As culinarily brave as our boys are, they needed some time to work up to their first sushi experience, so on our first trip to Sansui in Warson Woods, we were determined to take things slow.
For the boys, this meant ordering something familiar – gyoza, aka pot stickers – and something readily identified – a selection of tempura vegetables and shrimp.
Kathy ordered a combination dinner that gave her samples of crab-stuffed shrimp, a selection of tempura, a gingery cabbage salad and a bowl of miso soup. I ignored the rest of the menu and went all sushi, picking out a Spider roll and several pieces of nigiri.
Our food started arriving before the Cards, whose game was playing on a corner TV, could get through two batters. Our host brought enough small plates that the gyoza and tempura could have been shared, but the boys didn’t think anything of it. The gyoza went like lightning; there were some brief slurping sounds from the other side of the table, and suddenly the plate was empty. The tempura – still piping hot when it hit the table – went a bit slower.
As we waited for the rest of the food (and Kathy had her miso) Brendan tried hard to master chopsticks. Duncan preferred to wield his as potential weapons. Though Brendan had marginal success, he finally accepted that everything that remained was OK as finger food.
The rest of the food soon arrived, and with it some curious looks from the boys. They could ignore Kathy’s tempura, since they had their own, but Brendan wanted to know about all the sauces she was given for dipping. But what prompted squeals from Duncan was my Spider roll, which featured pieces of fried soft-shell crab inside it … and the spindly legs of the crab poking up into the air at each end, giving the roll the appearance of a spider flexing all eight legs. It only took a little cajoling to get Brendan to try a leg, which he munched like a pretzel stick. And after that, he immediately asked for a whole piece from my roll, and he popped it into his mouth in one bite. “I want to get that next time,” he declared after he’d stopped chewing. Duncan continued to stare at the crab legs, though every time he was offered one, he’d say no. Finally, when I was down to the last piece, he blurted out, “Daddy, can I have some of that?” He grinned as he munched it down and said it was good.
And it was – as was everything else. Kathy particularly enjoyed the salads that came with her meal, and the miso. Her only critique was that the tempura zucchini was “a bit watery.” I thoroughly enjoyed both the Spider roll and the nigiri, though in hindsight I should have stuck to more colorful fish; the mackerel was fresh, but just didn’t have the richness of the bright pink tuna.
I really expected our follow-up visit to be a sushi smorgasbord, and so Kathy and I ordered with a thought toward sharing with the boys. For her, the B Course, a chef’s choice selection of a roll, seven pieces of nigiri and miso. I picked the Rainbow roll, sort of a cross between a California roll and nigiri, with delicate slices of four different fish laid over the top in a colorful pattern. Unfortunately, both boys seemed to be collapsing under the weight of the day. Duncan requested tempura and Brendan just wanted some fried tofu. So much for our adventurous diners.
But when the food arrived, curiosity got the better of them. Brendan ate a couple of his pieces of tofu and handed one off to Duncan, who was fascinated by food that was so … geometric. Brendan snatched a few items from Duncan’s tempura basket, and then began glancing at my shumai – pork dumplings in a wasabi-flavored wrapper. Kathy passed him one, and his eyes lit up as he ate it. “That was spicy,” he said between sips of soda, “but good.” His appetite awakened and morale rising, Brendan asked for a bowl of miso, and it was quickly delivered. He slurped down most of it, then for good measure asked for a piece from the Rainbow roll, gobbled it down, and declared himself done.
Kathy had worked her way through her plate as well, which was a generous sampling of eel, salmon, tuna, yellowtail and more. She liked the smoked octopus best: “Tasty but chewy – it went down easy.” We split a large Asahi beer (one of several Japanese beers Sansui offers, along with a good selection of sake) and agreed it was a perfect accompaniment, with a crisp, dry taste that didn’t intrude on the delicate flavors of the seafood.
The biggest drawback to going out for sushi is no longer our boys, who have convinced us now that they’re game to try just about anything. Now the only thing holding us back is the cost. Sansui certainly had reasonable prices, but experienced sushi-lovers know that a roll here and some nigiri or sashimi there, and suddenly all those à la carte pieces have a way of adding up. Samplers like Sansui’s B Course are a smart way to get a good selection of varied pieces at a fixed price, and it’s a good way to introduce your kids to sushi a little at a time.
ADVENTURES IN FAMILY DINING Beyond Chicken Fingers: The appetizer menu should really be thought of as Japanese tapas; though they’re made to share, many of the dishes would be great for little ones’ appetites, like grilled chicken skewers and tempura.
Extra Credit: Fast service and cheerful patience when answering the many, many questions that kids (and some adults) have about Japan’s cuisine.
Recess: There’s a fish tank, but if it’s quiet, consider sitting at the sushi bar itself to watch the chef work his artistry.
Parent Pluses: A wide range of sake is available, by the glass or by the bottle, served hot or cold. There’s also a full bar offering special house cocktails, as well as both Japanese and domestic beer.
Where: Sansui, 9983 Manchester Road, Warson Woods, 314.966.7786
When: Lunch: Mon. to Fri. – 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Dinner: Mon. to Thu. – 5 to 9 p.m., Fri. and Sat. – 5 to 10 p.m., Sun. – 5 to 9 p.m.
This article appears in Jun 1-30, 2009.