Did you know there’s Detroit-style sushi? Neither did I, but it’s a thing, as Detroit Sushi chef Shinya Hirakawa explained to me in a recent history lesson on our region’s rolls. Many of the first sushi chefs to immigrate to the Detroit area around 50 years ago were from Kyoto in western Japan, Hirakawa says. Fish have to be brought to the landlocked Kyoto from the coast about 30 miles away, so in the age before refrigeration and rapid transportation, the product wasn’t quite as fresh.
To account for this, Kyoto’s sushi chefs slightly sweetened their rolls, using a sweeter vinegar and soy sauce than what can be found in saltier counterparts in cities like Tokyo. The upper Midwest palate approves of this subtle-but-important difference, Hirakawa says, and he upholds that tradition at Detroit Sushi. And with a few notable exceptions, the rolls on the menu are fairly straightforward, and sushi to which local tastes are accustomed.
The restaurant is located inside Midtown’s Hammer & Nail, which is focused on craft cocktails, but the Roxbury Group ownership felt it needed a food component that didn’t require an exhaust system. Sushi is about the best one can do for ventless cooking, and it fills as a bit of a gap as there is a dearth of worthwhile sushi in the area.
Hirakawa is a strong pick to helm the operation as a veteran of Royal Oak’s Ronin and Noble Fish in Clawson. In his new position, he is a one-man show — chef, prepper, and dishwasher.
Hirakawa notes his use of higher-quality ingredients, like rice imported from Japan that he cooks in alkaline water to keep it moist. In his excellent Crab California roll, he uses real snow crab instead of the artificial crab meat most shops employ. His soy sauce is higher-end and gluten free, ditto for his sushi vinegar.
Among the best of Detroit Sushi’s roster is the Mexico City Roll with shrimp, pickled jalapeño, cilantro, and avocado, which Hirakawa says is a play on a more common version of the roll made with tuna. It works, with the acidic-salty-sweet components reminiscent of shrimp ceviche in sushi form.
The nigiri is also solid with luscious, full-flavored salmon, and bluefin tuna that is fatty and rich. Detroit Sushi sources fish from True World, which ships its seafood direct to Michigan instead of via Chicago, as is common with many other distributors.
Hirakawa likens his Rainbow Roll’s heft to a Detroit-style pizza one would get at Loui’s in Hazel Park, or a sandwich at Zingerman’s. It’s a big boy at a higher price point ($25) with four kinds of fish rolled with the package. Michiganders appreciate that kind of “fat stack” approach, Hirakawa says, and there’s bang for the buck.
Similarly, among the most popular items is the Roma Roll, which Hirakawa surmises owes to its inclusion of two sauces — mayo and teriyaki. Its hint of smokiness comes from seared tuna across the top, and the roll holds shrimp, avocado, and cucumber that provides some needed crunch. The roll, he notes, was invented at Troy’s Cafe Sushi, sold under a different name at Ronin, and he sees himself upholding a local tradition by including it at Detroit Sushi.
The most pleasant surprise is the Asparagus Truffle Roll, for which Hirakawa uses a truffle soy sauce and truffle powder, which packs a heavy umami punch. The Inside Out Tekka Roll is solid, and the Sunomono salad sings with bouncy wood ear mushrooms, cucumber, and ginger in a sweet sushi vinegar.
Hammer & Nail’s cocktails deserve their own full review, but each is excellent, and the restaurant is about to introduce a happy hour with $5 rolls and Valentine’s Day specials.
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