Züm Sushi

When I became aware of sushi back in the late 1900s my reaction was: Raw fish? Really? A fellow student at Monterey Institute of International Studies said I really had to try it. I didn’t get it at first. But she continued to mentor me and now I can’t conceive of a world without it.

Three decades later sushi has become as much a food staple as pizza, burritos or chow mein – and the Monterey Bay area has no shortage of places to get it, or people who want to eat it.

Room for one more sushi joint? Züm Sushi, the area’s newest, will find out soon enough. Early returns indicate yes. Or, more accurately, hell yes.

Located where the very popular Thai Bistro II operated for over 20 years, voted best Thai food 15 times by our readers, the new place has ditched the plain, clinical white interior in favor of darker, more calming tones.

Friday at dinner hour, entering the almost full dining room with my two dining companions, I was immediately absorbed by a warm, feng shui coziness and an almost reverent hum of human voices. Maybe the reason for such reverence was the colorful array of sushi rolls my eyes scanned while we were being seated at a four-top table – right in front of the large picture window looking out on Central Avenue with a peek of the bay. We lucked out, since the place filled up soon after. Neatly uniformed, well groomed, smiling servers circulated. All made good first impressions.

Soon after we sat down, our server brought a complimentary steamed mussel appetizer topped with housemade chili sauce that had us smacking our lips. A generous and smart gesture extended to all patrons that leaves a lasting impression and gives a message that says, we like that you’re here and we want you to come back.

As my sushi-loving sidekicks and I perused the menu I immediately saw three things we had to try as starters: the baked mussels ($5.95), four per order, the stuffed jalapeños ($6.95), also four, and the Züm salad ($13.95). They agreed, except for some slight reservations about the jalapeños. Neither of them have the heat-seeking tastebuds I do. No matter. I’ll eat them all myself if I have to. I had a hunch they’d be awesome, and after trying them, we all agreed they were. Deep fried with spicy fish, cream cheese, tobiko and green onions, they were mildly hot and full of wonderful tastes and textures, so satisfying I can’t imagine not ordering them every time.

The baked mussels, served in their shell, were plump (not the usual scrawny ones), juicy, flavorful, with spicy mayo baked in, then coated with a tangy eel sauce and topped with green onions. Also a very worthy future appetizer choice.

The first two starters were a big hit. Same for the Züm salad ($13.95), with spring mix, seaweed salad, mixed fish and sesame dressing. A lighter choice that could even make a complete meal, the salad feels like a find.

As we were enjoying the appetizers our three entree choices were made. Mine was easy. Any dish that is named after the establishment (chef/owner Chris Choi’s nickname) is a dish that should be tried. It worked with the salad. So I ordered the Züm Züm sushi roll ($14), the priciest special roll on the menu. Tuna, salmon, yellow tail and cucumber, topped with rice crackers, unagi sauce, spicy mayo, tobiko and green onion. My mouth is still feeling the aftershocks of the explosive flavors and textures.

More fireworks ensued with the flavorful and fish-abundant Seaside roll ($13) – baby lobster, avocado, cucumber and lemon inside; topped with tuna, salmon hamachi and avocado. Rounding out the feast was the beautifully plated and supremely fresh hamachi, aka yellowtail, ($5.50) and unagi, aka eel, ($5.95) sashimi, specially made for us. (Later I learned unagi is unsustainably fished, so I won’t be ordering it again. Here’s hoping Züm evolves its own consciousness.)

Another pleasant surprise: the familiar face of our very able and eager-to-please server Pat, who served me dozens of times over the years in the same dining room of the place’s former incarnation.

Good sushi always starts with fresh, well selected, high quality ingredients. It’s a must. But there are other things that separate a great sushi place from a good one. Creative combinations of tastes and textures with an eye for artistic flair. Moist, sticky rice. Real wasabi ($2.50 upon request at Züm) as opposed to colored horseradish powder. Aesthetically appealing serving vessels and furnishings. Knowledgeable, efficient and friendly servers. Lighting that enhances the beautiful colors and textures of the food. In short, an overall pleasant and comfortable dining experience.

For Züm Sushi, check, check, check, check and check. This is one sushi joint that’s here to stay. Not that I’m going to wait long to go back.

ZÜM SUSHI. 159 Central Ave., Pacific Grove. 11:30am-2:30pm, 5-9:30pm Mon-Thu; 11:30am-2:30pm Fri, 5-10pm; 12:30-10pm Sat. Closed Sunday. 372-8700.