Sushi Boat

Fajardo, Puerto Rico

The opening of the new Sushi Boat restaurant in Fajardo is one of the most important events for eastern Puerto Rico gourmands in recent history.  Sushi chef Wing Yip Yuen, formerly of Wyndham El Conquistador Resort, has opened his own sushi restaurant in Fajardo to unanimous acclaim.

Sushiya Wing's new restaurant uses the "sushi-boat" theme of small boats floating around an ovoid bar, loaded with fresh sushi plates prepared minutes (or seconds) ago in the center of this rotating feast.  Patrons simply pick small plates of whatever looks good off of the Japanese handcrafted wooden boats, and stack them atop the plates they've just finished.  At the end of the meal, the waitress totals up the plates in one's stack, which are subtly color-coded according to their price.

For our money, the spicy tuna roll is tops in the competition for best overall flavor sensation. As soon as the sushi hits the tongue, the texture of the perfectly prepared rice, each grain an individual, is in the forefront.  Following right behind the rice, the creamy, spicy mayonnaise sauce coats the tongue in preparation for the final delight, the soft, marbled tuna at the center of each bite.  Other frequent customers love the over-the-top intricacy of the Dragon Roll, or the other, locally-named specialty rolls dreamed up by Chef Wing.

True sushi aficionados realize that a taste sensation isn't what sushi is really about.  It's about finding that truly fresh, subtle piece of fish, cut perfectly across the grain by a sushiya with real chops, presented in a minimalist and aesthetically pleasing way. 

A bit of soy, a dab of wasabi, and down the hatch.  For this, especially, we love Chef Wing.  Be it toro (tuna), or yellowfin, or pickled mackerel, all of the sashimi hits the counter in front of you, the attentive audience, screamingly fresh and perfectly cut and presented.  Sushiya Wing knows where to find the best fish, how to cut it, and how to present it. He then stands back and lets the real star of the show shine on its own.

After your meal, tuck into the special deep-fried banana split dessert that is already a hallmark of the Sushi Boat.  We very much doubt that its origin is Japanese, but who really cares?  Hot, deep-fried bananas with chilly vanilla ice-cream; they contrast delightfully on the palate.  Interestingly enough, maple syrup plays a role in this concoction.

In this (atheist) author's mind, a meal at Sushi Boat is a transcendental experience, a brief hint at something other than this worldly life.  Okay, I give up; it's like God whispered something to you, but you didn't quite catch what it was.  Fleeting, quiet, and sublime.

Monday-Friday

11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday:
 12 p.m. - 11-p.m.

Holidays 12 p.m. - 11 p.m.

(787) 863-2225
(787) 863-1116

Call ahead to order out; they'll have your order ready when you get there.

Visits since October 12, 2006