Sansei…last dinner on the Big Island

Sansei is a family style Asian/sushi restaurant.  The food comes out really quick.  Almost as quick as ordering Chinese food to be delivered in NYC.  I swear they can feel you calling and know what you are going to order based on how quick they come.  It is frightening. 

We decided to go with the flow and order some of the specialties as long as garlic wasn’t part of it.  As a whole, the food is not bad but don’t go for the ambiance, there is none.  A big huge overly lit fern barn. 

First thing up was the special mango crab roll which is wrapped in lettuce and served with a spicy Thai sauce.  It was quite good and creative.  We ordered another one after we polished off our first round.  Wasn’t as good the second time.  You know how that is.  We also had the butter fish which was excellent.  First time we ever had butter fish was in South Africa.  Very rich white fish that they had marinated in miso and grilled.  Delicious.  We ordered a second one which was still a hit on round two.  Seaweed salad was served in a martini glass – classic simple and light.  The special of the night was carpaccio hamachi with a slice of spicy red pepper on top served in a ponzu sauce but under each piece of fish was a mayonnaise glob which was so not necessary and didn’t come off so easily.  Thumbs down on that.   Had a few classics, eel roll and yellow tail roll.  The fish was fresh and tasty.  I actually tossed in when nobody was looking a spicy crab roll just to try and I would pass on that next time around.

As a whole, the food was OK and the place was comical.  There are a few Sansei’s throughout Hawaii.  Think Italian family style but Asian food instead.