Van Shabu

Dorchester’s dining scene just keeps on getting better. We’ve long loved places like Ashmont Grill, dbar, and The Ledge, and Savin Bar + Kitchen has been a more-than-welcome addition to our neighborhood. Not too long ago, through friends, we discovered another new favorite, Van Shabu, a hot pot and sushi bar located on Dorchester Avenue. After a lovely day of boating with Michelle and her fiancé on Saturday, we worked up quite the appetite and decided to head to Van Shabu for dinner.

We decided to share a few starters, including a healthy favorite, seaweed salad.

I was feeling dehydrated and opted for iced green tea instead of alcohol, but I stole a sip of my husband’s Sapporo.

We also grazed on edamame and the Thai spiced wings. The dipping sauce was seriously addictive.

And then the sushi arrived. Van Shabu has the usual sushi offerings, but they also have a pretty extensive menu of creative options.

We chowed down on a bunch of different rolls. I discovered at Haru that I love fruit and fish sushi, and I love that Van Shabu has a variety of fruity options.

Our sushi choices included the New California (fresh crab meat, avocado, cucumber, tempura flake & tobiko), Volcano (new california roll topped w/ spicy baked scallop), the Celtics (spicy white tuna, cucumber & avocado topped w/ wasabi tobiko), and one of the specials of the day, pictured below. I really loved the spicy baked scallop atop the Volcano roll. I could have dined on that alone!

Sushi is one of my perfect summer foods. It’s filling enough to get rid of those hunger pangs, but it also feels so light and fresh. Van Shabu also happens to be one of the few places that deliver to our house, so we are very happy. I will look forward to trying their hot pot options when it gets a little bit cooler out.

Are you a sushi fan?