When you turn off McMullen Booth Road and head toward the middle of the shopping center that houses Clearwater’s Volcano Japanese Cuisine, you may not be prepared for the visual assault of colorful dishes that meet your glance.
Indeed, the length of the restaurant’s storefront is a triumph of American advertising filtered through a Japanese lens. Huge food photos fill the bottom third of the windows pleading, “Come inside and try me!” It’s not until you enter the restaurant that Madison Avenue excess yields to Zen restraint.
Vincent Wang’s menu, like that of many Asian food establishments, is ridiculously broad with 25 special sushi rolls, sashimi, tempura, teriyaki, udon noodles and an $11 bento-box lunch. He also offers three sizes of party trays if you just can’t get enough.
Miso soup with tofu, scallion and seaweed is a nice way to begin. The broth is satisfying, and the garnishes add extra textures and a punch of flavor. The green salad arrives iceberg simple, but the ginger dressing adds a pleasant sweet and sour tang. One of these two is included with most entree options.
The appetizer choices run the gamut from spring rolls to edamame, chicken skewers to soft-shell crab. We are seduced by a yummy shrimp shumai starter, featuring steamed shellfish dumplings that are full of briny flavor and have a lovely soft texture. They contrast nicely with textbook vegetable tempura. The lightly battered deep-fried onions, sweet potato and squash are crisp and fresh. I particularly enjoy the sweet potato, where sugars come alive; the lush interior juxtaposed with the crunchy, grease-free coating is a joy to eat.
The Jumbo Sushi entree is the real star of the evening, though. It’s a visual stunner topping a long, long rectangular, shiny white plate, which rests along the table like a stretch limo. The flawlessly cut slices of fish preen like pop stars. There’s real expertise involved in getting nigiri right. The sushi chef must cut to minimize the strand length of a fillet’s connective tissues, while at the same time slicing the fish in such a way that it forms a slight concave shape, wrapping perfectly around the oblong base of acidulated pressed rice.
What sounds simple takes lots of practice. And the end result — glistening slices of beautifully prepared fish sitting proudly side by side in a row of skillfully prepared nigiri — is akin to a work of art. Perfect deep pink tuna yields to coral-toned salmon run through with lateral lines of white fat rich in omega-3s. Firm, meaty off-white yellowtail sits adjacent to unagi, the succulent freshwater eel with a golden glow.
Capping the presentation are the colorful California roll pieces, with cucumber, avocado and crab peeking out from the nori wrapper surrounded by rice. They’re gracefully stacked on a martini glass stuffed with what appears to be micro-shredded daikon, which tumbles over the lip like Easter basket grass but engulfs twinkling Christmas lights that set the crystal aglow. It’s a striking display, and even more lovely to eat.
Less interesting is the hibachi chicken and shrimp combo. The ingredients are fresh, yet there’s nothing distinctive about either protein, and the crisp mixed veggies are coated in excessive sauce that undermines their individual flavors. The fried rice, while flecked with bits of carrot and scallions, is surprisingly bland, given the popping tastes from the rest of the menu.
Nevertheless, you’ve got many ways to go. The restaurant carries a spectrum of proteins to suit your fancy, whether it’s tofu or filet mignon, scallops, pork or salmon. There’s even Asian fusion driven by basil and mango. Still, it’s hard to turn away from the lovingly crafted sushi.
The dessert menu offers tempura versions of ice cream or cheesecake, and it would be a shame to miss the green tea mochi ice cream — it’s absolutely delightful. The glutinous mochi rice wrapper encapsulates the pleasantly grassy flavors of the matcha green tea. Adding to the visual appeal and overall taste, the quartet of tiny mochi-wrapped balls are split on top and crowned with a dollop of cream alongside a sweet bright red maraschino cherry. It’s the perfect way to end your meal and exit with a smile into the summer air.
Jon Palmer Claridge dines anonymously when reviewing. Check out the explanation of his rating system.
