Sushi Time Opens in Seaside with Strong Values

Lunch time has a new name on Fremont Boulevard.

Sushi Time (884-5011).

At least lunch is when the most prodigious deals—among a wave of nice values—go down, with $7.99 two-item specials drawing from a list of 18 rolls (like the tasty salmon skin roll and the shrimp-and-vegetable-tempura roll) and a lineup of nine entrees, like beef teriyaki, spicy sesame chicken and fishkatsu.

Combined with a bowl of miso soup, a basic salad, and rice, my smoky salmon filet and spicy octopus roll—a unique munchie with nice tobiko and house spicy sauce—were more than I could eat, which meant sushi time extended deep into the afternoon.

In these opening days, I’d recommend sitting at the cute sushi bar in the back to make service easier on yourself and the overwhelmed server, or lunch could stretch out too.

The massive menu does its own stretching act: It includes no fewer than 30 “special rolls,” all available, as are all rolls, with soy paper ($1), brown rice ($1), masago ($1) or deep-fried ($1.50).  

The popcorn lobster roll ($10.99), with crab, cucumber, avocado, and deep fried lobster, looks enticing, as does the sour punch roll ($8.99) with shrimp tempura, avocado, salmon and lemon. The calamari tempura roll ($6.99) with avocado is a clever idea I can’t remember seeing anywhere else. The ninja roll ($8.99, with spicy tuna, cucumber, albacore, avocado, and onion) and the in and out roll ($9.99 with deep fried soft shell crab, spicy tuna, cucumber, yellow tail, avocado, and jalapeño) also stand out.

Nine deep fried rolls include the S.F. Giant roll ($8.99)—with crab, spicy crab, spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, eel, avocado and masago on top—and the jalapeño bomb roll ($7.99) with a deep fried jalapeño, spicy tuna and cream cheese. The 49ers roll ($9.99) proved indulgent and excellent, with shrimp tempura, avocado and cream cheese beneath a fried shell of more tempura and tender salmon.

The 18 “maki” rolls arrive as hand rolls ($2.99-$5.50) or cut ($3.50 -$5.95) and star simpler things like a spicy yellow tail roll ($4.50 hand, $4.95 cut) and spicy scallop roll ($4.50-$4.95).

A handful of baked rolls include the baked salmon roll ($8.99) with crab, cucumber, avocado, salmon, and almonds; the volcano ($9.99) and the baked lobster roll  with crab, cucumber avocado, lobster, masago, and green onion.

Co-owner/chef Dylan Bae says his connections with local fishermen friends allow him to maintain his very competitive prices.

Mondays evenings deliver “$1 sushi,” which sounds better than it turns out (it’s basically a large single piece of a choice of fresh fish). Tuesdays deliver beer and sake for half price, and Wednesdays rock three rolls for $20.99. Dinner combinations run $13.99 every day; business hours are 11am-9:30pm Monday - Thursday, 11am to 10pm Friday, noon-10pm Saturday, and noon to 9 Sunday.

Sushi Time is located in The Pacific Heights Plaza at 1153 Fremont in Seaside where parking is pretty easy to come by.

Stacy Lininger contributed to this report.