We love South Philly. We love every stinking, festering, self-regenerating inch of it. But for a ‘hood with epicly awesome access to a truly wild variety of foods, we’ve always wondered: Where is the sushi? Lynn Rinaldi, Dana Rinaldi and Corey Baver — whom you may know from Paradiso — think they might have a solution, and it’s called Izumi. By scooping up Morimoto alum Chef Corey Baver, as well as Agus Lukito, late of Mikado, here’s how Izumi rolls:
Signature sushi rolls include: Izumi Roll, lump crabmeat with eel, cucmber, avocado, sesame seed and nori; Paradiso Roll, lobster tempura with avocado, cucumber and tobiko; and Remy Roll, eel, whitefish, crabmeat and scallion with eel sauce, spicy mayo, bonito flakes and seaweed powder. Small plates include: White Tuna Tataki with ponzu and grated daikon; Seared Scallop over wasabi crepe with buffalo mozzarella – a sly nod to the area’s Italian flair – and cashew-herb butter; and Vegetable Tempura.
By not including any reference at all to the dreaded Philadelphia Roll — that sushi monstrosity thing that Philly places do that has cream cheese in it that must, we repeat, MUST be stopped — Izumi already has our ears.
Izumi, 1601 East Passyunk Ave. (215) 271-1222.
The Remy Roll is great, the others not so much, but not bad.
For what it’s worth, the “Philly Roll” isn’t a Philly sushi thing. You can find cream cheese sushi rolls all over the country called “Philly Rolls”. Someday the city should sue that dairy for reparations.
Bout time you gave this place some love, btw.