It’s always a good day for sushi.

And it’s a great day when that sushi is from Tougen Japanese Restaurant.

At first glance, Tougen’s small dining room and utilitarian furniture look more fast-casual than fine dining. But another glance at the sushi counter, piled high with fresh fish and manned by a self-assured chef, belies the culinary treasures within.

Those treasures are at risk of getting lost in the crowded menu, which has all the design panache the dining room lacks and then some. It took twice as long as usual for us to pick what we wanted – but once my party pulled a few choices out of the mountain of options, we were off to the races.

Bill of Fare

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For appetizers, we ordered tako su ($7.50) and edamame ($4.95). The tako su, or thinly sliced boiled octopus served with sesame seeds and a light sauce, was tantalizingly plated and rewarded my palate with a springy, sweet taste. My party of three also devoured our edamame, which was especially gratifying for my first foray into the nutty, salty snack.

One friend ordered the aloha specialty roll ($14.95), made with tempura lobster, spicy shrimp, mango, avocado, tuna, salmon, and amberjack fish. He was pleased with the roll’s size and flavor, saying it tasted better than the average sushi roll.

Another friend similarly enjoyed her jade specialty roll ($10.95), made with spicy crab and cucumber roll, topped with a layer of avocado and more spicy crab, and served with spicy mayo and sake sauce. It was tasty in a creamy kind of way, though she didn’t like how the overabundance of toppings meant some of her avocado and crab fell to her plate instead of in her mouth.

For myself, I ordered the sushi and sashimi lunch ($13.95), comprised of the chef’s selection of four pieces of nigiri, seven pieces of sashimi, and one sushi roll. Because I let the dealer choose, I’m not exactly sure what was in the sushi roll, but I can definitively say that it had salmon and was delicious.

The same goes for the array of nigiri and sashimi, which included salmon, tuna, whitefish, and what may have been scallops. That's the plus side to letting the chef pick – they know their fish better than I do.

I also ordered garlic miso ramen ($14.95) to go, testing Tougen’s takeout capabilities and its soups. I’m usually not a fan of ramen when it’s only one of many offerings on a wide menu, but Tougen’s sweet, buttery flavor was wonderfully warming.

Despite the ramen’s many components, from its egg to tofu to bok choy, fish cake, bamboo shoots, and scallions, the Tougen staff’s excellent to-go packaging meant the soup heated back up with no trouble, my noodles as springy and warm as if they’d come right out of the basket. If I must find fault, they included the mushrooms after I’d asked for them without; since the little devils were packaged separately with the rest of the toppings, however, it all turned out okay.

Bill of Fare

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Having thoroughly enjoyed everything we tried from our first visit, we loosened our belts in preparation for our dinnertime return.

On a second visit we ordered the fried calamari ($7.95). I didn’t enjoy the rubbery texture of the calamari as much as the tako su from the first time around, but judging from my friend's enjoyment, this was more personal preference than any issues with the dish.

One friend ordered the spider roll ($8.95), made with tempura crab, cucumber, and avocado, and the tempura fried New Orleans ($10.95) specialty roll, stuffed with jalapeno, spicy salmon, spicy shrimp, cream cheese, lettuce, and avocado and topped with eel sauce and spicy mayo. From her first bite, she was speechless with flavor, declaring the spider roll yummy and the New Orleans roll “banging.”

Another dining companion was slightly less enthusiastic, though it would be hard to match that energy. They ordered a shrimp tempura roll ($7.95), which comes with cucumber and avocado, and an oshinko roll ($3.95), rice rolled with pickled dikon radishes. They wished the shrimp tempura rolls had had more sauce – an opinion seconded by my first companion about her spider roll – but thought both their rolls held together particularly well.

I ordered four regular rolls for myself, which came bundled together for $16.95: tuna, salmon, sweet potato, and the Alaska roll, made with salmon, cucumber, and avocado ($5.50). Other than wondering why I keep trying to gaslight myself into liking avocado, all of these were fresh, flavorful, tightly rolled, and delicious.

I left with a happy stomach, though not as quickly as I’d have liked to. As the dining room filled up, Tougen’s took longer than usual to fill a friend’s to-go order, only a small blip on the impeccable service we received from the poised, attentive server we had on both visits.

With a variety of ingredients and the skills to put them to good use, Tougen Japanese Restaurant is a no-frills place for dependable, delicious sushi. Beautifully plated, surprisingly affordable, and wonderfully flavorful, Tougen’s offerings are nothing short of a delight.

First Published September 7, 2023, 1:00 p.m.