Pacific Ring’s sushi not for purists

‘ ‘ Christmas is a time for families to gather around the kitchen table ‘- unless you’re… ‘ ‘ Christmas is a time for families to gather around the kitchen table ‘- unless you’re Jewish. For us, Christmas is all about Chinese food, and this year is no different: Have no fear my Jewish friends, Pittsburgh has something for you. ‘ ‘ ‘ Pacific Ring is located about a block away from the Jewish Community Center on Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill. There’s a sign on its door: ‘Yes, We are open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.’ Saved. ‘ ‘ ‘ But it is not your traditional Asian restaurant. It’s not only Chinese. As you walk in the front door, a small, yet bustling sushi bar stands in front of a trickling fountain. Signs point out that in addition to Dim Sum, a traditional Chinese dumpling brunch, you can also take advantage of an all-you-can-eat-sushi special (Only Saturday and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., $25.95 per person). From Thai fusion to Lo Mien, Pacific Ring has a medley of foods to tantalize any visitor. ‘ ‘ ‘ Dim Sum is the Chinese equivalent to a Mother’s Day brunch. Waitresses come around with small bamboo baskets, which hold a variety of appetizer dishes.’ Imagine everything from the classic pan-fried dumplings, to more authentic dishes like lo-mai-gai, a meat and sticky rice dish wrapped in a lotus leaf ($4.00). The lotus leaf bestows a smooth smoky flavor that pairs beautifully with the slightly sweet rice. ‘ ‘ ‘ All-you-can-eat sushi is a brain child of Southern California. Although their sushi restaurants are more numerous than fast food chains, there is always a line to sit at the sushi bar. Many impose a one-hour time limit, so you’ve got to scarf your fish if you’re a big eater. The beauty of it is that the sushi chefs often take you on a culinary adventure. ‘ ‘ ‘ They slice and dice avocados and carrots, creating tiny dioramas or nativity scenes before placing a new raw roll before you. At all-you-can-eat sushi bars, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of trying fried shrimp heads and also the terrible experience that is uni (sea urchin). It’s fun to sit at the bar with true sushi chefs, learning Japanese over bottles of sake. ‘ ‘ ‘ We decided to go for broke and enjoy the all-you-can-eat-sushi special, but instead of sitting face to face with the sushi chef, we were scuttled away to the dining area, too far to watch for carrot cutouts. Already out of the element I was looking for, a waitress came by.’ When we asked to order, she looked mildly perturbed and explained, ‘I don’t take orders, I just try to help with drinks.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Now there is something to be said for a certain amount of brusqueness at bustling Chinese restaurants. But here I was getting sushi. I was looking for a different atmosphere. ‘ ‘ ‘ At Pacific Ring, all-you-can-eaters order certain pre-selected combinations.’ If you finish the first plate, then you can work your way on to the next one, all without substitutions or exchanges. ‘ ‘ ‘ We started with the descriptive, ‘Plate Number 1,’ with a spicy tuna roll, salmon, tuna and white fish nigiri (pieces of raw fish served on top of an oblong mound of vinegared rice). When the plate finally arrived, I winced. The most important part of sushi is presentation, not only because sushi chefs are so often artists, but because the color and presentation of the fish tells you a lot about its quality. Tuna should be a deep red, almost purple color. On our plate was a rather pale looking lump of meat. I gave the fish the benefit of the doubt, placing it in my wasabi (Japanese horse radish) and soy sauce mixture. I put it in my mouth. Bland.’ Uninspiring. ‘ ‘ ‘ With no presentation to take my mind off of the tuna experiment, I went on to try the spicy tuna roll. A good spicy tuna roll has a bit of kick. Japanese mayonnaise should coat cubed tuna and scallion and be juxtaposed against a crisp cucumber stick. The key to success is less rice, more tuna. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ No one is paying for rice. ‘ ‘ ‘ The tuna was almost textureless, having been almost smothered into a puree. There was barely any kick to it, and the rice to tuna ratio was something like 10 to one. Despite my disappointment in the sushi, the Dim Sum floating to tables nearby indicated something that I should have realized the moment I walked in the door. Despite the Japanese decor, no one was sitting at the sushi bar ‘mdash; they were all eating Dim Sum. Next time, I’ll forgo the raw fish and plunge into some dumplings. ‘ ‘ ‘ Finding good Chinese is not easy. It requires vigilance and good scouting. If at any time you walk into your favorite Chinese restaurant, and at least half of the customers are speaking Mandarin, you’ve found a gem.’ Pacific Ring is just that place. ‘ ‘ ‘ Next time, I just won’t get sushi.