Little Tokyo Restaurant

876 Avery Blvd. Ridgeland MS 39157
Tel: 601-991-3800
Fax: 601-991-3879
http://www.littletokyoms.com/index.html
Map

Highly Recommended

I have had the opportunity to eat a lot of sushi in my travels. Some of it has been extraordinary and sophisticated, some of it has been casual and fun, Little Tokyo in Jackson is a wonderful combination of both. To be honest I was surprised when I stumbled across the place while looking for a wash-and-fold laundromat. Located in a small strip mall (called the Promenade)behind a bagel place I would not have even noticed it if I hadn't thought it odd for sushi to be in Mississippi.

Several days later, after eating surprisingly excellent St.Louis style ribs from an Exxon Station just off of highway 55, I decided I needed a break from pork and pork by-products and went back to Little Tokyo. My expectations were low so as not to be disappointed, but to my surprise the menu was exciting and quite unusual. I pulled a couple of friends together and we went for lunch. We started with the appetizer menu; Broiled Yellowtail Kama, Seaweed Salad, Three Bean Roll, Eel Box Sushi, Spicy Grilled Squid, Sashimi Maki Roll and Salmon Skin Maki Roll. All were excellent! Yellowtail Kama is the fatty collar just behind the gills. If you have never ordered it, I highly recommend you do. Fatty and unctuous this cut of fish is delicious. The Three Bean Roll is light and crispy made with fried green beans and edamame with rice wrapped in a soybean wrapper. The Salmon Skin Maki is made from smoked salmon which adds an entirely new dimension to this standard menu item. The Sashimi Maki (made without rice) is cool and refreshing with tuna, yellow tail and salmon with steamed asparagus wrapped in a paper thin cucumber wrapper. The grilled squid, eel box sushi and seaweed salad were all excellent examples of these sushi menu staples. All of the nigiri sushi we ordered were excellent examples of the style. The rice was perfect and the fish top quality.

The restaurant is divided into two dining rooms; one is dedicated to the sushi bar and the other is Teppanyaki. Teppanyaki is food cooked at the table on a large open griddle and served family style. I have not eaten from the teppanyaki dining room but it was full when we were there.

One of the most outstanding things about Little Tokyo is the attention to detail paid to every preparation. Every dish presented as a work of art, beautifully designed and garnished.