Nineteen New “Simple Sushi” Selections at the Noodle House
By Lee Leffler
Printed in the August 2009 issue of the Iowa Source.
When I originally wrote “Savoring Sushi” in the Iowa Source 11 years ago, three restaurants offered a limited selection of sushi, all similar. Since then, the Ten-Ten has closed and Bonnie’s China Deli is now the Second Street Cafe with just one style: ginger sushi. The Noodle House’s two sushi selections have been staples in Fairfield for the last 13 years: imitation crab sushi and avocado sushi wrapped in toasted green nori (seaweed).
Sushi Maker Aron Zaragoza In June, The Noodle House debuted their new offerings, Simple Sushi: 16 types of Maki sushi and three Nigiri sushi selections.
On a recent visit to the Noodle House, a hush fell over the table as Noodle House cook Aron Zaragoza lowered a tray containing a white rice roll (about the size of a paper towel tube, but thicker) dotted with orange roe, smothered in stripes of spicy mayo, topped with a mountain range of crab salad. I pulled out one of the eight generous two-bite pieces to find an internal strip of green nori and a stuffing of spicy cooked Ahi tuna (shipped fresh from the West Coast), thick deep-fried tempura shrimp the size of a short cigar, white cream cheese, green asparagus, shredded carrots and zesty green onions.
“Appearance is everything,” said Zaragoza. “It starts with having the right atmosphere to bring people in. Then the food has to look amazing. Try it,” encouraged the sushi chef.
