best Japanese food place. LOL. You got beat out by one of the worst Japanese restaurant’s in Tucson. Sakura! As if there is any skill into cooking steak on a flat iron. Vs. the crap ass food Obon is plying out.
Best Japanese
Sakura
TF says: Sakura pretty much pioneered Japanese food in Tucson at a time when few, if any, were offering the cuisine. While Japanese restaurants can generally be categorized into those that offer teppan yaki and those that don’t, other worthy contenders include Yamato, Mr. An’s, and Sachiko.
Brandon you really need an advisor. It’s rather sad.
I like how Brandon Katz of Obon quickly erased his garbage rant. Who cares your restaurant is hipster garbage.
I don’t care what anybody says, their Valencia location was awesome 🙂 Made friends with the sushi chefs. Great people– and awesome food!
And seriously?? You guys are jerks… it’s sad that you hide behind the internet to openly talk down to someone and make them feel bad about their writing. If you’d say it to their face you’re really not much better…
Hahaha Obon facebook with Brandon Katz said: David Chang come to tucson and give it a try! OBON Sushi Bar Ramen Chef Paulo, Bar Genius Matt, and in will be in NYC giving praise to him next month. First stop, Ko! If he came down and saw how Obon assembles their bullshit food he will laugh them out of town. If your not making it then your just as good as a Applebee’s or a Chilli’s lol.
What Obon and Brandon Katz think their a restaurant as same as Momofuku? Hells no. You see Momofuku is a open kitchen restaurant. While Obon hides in the back so you can’t see them cutting open prepackaged ramen paste and prepackaged noodles. Cause its hard to measure hotwater for ramen. They would be exposed! Oh crap I exposed them and their non cooking
The crap this town has to put up with the arrogant Brandon Katz and Obon sushi. He tried to delete it but I have it. Direct quote from his mouth. Brandon Katz I surround myself with people like me. lol WTF their ramen is not made its assembled from ramen paste and vacuum packaged noodles that are meant for frying not ramen. LOL!!!! Can’t even make ramen broth?! Might as well call it instant ramen. Then all these people are like oooh its soo good. Try and take that ramen to Japan. They will kick your ass.
As much as it pains me to increase the traffic on the Tucson Weekly food section, most importantly on anything Heather Hoch writes, I have to speak up once again regarding what is an utterly ridiculously written piece about sushi. My feelings have nothing to do with either restaurant mentioned in this article, both of which I have dined at and thoroughly enjoyed my experience. With that said, I write this to Heather….
Heather –
While I make it no secret that I have a strong disagreement with your journalistic ethics, writing skills, and overall demeanor within the restaurant scene (which you have never been a part of), I have to say this is by far the the worst piece of journalism I have yet to see come from you.
Whether you know it or not, you backhanded every single passionate sushi chef within this article, including your self proclaimed favorite, Yamato. You compare sushi to a dive bar. A dive bar. Once again, a dive bar. Now, nothing against dive bars, I frequent them and have tremendous respect for the quality dive bars out there; however, dive bars are conceptualized business’, not contrived from learned craft. Sushi is a passion, a skill, an art-form, a learned craft that takes years, decades, a lifetime to perfect. It is a skill that very few possess and so many attempt to obtain. Sushi, and the overall use of fresh fish served raw, is a delicate culinary art that needs to be treated with complete tenderness and care. But, you compare sushi ‘joints’ to dive bars. Dive bars. Once again, dive bars. You can’t get someone sick by serving them outdated Bud Light. You can’t hurt someone by pouring an ounce and a half of Jack Daniels into a glass that has the scent of stale sanitizer. You can not get someone sick from the popcorn machine that pops out the bar snack, at a dive bar. Again, a dive bar. But sushi, you can not only get someone sick with the slightest of errors or mishandling, but also ruin their passion for what is such an amazing part of the culinary world. Comparing sushi ‘joints’ to dive bars is the equivalent of ordering a $60 ounce of Pappy 20 at a dive bar, fully knowing you will get it poured in a plastic cup with unfiltered ice. You just don’t do it.
You go on in your article and mention the unpretentious nature of your favorite sushi bar, but then the following sentence notes ‘eye rolling’… so which is it, unpretentious or pretentious? Do new comers not deserve to be educated in a proper way. Do new comers deserve to be treated like they don’t deserve your attention or the ability to start with basics and then move into more advanced sushi? You talk about new comers to the sushi business and how they are looked down upon at said restaurant, however your cover picture for this article hosts a California Roll, followed by Fresh Water Eel… Am I missing something?
You talk about getting mediocre service, par for the course in your reviews. Have you stopped for a minute and thought, maybe it is because you don’t treat your servers with any respect? Maybe it is because every single restaurant is aware of your irresponsible writing and has simply grown tired of it? I think the latter. But both hold true.
With Tucson getting such high praise and national acclaim these days, mostly due to the UNESCO label, we as an industry would hope that the reporting of such would get better, more knowledgable, and most importantly more responsible. Though the Tucson Weekly has been on a steady decline over the years, it pains me to see anything with our beloved city in the title of a publication that lacks anything with value. If the rest of the industry has stepped up their game to the point of getting national recognition, one would think (no, one would demand) that the reporting of the same industry would step it up as well. There are plenty of people that have the knowledge to write on the subject of food, and would gladly do so for free. Yet someone continues to sign a check written out to Heather Hoch, including reimbursement for the food she violently tosses into her self proclaimed Olive Garden infused pallet.
See, Heather, this is how you write something with articulation and detail. I am sure PCC has an intro to writing course you can take. If you couple that with business ethics I will gladly help pay for it.