My first confession is that I visited Maru Iyagi, not once, but twice in 2 days because I was so impressed with their sushi. My second confession is that I don't have any pictures because I devoured my sushi upon receiving it both times. I think maybe I would have remembered if I dined in, but it was for takeout both times. In Hendersonville & Gallatin, I've tried several sushi-specialty restaurants and restaurants that serve sushi but none "wow'd" me like Maru Iyagi.
The staff are very nice. I tried ordering online but I wasn't familiar with their menu, so I ended up just ordering to-go, in-person. They were accommodating and answered all my questions, even gave me suggestions.
Between my two visits, I ordered 7 maki rolls and ginger salads. They even recognized me the second time.
The ginger salad is OK. Not knocking on Maru Iyagi specifically, but it seems to me all ginger salads have underwhelming flavor. It's like the ginger dressing is watered down. So to deal with that issue on the 2nd order, I just ordered extra dressing because doubling your dressing means more flavor, right?
Now the rolls. On the first order, I ordered these rolls:
Pink Lady
Hurricane
Rainbow
Baja Fresh
On the second order, I ordered these rolls:
Pink Lady
Hurricane
Dragon
Initially, I thought the Pink Lady & Hurricane were my favorites, that is until I tried the Dragon roll. That is my current favorite there.
The Dragon Roll's fish of choice is eel, which isn't my favorite fish but it's the avocado and eel sauce that make it. I'm a big avocado fan, sometimes I eat it straight with just a spoon. The Dragon Roll has so much avocado, each piece is silky & smooth and the eel sauce gives it a nice sweet-soy sauce flavor.
My second favorite is a tie between the Pink Lady Roll & Hurricane Roll. Both are very similar because they both have the same base: spicy crab, cucumber, & avocado. The differences are that the Pink Lady uses yellowtail, scallion, fish roe, and spicy mayo while the Hurricane uses tuna and white sauce. I'm not sure what's in the white sauce, but the flavor profiles are close. I question whether the spicy crab is made with imitation crab or real crab (probably the former), but both rolls are savory, sweet, and creamy.
The Baja Fresh would be up there at #2 but it's spicy. I love spicy food and although I enjoyed it, it wrecked me 2 days later. I don't think it's so much the jalapeno slices but the chili sauce that did me in. The jalapeno slices & cilantro give it a fresh flavor with a crunch.
Lastly, my least favorite was Rainbow. Nothing against this roll flavor-wise, but more price-wise. It's a variety crab/cucumber/avocado roll that alternates tuna, salmon, white fish, and shrimp. This roll is 10.95$. A plain Spicy Tuna or Salmon roll is $6.95. Despite alternating the protein here, I doubt crab/cucumber/avocado is worth the $4 upcharge.
Currently Maru Iyagi holds the crown for best sushi in the area. It's not as fancy as the places down in Nashville but it's delicious, it's fresh, and it hits the spot. read more