Sushi is served family style. It is meant to be shared, our waiter instructs…

This evening turns out to be quite educational, and this is lesson number one. Keeping this information in mind, my group of friends and I bury our heads in our menus. We are eager to discover the offerings of Dave’s Sushi, Bozeman’s long established sushi eatery.

For the uninitiated, the menu can seem overwhelming. Words such as “temaki” (a cone shaped sushi roll) and “ikura” (salmon roe) are exotic sounding, and unfamiliar to the amateur sushi diner. Thankfully, the staff at Dave’s is very helpful and knowledgeable. Our server answered our many questions without hesitation, and successfully guided us through the menu.

Shortly after taking our seats, questions of spirits arise, as well they should. Discussions ensue, advice is given, ignored, taken. Decisions are made. Orders are placed. We finally opt for a sweet plum sake, the “Takara Plum”. The sake comes in two sizes, small and large, and we go big. Even so, there are enough of us that we each only get a taste. We love the sweet chilled nectar-like liquid, and almost immediately order another round. Our own spirits are high, and they remain so as our parade of food begins to arrive.
Appetizers first. We all dig our chopsticks into Dave’s Shrimp Noodle Bowl. All the noodle bowls at Dave’s use Yaki Soba noodles, which are made from wheat flour (as opposed to traditional buckwheat Soba noodles), and are coated in ginger, soy, and sesame sauce. Cooked shrimp get tossed about as chop sticks wage war in my noodle bowl. Everybody wants a taste – and another.

Next to the noodles sits a plate of Crab & Cream Cheese Wontons. The filling is almost unbelievably smooth inside the crunchy fried wonton wrappers. Crab is blended with cream cheese to form a seamless, melt-in-your-mouth filling.

Between goes at these fried crab pockets and the chewy, flavorful noodles, we snack on Edamame, green soybeans in their pods. I roundly pop the beans out of their shells straight into my mouth, and deposit the pod into the empty bowl the waiter places on the table. One bowl for the fresh, vibrantly green untouched pods, one for the shells after we have stolen their treasure. Squeeze the end of the pod, and the beans slide out of their shells smoothly. It is both a tactile and tasty pleasure.

Next our Sashimi arrives. Sashimi is raw fish or meat, served very fresh. “Naked Fish”, the menu explains. Traditionally it is served at the beginning of a meal so that the subtle flavors of the fish are not masked by spices or other strong flavors that may make up the rest of the meal. There are three options at Dave’s – Ahi Tuna, Yellowtail, and Salmon – as well as a combo platter. We feast on the Ahi Tuna. The fish is fresh, as it is in all the other fish dishes we taste. This is a feat here in landlocked Montana.

Hot on its heels comes the first of our sushi rolls. Flavors and texture both play major roles in the sushi experience. We sample three rolls, each of which are unique and flavorful. The “Philly Skin” features crispy fried salmon skin, along with cream cheese, green onion, avocado, and cucumber. The flavors are mild and refreshing. The salmon skin acts as a savory potato chip – crispy and full of salty flavor. It is the perfect counterpart to the rest of the ingredients. (Sour cream and onion chips, anyone?) This roll is my personal favorite, but the choice is difficult.

The Rainbow roll – filled with crab, avocado, and cucumber, and wrapped in Ahi Tuna, Yellowtail, and Salmon – is a more traditional roll. The raw fish on the outside is beautifully textured. The meat fairly melts in your mouth, and for someone skeptical of the whole raw fish idea, a couple pieces of this mildly flavored trio might just change their mind. It tastes light, fresh, and unadulterated.

Tradition flirts with innovation here at Dave’s. The menu is scattered with fun twists that may make you look twice. (See the “Fried Chicken Roll”. “Yes, we’re serious!”, says the menu). Many rolls have funny, tongue-in-cheek names. The “Bubba Gump” (plenty of shrimp and crawfish) and “Green Eggs & Ham” (green onions, avocado, and flying fish roe with wasabi) are good for a smile without sacrificing quality.

Lingering over beers, I survey my surroundings. The room is small and cheery, and there is a quiet mix of voices talking and laughing. The vibe is college town – artsy, casual, and cheery. The scene is fluid – people come and go, stopping by tables and greeting each other. Bozeman may have grown over recent years, but at heart it is still a small town. I see many friends, acquaintances, and coworkers greet each other warmly.

One of the amazing things about sushi is that I don’t feel overstuffed after a meal. Even when I overindulge, as I am sure to do at Dave’s, I feel light in spirit, and light on my feet. Missing is the sluggish feeling – the overfull, overtired lull after a meal. Gone are the trans fats, the grease, the guilt. Energized, fueled, refreshingly unencumbered, we prepare to leave.

This evening has been made up of pilfered bites of Japanese cuisine, shared from the bowls and plates that beautifully clutter the table. I have only tasted a fraction of the menu, and I will certainly make many return trips to Bozeman’s very own sushi mecca.

A Bozeman native, Chelsea Hunt has witnessed an explosion of good food in the valley in recent years. Reading about, writing about, and eating good food make her happy.