Dawa Sushi and Ramen — Restaurant in Philadelphia

I recently had the misfortune of trying what can only be described as a sushi nightmare at a local restaurant. The culinary experience was nothing short of a catastrophe.

Firstly, the rice was oddly sticky and tasteless, resembling a glob of glue rather than the delicate and flavorful base that sushi rice should be. It was like trying to chew through a ball of flavorless gum with each bite.

Moving on to the fish, the sashimi was a textural disaster. I couldn't help but feel like I was consuming a rubbery ocean eraser rather than fresh, melt-in-your-mouth delicacies. The fishy aftertaste lingered unpleasantly, making me question the freshness of the ingredients.

It was as if the chef raided the refrigerator in a state of desperation. The flavor clash was overwhelming and left me questioning the sanity of the person behind this creation.

To add insult to injury, the wasabi was so potent that it felt like a fiery assault on my taste buds. I appreciate a bit of heat, but this was a nuclear explosion of spice that completely overwhelmed any hope of enjoying the sushi.

In conclusion, this sushi experience was nothing short of a culinary disaster. I wouldn't wish this upon my worst enemy, and I certainly won't be returning to that establishment anytime soon. Save your taste buds and seek out a more reputable sushi joint for a truly enjoyable...

It was a last minute decision to come here and I could see why my friend was so excited. He's been here many time but the rest of us haven't.

We started off with: TUNA GUAC $16 (avocado mash, fresh wasabi, extra virgin olive oil, lotus chip) ohhh after re-reading the ingredients, makes sense why the chips were so crispy! We thought it was seaweed. The extra crunch was really nice. A great start to the meal.

CRISPY RICE $14 (bluefin tuna, creamy tobanjan, pickled serrano peppers) mustttt try! This reminded me of the Chinese sticky rice we eat during one of the holidays but it didn't stick to my teeth which was nice. The contrast of savory, warm, and crispiness from the rice with the cooler, creamy texture of the sushi was perfect.

For our main we got a couple rolls: AVOCADO TUNA ROLL AVOCADO SALMON ROLL YELLOWTAIL ROLL BRAISED PORK BAO $10 ROASTED DUCK BAO $10

All the maki were really good with a big chunk of fish with thin layer of rice.

The baos came two per order. The pork was a good size chunk with and a bit fatty. Both had a sweet sauce that I would have preferred a little less of but otherwise, they were good.

Finally, BYOB &...

The best sushi I have had. Period. And my all time favorite sushi restaurant. One of the greatest hidden gems of Philadephia!

I've had sushi in Japan, South Korea, and all across the tristate area, and recently in Hawaii and Dawa still stays at the top. There are other places in NYC/DC/LA that serve flashy omakase, but they usually charge the equivalent of a down payment on a Rav4 for a single meal. Dawa offers world-class sushi and sashimi for a reasonable price.

Everything from the freshness of the fish, the clean aroma, the temperature of the nigiri, the texture and mouthfeel of the rice grains that are expertly molded, is great. Even the house blend soy sauce has a subtle but noticeable unctuous punch. It's incredible to experience how much the chef cares about creating an incredible culinary experience. I get the chef's special every time I eat at Dawa, and look forward to trying out their Omakase soon.

Though I usually focus on sushi when I eat at Dawa, I've tried their ramen, buns, and tempura and it was tasty! For anyone who wants to try some of the best sushi ever made by an incredible chef, I highly recommend Dawa!

Thank you...