Monday Night at the Musashi Japanese Restaurant

A look at Monday night dinners with my mother and delicious sushi at Musashi!

Musashi Review

This past Monday my mom and I took the time to eat at Musashi for dinner. Usually Monday night dinners consist of takeout at home or home-cooked meals memorably consisting of my whole family frantically running around the kitchen, cooking up the newest recipe. My parents only get Mondays off from work, as Persuasian, the family restaurant, is open the other six days of the week. This leaves Monday night dinners a staple at our home every week, an opportunity to indulge in much needed conversation over a shared meal. However, with my younger sister and father busy with work and school, my mom and I decided to go out for sushi, a food that we both love. We ended up arriving early around 5:30pm when they opened for dinner and were seated very quickly. We were surprised to see other customers already there, probably an indicator of their dedicated customers, eager to order.

We decided to order our entrees straight away; my mom ordered their Sashimi Moriawase (Deluxe), an assorted sashimi platter, and I ordered the Negihama roll (yellowtail and scallion), the Spicy Tuna roll, and the appetizer, Agedashi Tofu (deep fried tofu in a light broth). The service was pretty fast (especially for sushi, which usually takes longer) and all of our food arrived together. After sharing all the food, my mom and I agreed that the Agedashi Tofu was the surprising stand-out of the meal. The tofu was fried lightly, the crisp batter on the outside providing a nice crunchy contrast to the soft, melt-on-your-tongue consistency of the tofu inside. The broth was a combination of soy sauce and ginger, which coated the entire tofu with a light, addicting savory flavor. We would also recommend the Sashimi Moriawase; all of the sashimi was fresh and was perfect when combined with some wasabi and soy sauce. I enjoyed both the Negihama and Spicy Tuna, but the Negihama was my favorite out of the two, with its light, bright (almost spring-like) flavor combination of scallions and yellowtail fish.

1. The Spicy Tuna and Negihama Rolls

2. The Agedashi Tofu Appetizer

3. The Sashimi Moriawase (Deluxe)- Assorted Sashimi Platter

Sushi and its History

Although the Musashi Japanese Restaurant in Charlotte opened in 1998, its roots in traditional Japanese cuisine and even name date back centuries ago. The name, Musashi, might refer to the 1939 Japanese epic novel written by Eiji Yoshikawa, detailing the memorable adventures of legendary Japanese swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi. In real-life, Miyamoto Musashi was renowned for his excellent swordsmanship and infamous life-or-death duels. Knowing the history behind one of the most celebrated samurais in Japan, opened my eyes to the unique relationship that may exist between samurais and sushi. Samurais are an important symbol in Japanese history, relating to the Bushido code and being representatives of discipline, respect, and ethical behavior. Similarly, sushi reflects Japan's cultural values of beauty, profound attention to detail, simplicity, and creativity as an art form. There is a shared sense of perfection and respect that permeates both sushi and samurais, a peculiar combination that mirrors the values of Japanese culture to this day. Finding and pursuing these connections between various significant concepts in a culture can allow you to discover how ideas can relate to one another in surprising, yet profound ways.

My Personal Journey with Sushi

Interestingly enough, when I was younger, I hated sushi. As with most kids, it was difficult to make it past the fishy taste and texture that is unavoidable with all sushi. However, when I reached middle school, my parents made a habit of celebrating our grades by going out to restaurants of different cuisines. In this period of my life, I became very open to trying new things and enjoying the different experiences and tastes of various cultures. During a trip to Florida, I vividly remember my mom dragging us out to a steakhouse and sushi restaurant. While trying one of their rolls on accident, my obsession with sushi sparked somehow. From that moment on, I craved sushi, and we would try many of the sushi restaurants in Charlotte, chasing that same incredible feeling of getting to try unique combinations of fish, rice, and soy sauce. Eating with my mom at Musashi was a reminder of the joys of sharing food with loved ones and the thrill of discovering new foods.

Final Words

To conclude this restaurant review and personal blog, I just can't wait to try some more sushi restaurants in the near future and to continue sharing my fun food adventures with fellow Foodies! Feel free to share any comments of your favorite restaurants, food recommendations, and your experiences with trying new foods. As always, happy eating and don't forget to share your thoughts at charlottefoodiessociety@gmail.com and follow our Instagram, @charlottefoodsociety.