Wasabi Bay - Mill Creek Food Review

**NOTE:  This review is about the consumption of raw fish.  Consuming raw or undercooked meat, poultry, seafood, shellfish and eggs may increase the risk of food borne related illness.**

Since I moved back home two years ago, my mom and I have tried only a couple of sushi restaurants in the South Everett/Snohomish/Bothell/Mill Creek area.  When it comes to consuming raw fish, you must be very picky.  You want clean dishes, glasses and silverware waiting at the table (if the restaurant has pre-set tables).  While some types of fish have a more fishy TASTE it should not have a fishy SMELL.  There should NEVER be a fishy smell.  This is an indication that the fish is old and bad.  Do not consume and send back immediately.  Sushi chef's are not just chef's specializing in raw fish and California Rolls, they are artists.  That is why the best sushi joints are going to be a little pricey.  Knowing that I am going to spend a decent amount of money, I want a cozy and comfortable atmosphere.  Friendly staff is also a must.

Of the few places that we have been to, the only place that has had our very repeated business is Wasabi Bay in Mill Creek, WA.  The first time we went, we were blown away.  Their miso soup is always amazing.  I have said it at least a hundred times but I could and would bathe in that soup!  It is truly the greatest miso soup I have ever tasted and I have had it at sushi restaurants all over the country and I stand by my comment!

We started out with the foods that we knew we liked.  Their Spicy Tuna roll is a must...and if we don't get that one then we usually get the Firehouse roll.  It's basically a churched up Spicy Tuna roll with a bunch of extra spicy stuff and OMG it is amazing!  We would try at least one new roll each time we went and keep either one or two of our usual rolls.

Now a couple of months ago, the restaurant came under new management.  You know how these things can go, right?  Well, while they replaced the sushi chefs and all but two of the wait staff (keeping our two favorite waitresses), this place is BETTER THAN EVER!  We got a free appetizer of this delicious octopus salad.  The chef was explaining textures and tastes and the new changes to their menu.  Their tempura batter is made using spinach juice that they make in house and use it in place of water so it is healthier.  Their sushi rice has a slight pink tint to it because they juice red cabbage.  They have completely revamped their menu.  They have taken away some of the rolls that they used to have but they have been replaced with some truly amazing rolls!

The atmosphere is still warm and comforting and the staff is as friendly as ever.  The place is spacious and with the floor to ceiling windows it is bright and open.  The only down side is that the bathroom is a little bit of a hike.  I have not actually made the trek.

I really wanted to post pictures of their food but I discovered that I have three on my phone and do not want to post random pics from Google because I cannot give the appropriate credit.  I will, however, be going back and soon and will take plenty of pictures!

THE BIGGEST NEWS is that they are now open 7 DAYS A WEEK!!!  We can enjoy great sushi any day that we want!  They used to be closed on Mondays but not anymore.  So if you ever find yourself north of Seattle with a craving for sushi, try Wasabi Bay.  Tell Mina that I sent you!

Until next time!

Bacon Brownies?!?

 I have been procrastinating...not on purpose or anything...I did not have these pictures on my camera but on my phone.  It was a matter of figuring out how to email them from my phone to my email account and then saving them in a form that I can upload.  So here is the skinny!  Pictured with me in these six pictures is my friend Nick.  Nick is the bus driver for skydive.  Our friendship came about this past winter when his bus needed a jump start every day!  We bonded in those 15 minutes that the jumper cables were attached to the battery and that is when we discovered our mutual love for BACON!!!

I am talking bacon as in breakfast food...made from pork!   Anything bacon related on Facebook, I share with him and vice versa.  I decided to start experimenting!  I decided to make bacon brownies.  We were toying around with different ideas of what we can make that includes bacon.  That is where bacon brownies came from.  I did not want to use just any kind of bacon and I remembered watching Kelsey's Essentials on the Cooking Channel.  She made candied bacon to put on top of deviled eggs so I got on the website and found the recipe (which now you can find here).

I did not have time to make the brownies from scratch so I used a box mix that came with a package of frosting.  Now I am a no frosting on my brownie kind of girl but I made an exception for this.  I chopped up half of the bacon and sprinkled it onto the brownie mix once I put it in the pan.  I diced up the rest and mixed it into the frosting.

 Before even trying these brownies I decided that next time I am using bacon not as thick (even though the recipe calls for thick-cut) and let it cook a little longer to get a little more crispy.  I am going to dice up the bacon into a lot smaller pieces and possibly mix it into the batter and I will buy a thing of frosting because I ran out.  These pictures are the first pictures taken of the bacon brownie experience.

The first picture is us toasting away our bacon brownie virginity!  The second picture is our first bite.  The third picture is us contemplating the greatness of the bacon and the brownie.  The fourth picture is us falling in love with the marriage of the bacon brownie.  The fifth picture is a missed attempt at a high five...and that is where the sixth and final picture comes from!