bcb's Profile
Best sushi in Nashville/Brentwood?
Samurai Sushi on Elliston Place, hands down. Some people dislike the place, but it is the best that I've had in Nashville, and near the top of my list for anywhere in the US.
The owner/chef (Mr. Choo) is Korean, which makes a lot of people think it will be "fake" sushi, but it is wonderful--he is innovative, rather than traditionalist. Samurai always has good fish and they know what they are doing with the rice. I've never tried to order omakase there, but he will frequently make up a dish or put something new on the plate for his regulars...it is worth asking about, at least.
Pairing recommendations?
That's a lot of different (strong) flavors, so picking one beer might be tough. You need beers that are going to stand up to the dishes without wasting your friend's palate. Here are a few beers that I might try:
1) Dogfish Head Golden Era Pilsner - this is a great beer, but might be hard to find (it is brewed seasonally). Most pilsners would taste like water against your menu, but Golden Era is one of the best beers I've had.
If you can't find that, I might go dark with something like a Vienna-style lager. A good one will be light bodied and a little nutty. If you are in the Southeast, you can get a beer called Dos Perros, from Yazoo brewing (Nashville).
2/3) I would want a malty beer for the lamb and cauliflower, like an Alt or Marzen. Bluegrass Brewing has an Altbier that is good, as is the Paulaner Oktoberfest.
This is assuming that tangy/curry does not mean spicy hot. If we are talking spicy, I would go with an American Pale Ale or IPA...see the Bluegrass Pale Ale, Highlands Brewing Kashmir IPA, or either of Russian River's Pliny the ___ (Elder & Younger).
4) I love a porter with chocolate anything...one of the best I've had is Cutthroat Porter, from Odell Brewing.
If you can't get these where you live, check out ratebeer.com to find good alternatives (the site will also let you filter the beers by geography). Sorry for the excessively long answer and good luck with the menu.
