Masu Sushi

I went to Masu Sushi earlier this month to celebrate my dad's 59th birthday with family and friends. Tucked in next to American Apparel in the Pearl District on 13th Avenue, Masu Sushi is not well marked, but definitely worth checking out.

You can sit at a table or at the bar. We sat at a table, but apparently there are a few unique eating options exclusive to those who sit at the bar. This came up because my mom asked for the cucumber salad she had the last time she was there and the waitress explained that was only an option for those who sit at the bar. My mom, notorious for being a little fussy when her desires are not met in restaurants, was obviously a little peeved about this. In her defense, I think it is a little strange not to accommodate a simple special request like hers...

Nevertheless, one thing that is available to everyone is the St. Helen's Volcano pictured below. I highly recommend it to anyone who goes. It contains white fish, crabs, scallops, shrimp and avocado baked with their volcano cream sauce, eel sauce and smoked bonito.

St. Helen's Volcano 6-Piece $12.00

My friend Paloma was interested in the "volcano" aspect of the dish. After tasting it a few times, she asked the waitress what created the flame. "Salt and 151, so make sure not to eat it."

Other things on the menu that I do not have pictured, but are very tasty, include the Transformer (softshell crab, cucumber, spicy tuna and avocado with spicy serrano dippy sauce), and, for those reading who are not huge fans of sushi, the Tonkotsu Ramen, which consists of Kyushu-style pork bone broth with porkbelly chashu and egg.