Sharing Sushi
Abhi Eatery and Bar in Mountain Brook is where we roll.
By Jan Walsh
Abhi Eatery and Bar has two locations, The Summit and Mountain Brook Village. The menus vary by location. And we love both! The Summit location is open on Sundays for lunch, which gives us a weekly option to dine in or carry out. And both restaurants are open nightly for dinner.
Tonight, we dine at the Mountain Brook location with Jordan. I am delighted to have one of my two sushi loving sons with us because Kev is not yet a convert. Thus, when dining at Abhi, I tend to order other amazing dishes with Kev. But tonight, I plan to share sushi with my son.
There is a reason why “Bar” is in the name of this restaurant. So, we begin with a Hana Awaka Sparkling Peach Sake, and handcrafted cocktails of Mississippi Summers and Bittersweet Symphony. Our drinks are paired with a feast of starters: Seared Tuna, Shanghai Pork Belly, Coconut Curry Soup, Udon Noodles, and Pan Seared Momos. The tuna is bright, beautiful, melts in the mouth and is enhanced by the jalapenos’ heat and a salty, sweet and bitter sour calamansi ponzu for dipping. Think tuna roll with the rice.
The meaty pork skewer is not too fatty and is made more marvelous by its sensational honey sriracha sauce. The soup is light in body and rich in flavor, a lovely balance of coconut and curry, with nibbles of scallions that provide texture and a mild onion flavor. Ribbons of plump, comforting noodles, in peanut sauce, intertwine among and atop each other. Like pulling on a ball of yarn, we lift them up and onto our plates to share. And the family favorite, momos are always a must. These delicious and delicate, house made Nepalese dumplings are filled with turkey and served with Alabama Tomato Vinaigrette. Abhi’s condiments and sauces are the crowning jewels of his cuisine. The rarity and quality of the products and ingredients, along with the time and expertise Abhi employs creating them are evident in every bite.
For entrees, Jordan goes for the heat with the Fire Roll. Kev opts out of sushi and orders Khao Soi, at my suggestion, although I have never had it. Smile. And I have the Blazer Roll in honor of Jordan and my alma mater, UAB. Jordan’s incredible roll is an encircling of spicy tuna, avocado, cucumber, and is topped with fresh tuna, avocado, Abhi Aioli and sriracha. Kev’s bowl of Northern Thai curry is a contagious dish, filled with egg noodles, pickled mustard greens, onions and cilantro, chicken, and topped with crispy fried noodles. So he shares a taste of this comfort with us as he sees our envious stares watching the steam and getting a whiff of the complex aromas rising from the dish. Highly recommended! I will be ordering this next time. His generosity gives me an opportunity to pop a Blazer Roll in his mouth in exchange. He loves it! And just like that I have a hubby to share sushi with going forward. And what is not to love? Succulent crab, avocado, cucumber are wrapped in rice, topped with avocado and Abhi Aioli. Highly recommended for sushi virgins.
Although we have had more than plenty, we are on a roll. So, we opt for two desserts to share, a creamy UBE: Purple Yam Ice Cream and Nutella Banana Eggroll in wonton wrapper, fried and topped with chocolate syrup, cinnamon sugar and house made whipped cream. And we roll out of here on a sweet note.
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