Being raised in the desert of New Mexico, sushi was neither common nor advisable (raw fish in the desert? No thanks). I must have been 12 years old the first time I came to California and tried it—a day that decorated my culinary experience with a whole new world of flavors that both ravish and delight. 

As we all know, food and family go hand in hand, which is why I’ve always loved to see family-owned restaurants with a strong cultural identity sprout in our communities. From a restaurateurial history going all the way back to their Korean roots, the Yoon family has brought sushi lovers something to get excited about.

Stemming from a passion for fishing, Andy Yoon opened his first restaurant in Korea before finding his way to the California coast. Since then, he has created three restaurants across the state, and his newly opened Nara Sushi brings his passion, creativity, and 22 years of sushi expertise to Folsom.

From first glance, it’s exactly what you would expect from a sushi restaurant: elegant and uncluttered with a natural feel. The stylistic focus on simplicity, or wabi-sabi in Japanese, is nicely represented in the family-owned environs.

After perusing the large menu, Terry, the owner’s son, quickly came to take our order. We chose water in lieu of their beer and sake selections, along with an order of oysters and, my absolute favorite, uni. Uni, or sea urchin, is considered a delicacy that is typically either loved or loathed. While it may be an acquired taste, its buttery texture and strong ocean flavor makes my soul rejoice with every bite. I will say, compared to other sushi restaurants, the uni here was significantly more expensive and may not be the uni-verse of Folsom (see what I did there?), but was even more mouthwatering than anticipated.

We then ordered three rolls to split between two. The spicy tuna, salmon, and shrimp-topped Nara Special Roll was fresh, delicately textured (not chewy), and well wrapped—precisely what we were looking for.

The Dynamite Roll was a “blast” of both flavors and textures. Baked and topped with a pile of fish and spicy sauce, the flavors exploded in our mouths and the textures melded together beautifully.

Then, the showstopper arrived: the Hawaiian Volcano. Delivered to our table in a bed of flames (literal fire), topped with baked salmon and eel sauce, and filled with soft-shell crab, cream cheese, and shrimp tempura, it was an unexpected (and delicious) spectacle to behold.

When it comes to sushi, we all have certain standards. Freshness, cleanliness, presentation, and flavors all must be right to be worth it. Nara delivered on all accounts, and the personalized and family-inspired warmth made it worthy of an evening out in Folsom.

Hours: 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday); 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. (Friday-Saturday); noon-9 p.m. (Sunday); closed Tuesday

TRY THIS: Fire Cracker, Curry Rice, Tempura Udon, Nara Special Roll, Dynamite Roll, Hawaiian Volcano Roll, Uni, Rainbow Mochi Ice Cream

DRINKS: Beer, wine, & sake

TAB: $$

HEADS-UP: Online ordering; reservations accepted; patio dining; kids’ menu; party platters; several low-carb and vegetarian rolls; lunch specials

Photos by Taylor Gillespie © and wholly owned by Style Media Group—please don’t steal our copyrighted photos. For more information about our editorial photos, please click here to contact us https://www.stylemg.com/pages/contact-us

 

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