Tadashi - State College, PA

Date of dining experience: August 4, 2017

Place: Tadashi Japanese Restaurant

Location: 206 W. College Ave. in State College, PA

Appetizer: Shumai ($5) - steamed shrimp dumplings. This was the perfect appetizer to prepare Audry and me for our meal. I would have liked it a little better if there had been a bit more shrimp in the dumplings, but they were still delicious!

Salad: As an accompaniment to our meal, we had some great salads with the always-wonderful ginger dressing.

Entree: From the Omakase menu, Audry and I split the Sushi Sashimi Tasting ($50) - 8 pieces of nigiri, 15 pieces of sashimi, and a chef's special roll.

• The nigiri course included salmon, tuna, sea bass, whitefish, shrimp, scallop, eel tail, and a wonderful piece with salmon roe. This was my first time having salmon roe and I absolutely loved it. Each little egg is full of a deliciously salty liquid that bursts in your mouth. I just wish I had put a little wasabi on it instead of, or maybe in addition to, soy sauce.
• The sashimi course included three pieces each of salmon, tuna, scallop, eel tail, and sea bass. Each piece was perfect. I can't stress enough how much I love good fish. The last piece in this course was a fried shrimp head, which came with it's own special sauce. While there was not a meat to this, the meat that was there was very flavorful. 
• The final course was a chef's special roll. This roll was not on the menu as it was unique to the day and the chef. I'm not even sure exactly what was in it, but I do know it tasted great! It both contained and was topped with a mix of fishes. The roll was topped with masago and a cream sauce. All together, the chef's creation was aesthetically pleasing, appetizing, and delectable. 

Drink: Hot Green Tea ($2) - A delicious accompaniment to any Japanese meal.

Dessert: Mochi Green Tea Ice Cream ($4) - Two balls of always-fantastic green tea ice cream wrapped in dough, served with whipped cream and a cherry.

Tadashi is an absolutely wonderful restaurant, serving authentic Japanese dishes in a small setting where you can see your food being prepared. My favorite part was that they do not have silverware. There are bins of chopsticks on every table. If you don't know how to use them, you should learn! If not, feel free to ask for a fork.

Tadashi is now my go-to restaurant for sushi and sashimi in State College. I'll probably still try other places because I like the adventure of new foods, but I expect Tadashi to be a top choice going forward. If you haven't tried this place yet, you should! Let me know what you think. Enjoy!