Ola Uruguay Real Estate and Investments

Recently an expat friend of mine posted on Facebook, “I’m in the mood for sushi, spare ribs, Thai food, even spicy Mexican food will do! PLEASE I CANNOT EAT ANOTHER MILANESA!!!” I quickly wrote to him to say that I was doing a piece about sushi for Ola, and that he needn’t fear—sushi could be his at the touch of a dial.

That said, let’s start with an acknowledgment. I am quite the fan of sushi, but I recognize that it is a food that divides people. I can understand those in the “don’t like it” camp. Sushi can be intimidating to order, and squishy to eat. But it’s worth a try if you haven’t. And if the lingo scares you, let’s define a few basic terms up front:

As an expat coming from Seattle, I had grown accustomed to eating great sushi relatively often, and for relatively cheap. Moving to Uruguay was a bit of a shock in that sushi is considered somewhat fashionable and thus came with a retail price tag. Still, when I moved to Montevideo I sought out whatever sushi joints I could find.

Fortunately for me (but not for my pocketbook) two of the “best” places were within walking distance of my house. Both are notably pricey. One, Sumi, remains a favorite, while the other, Francis, was sort of a let-down (in regards to its sushi, not it’s other cuisine).

Here are two of my favorite delivery services along with my favorite sit-down option.

Sushi GO—Sushi for All

As I said, sushi in Montevideo can be expensive. Up until now, you would have been hard pressed to find good sushi at an accessible and affordable price. However, two young entrepreneurs, Diego Charlone and Rodrigo Vera are trying to change that. Their company, Sushi Go, offers “high quality fresh sushi takeout, made to order, at a reasonable price, delivered to your doorstep without outrageous delays.” Talking with Diego, he told me that his team wanted to transform sushi, which has until now been considered exclusive, into something more popular. “We said to ourselves, why in Uruguay, can’t sushi be for everyone?” I couldn’t agree more.

The day I read about Sushi GO, I ordered it. Given that it is considerably cheaper than my previous sushi-delivery-service of choice, Sumi, I was slightly dubious. However, I was not disappointed. The menu is varied and offers rolls without cream cheese, which is how I take my sushi. They have more traditional options, as well as an entire menu of playful combinations named after TV shows. I opted for salmon sashimi and a salmon-avocado roll. My only complaint was the sushi rice was a bit dry; not quite as sticky as I prefer. A great option for people who like to order-in sushi regularly.

Sushi Go, Pagola 3246 (between Berro and 26 de marzo), Tel. 708-55-80; website: http://sushigo.com.uy.

Sumi Sushi

I am not going to deny that Sumi has incredible sushi. It is just that Sumi’s sushi is also incredibly expensive. Whenever my friend and I feel like Sumi we joke, “do I really want to spend a week’s worth of grocery money on 16 pieces of sushi?” That said their salmon sashimi is perfectly firm, and perfectly sliced. It is nearly, what I call, “two-bite” sashimi. They also have an adorably small sitting area (as in, four barstools), where a group of friends can share an evening enjoying Japanese beers and as many nigiris as your paycheck can allow. To repeat: the sushi is excellent, just pricey. Eat there or call for delivery, and enjoy your maki at home.

Sumi Sushi, Patria 699 (in Punta Carretas), Telephone: 7107913, www.sumidelivery.com.

Kokoro

I went to Kokoro right after it opened. Consequently, my North American friend Cory and I were the only ones in the restaurant. This also had to do with the fact that we were eating at our maintained North American time schedule, which is when most people are having an afternoon tea. The food, we would come to see, was certainly not the reason we were eating alone. I have tried other sit-down options including Café Misterio, Bar 62, and Francis. By far Kokoro was the best of them all: excellent in all respects. Kokora serves up what they call, and what I felt was, an authentic experience. The decor was minimal and almost somber; the food well plated. From the lofted second-floor seating, we could see the sushi chef preparing our choices. I always like that. The service was excellent, which isn’t always the case when dining out in Montevideo. To supplement your sushi, the menu also offers dishes like arroz con huevo y camarones (rice with egg and shrimp) and la carne wagyu (beef). Their tempuras are also delicious. For dessert they have ice cream made in-house. Every Monday is Ladies Night at Kokoro, so females can dine at a 50% discount. Offers take-out service, but not delivery.

Kokoro Restaurante, Libertad 2592 esq. Viejo Pancho (Pocitos), Tel. 706-91-40,  website: www.kokoro.com.uy.

For readers living in Uruguay, feel free to comment and give me your tips. I am always eager to hear from other sushi-lovers who know where to find a fish fix when it’s needed.