we’ve been kicking nrw back into high gear now that the busy month of april has come and gone. last week we enjoyed a lovely and relaxing dinner at varasano’s pizzeria in south buckhead, and this week we took it to the neighborhood of brookhaven for a little sushi. i’ve been madly craving it for a little while now, and even though i wasn’t sure who else would be on board, the one sushi + would be the host for our sweet party of eight.
since their name is a little longer, i am going to affectionately refer to the one sushi + as ‘tosp’ throughout the rest of this post. sound good? i thought so, too! okay, so tosp is kind of hidden here on caldwell road, just off dresden. there’s always a new restaurant popping up in this little strip of boutiques and eateries, so it shouldn’t surprise me that i hadn’t yet heard of them. and as it would turn out, tosp used to be a coffee shop way back when. with a reservation at 7:30 p.m. sharp, i walked in to meet bank, liz, nathan, alison, eric, claire, and phillip at our large table.
i don’t typically think of sushi restaurants as “cozy,” which is how tosp describes itself, and upon walking in, the word “urban” is what came to mind instead. there are these sizable sheet metal light installations that hang above the dining space and the concrete floor. the huge window walls let the natural light come in, a good thing because otherwise it would be very dark and sensual in here. again, cozy definitely isn’t the right characterization, if you ask me, but i was totally digging the dense modern vibe i was getting.
the place settings are clean and crisp. i love the white plates and bowls because it gets to show off the colors of the super fresh ingredients of their menu. a good simple contrast to the busy artwork on the walls.
we’d made it halfway through the week, so we all agreed on some adult beverages in addition to our water glasses. most of the fellas got sopporos and most of the ladies got cocktails. phillip went with the sake, which he loved, and i also very much enjoyed the novellum chardonnay from france. mm.
the menu here at tosp may not be massive, but it is varied enough to please nearly any palette that’s even a little adventurous. there are the more traditional rolls for the folks who like sushi but don’t want to get too crazy. they offer specialty rolls (mm, yes, please) and also plenty of vegetable side plates that just sounded incredible. for example, sesame asparagus fries with truffle aioli? yep, they’ve got them here. as they themselves put it, their name implies that they are so much more than sushi. i’d say even before i actually got my food i can simply agree. now, i’m not saying i’d bring milo here (he’s not too fond of the sushi experience), but if you’ve got an audacious appetite, you’ll surely find something at tosp. i’d bet my dinner on it.
we weren’t in a rush, and the restaurant wasn’t terribly busy, so we took our time and started with appetizers. those asparagus fries i’d eyed earlier seemed like a winning choice, so phillip and i shared the cutest little basket of them. the aspargus was light and buttery with that fried coating, the perfect texture and perfect ripeness. however, they were quite bland without the sauce but really great with it.
sesame asparagus fries.
at our end of the table, bank and liz loved some sort of poke appetizer that they ordered. i don’t remember what it was called or what was in it, but i do remember bank making the comment that he liked the flintstones-type plate that served it. seriously, i don’t remember anything else about it, but i had to write about it just so we could reminisce about the flintstones for a moment. ah, yes, give yourself a second. okay, you good? me, too, so let’s continue onward!
as we chatted about our work weeks and coming weekend plans, we grabbed some good spontaneous pictures. we’re such a silly crew, and i wouldn’t change it for the world.
alright now, we’ll get down to the real business: da foodz. liz was in a sushi mood like me, so she chose the chanel replica. with its scallop tempura, mango, fresh scallop, tuna, scallions, red tobiko, soy chili sauce, and creamy wasabi, she said it had a nice kick. i’m betting this roll is one i would get next time i come. i mean, with scallops (my favorite seafood ever) and tuna (my favorite sushi ingredient ever) it would make pretty good sense.
bank wasn’t so much in the sushi mood like his wife, so he had the one fried rice from the plus part of the menu. he admitted it looked a little small in that big bowl, but it was definitely deeper than he thought, and he ate up each grain of rice that was tossed with taiwanese sausage, salami, onion, egg, and chive.
phillip and i were on the sushi train together, so we shared a couple of different ones. first up was the double decker that phillip picked. each bite of that shrimp tempura, cream cheese, sushi ebi, crab salad, tempura flakes, kabayaki and creamy sauce was a little different each time and even more delicious with the sauce. it was uber crunchy and had good texture. the meat was great, and eight large bites for twelve bucks was a great deal.
at last my choice of the yami crisp arrived, and it was definitely worth the wait. first, the presentation on this slate board was just wonderful, and just when i thought i knew i was going to like it, i had my first taste and loved it. you know why? i’ll tell you why: because it was served warm. i have never in my life had a warm sushi roll, and i think i might now be converted. this signature tuna roll’s smaller bites were greatly appreciated and brought me to my first ever sushi epiphany.
our friendly server brought us the checks and took care of us quickly. tosp was a great spot for our large group, and it definitely feels more like an after-work place with the decor and more upscale (but quite reasonably priced) menu. i’m sure you’ll find me back here in the future. there’s good food, it’s close by, what’s not to love?
kelsey v 