By Denise Ortuno
Get your sushi fix the Cabo Way at Joe’s Sushi in Bermuda Dunes, where east meets west for innovative and delicious sushi creations.
The two seats at the sushi bar were quickly occupied by our sushi craving appetites. It had been some time since my boyfriend and I had stopped by the Bermuda Dunes sushi spot, and decided that it had been long enough. Some things looked different at Joe’s. The mural featuring a quaint Japanese village behind the sushi bar had replaced the shelving that once hung on it, and there was a rather awesome floor to ceiling photo of Cabo San Lucas on the opposite side of the room. Fitting visuals for the fusion sushi. The sushi style at Joe’s infuses traditional sushi with the zest and spice of Cabo, a flavor that is reflected in their specialty items with the introduction of different chili’s, and the all-around kick back vibe at Joe’s.
Although the décor had been mildly altered, the super friendly service and delectable sushi dishes had not. We started out with our usual go to sushi routine, “One large Sapporo and a large sake with two glasses please,” we asked politely. After the essentials were ordered, we zeroed in on the food. My food memory kicked in to what I had enjoyed there in the past, it was their Che Che’s, deep fried Yellow Peppers stuffed with a Crab mix and topped with a Ginger dressing. While the Che Che’s were frying, my boyfriend went traditional with an order of Hamachi, Salmon and Unagi sushi. Sushi Chef Carlos engaged in conversation with us as he magically sliced and assembled our seafood candy.
The fish was fresh, smooth and almost buttery, with my fave being the cake like Unagi, which I’ve always considered my sushi dessert. Just as I was licking my chopsticks from the Unagi, there were the Che Che’s. As I bit into the stuffed pepper, I quickly remembered why I remembered them so fondly, yum, yum, yummers! We then went a little rogue, and tried something out of our sushi repertoire. It sounded fun, and with the green light from Chef Carlos, we went for it. The Ova Tostada, comprised of deep fried Ova leaves topped with Spicy Tuna, Crab mix, Avocado, spicy mayo and eel sauce. It turned out to be a delectable decision, and has been added to my fave list. The leaf mimicked a crunchy tortilla, and the heat of the Spicy Tuna was gently calmed by the coolness of the Crab mix, then elevated again with the spicy mayo. It’s sort of like a sushi roller coaster.
At that point we were ready to throw in our chopsticks and call it a night, our fullness no doubt aided by the beers and sake. There were many other dishes that we wanted to try, and that are now on our “to do” sushi list. Must try’s on our next trip will be the Baked Lobster (roll with crab, cucumber and avocado, wrapped in soy paper, topped with baked langostino tails, eel sauce and spicy mayo), Cat City Special (slices of tuna, crab, avocado and shrimp with thin slices of serrano chile with their special dressing), Poke Tower (chopped albacore, salmon, tuna, chunks of mango and avocado, over a base of seaweed smothered with spicy sesame oil and special dressing) and for closers, a couple of Spoon Shooter’s (quail egg, smelt egg, green onion, Ebi shrimp and special mustard dressing).
Joe’s has many, many more specialty rolls, as well as noodle dishes, and traditional tempura and teriyaki. They even have an All You Can eat sushi deal for $29.95 before 6pm. The prices are moderate at Joe’s, which is saying something when talking about sushi. Meaning you can stop in for sushi more often than not, even if you’re on a budget.
I’m super happy that we stopped by Joe’s Sushi. With its tasty and fun sushi creations, inviting service and relaxed ambience, we will definitely be making the Cabo Way our way again soon!
Joe’s Sushi is located at 40-100 Washington St. #131, Bermuda Dunes, CA 92203
For more information visit www.sushithecaboway.com
