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Dining review: Sushi Alive! does upscale sushi for skeptics

Staff photo by CLIFF McBRIDE

Sushi Alive! in Northdale serves, clockwise from top left, the Red Dragon Alive roll, Sunomono Salad, Volcano roll, Lady Luck roll and Surf 'N' Turf.

By MARY PATRICK | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 16, 2009

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TAMPA - This will hardly come as a surprise to its many regulars, but Sushi Alive! - a fixture in Northdale for years - remains one of North Tampa's must-try restaurants. During our recent visits, it even turned a sushi agnostic into a true believer.

Sushi Alive! sits in a nondescript strip mall at Northdale Boulevard and North Dale Mabry Highway (behind TGI Friday's). Its humble exterior belies the tasty things going on inside.

The ambiance skews upscale, with an Asian-influenced modern metro vibe. Umbrellas suspended from the ceiling diffuse light. Asian art adorns the black walls. A flat-screen television hangs behind the sushi bar, but the sound is turned down. Instead, dance music with a world beat plays quietly.

The place was full both times we visited, although we were seated early on a Saturday night without a reservation. Patrons are mostly adult, and the vast majority are couples or groups of women.

The sushi selection ranges from the classics to the more exotic specialty rolls.

We tried the spicy tuna nigiri, which is two pieces of fresh tuna on rice with atomic aioli, scallion and sesame seeds. It was nothing spectacular but set the tone -- everything we ate on two visits was fresh, and no one ingredient outweighed another.

The classic sushi rolls we enjoyed were the California roll (crab stick, avocado, cucumber and smelt roe) and the Philadelphia roll (smoked salmon, cream cheese, smelt roe and scallion). But in our opinion, the Mexican roll -- tempura shrimp, mayo, avocado and smelt roe -- is perhaps best for a novice.

The specialty rolls are the real treat for your mouth and eyes. The showstopper is the Godzilla Alive roll of tempura shrimp, crab delight, cream cheese, asparagus and fresh jalapeno topped with avocado, eel and atomic aioli. There's a lot going on in this roll, with a variety of flavors and textures and colors, but it works together perfectly.

How good is the Godzilla? After eating the Mexican roll and finding it all right, our sushi-doubting companion ate the Godzilla and became a sushi lover on the spot.

Another good selection is the Caterpillar Alive roll -- crab claw salad, cream cheese, asparagus and tempura chips topped with avocado, eel sauce and spicy mayo. Of all the sushi offerings, this one provided the perfect combo of sweet, savory and crunch.

And for the adventurous or those with a sweet tooth, the Hawaii Five-O roll combines tempura shrimp, cream cheese, sweet potato fries, asparagus topped with mango, avocado and coconut marmalade.

For those who don't necessarily want to try sushi, the restaurant offers both lunch and dinner menus (although if nothing else, this review is attempting to make it clear you should try the sushi).

Among the non-sushi dinners, we enjoyed the sirloin teriyaki dinner, with tender meat and a mix of fresh vegetables. There's a children's menu that includes panko chicken and a teriyaki bowl. Our 8-year-old also enjoyed grilled chicken satay, which came with a heavenly lime peanut dipping sauce.

For appetizers, we tried the steamed edamame (soybeans) tossed in sea salt. Even better was the Rangoon - crispy wanton cups stuffed with a delicious mix of cream cheese, crab and mint. It came with a Thai chili dipping sauce but didn't need it. The bargain is the $3 house salad, a simple but zesty combination of crisp iceberg lettuce and ginger dressing.

Service was attentive but not overbearing, and it was prompt with every request. This is easily one of North Tampa's better date restaurants and -- from what we saw -- a great location for a girls' night out.