By Mason Dowling
Dear reader, I have a confession to make: I’m a big sushi junkie.
Almost everywhere I go when I travel or move jobs, I look for how varied the sushi scene is, whether it be holes-in-the-wall or brick-and-mortar chains. Imagine my surprise, then, when I moved up to Wausau years ago, that there was a small-but-dedicated sushi scene in Central Wisconsin, of all places.
It made sense that some of the better fare would be in Stevens Point, capitalizing on the collegiate palate and would-be raw fish fanatics such as myself.
Matsu Ya is located at 5725 Windy Dr. in Stevens Point. (Metro Wire photo)
That is why I confess that I’ve been to Matsu Ya before. Even before I received this assignment, I knew I needed to be objective and do my best not to let my preconceived joy bias my writing. But that’s when my editor (bless her) reminded me that a good number of our readers may not have tried sushi before – or, worse yet, actively feared it. I now have my target audience, and I will direct the next part of this review to you.
Sushi is something of a boogeyman to the traditional Western cooking mindset. It’s meat that’s raw, and while that may not stop those who enjoy their steaks bloody, the fact that it’s fish is enough to give folks pause. Seeing it there, atop a small mound of slightly sticky, seemingly unseasoned rice (or simply by itself – the difference between nigiri and sashimi) can be intimidating. That’s why I ordered the below sampling to get a little taste of everything.
Sushi is something of a boogeyman to the traditional Western cooking mindset. (Metro Wire photo)
To anyone even remotely interested in getting into sushi, I suggest starting the way my dad and I both did: shrimp nigiri. Shrimp, unlike most other sushi pieces, is fully cooked by default, and is much like a cocktail shrimp you’d have over at someone’s house. Typically, the tail is still on, so you’ll want to pop that off before you dig in, but whether you dunk the piece in soy sauce, smear a little wasabi on it (both highly recommended by me, but baby steps), or leave it plain, it’s a nice sample for what to expect.
If you’ll forgive me for sounding a bit too philosophical, sushi is as much an experience as it is a meal. It’s primarily meant to be eaten slowly, piece by piece, so that you can fully enjoy the flavors and textures at work together. At sushi bars that hire trained, experienced sushi chefs, it becomes all the more apparent, though I don’t fault Matsu Ya’s (I assume) college student chefs for their effort. You work with what you got.
So what is the draw? For the shrimp, it’s a light, crisp, and clean – yes, clean – flavor that blends well with the rice. Unlike raw fish, the shrimp holds its shape, flavor, and texture. Moving down the plate, I also picked up two different kinds of tuna (one piece each) and two pieces of my personal favorite, salmon. Sushi-grade tuna is so far removed from the canned variety you might have on a sandwich that it may as well be a different animal entirely. The pieces I had were smooth and fatty, the fish easily mixing with the rice to a rich umami flavor that left a slight taste of saltwater in your mouth. The second piece, Albacore Tuna, had less flavor up front but replaced it with a more subtle, delectable ‘fishy’ taste the longer it sat in my mouth.
Onto the salmon – honestly, almost perfect, especially for somewhere as landlocked as Stevens Point, Wisconsin. I’m not exaggerating when I say the fish melted in my mouth, the fat lines in the salmon meat turning the natural savoriness into a very faint sweetness on the back end.
To end, I wanted to try something more familiar to the average American – a sushi roll. After perusing the two dozen or so different varieties they offered, I settled on the Packer Roll – fried shrimp tempura and cucumber, rolled inside a layer of rice, and topped with thin slices of raw tuna. Word of advice: With pretty much all sushi, you’re meant to try to eat each piece in one bite, though some American-style rolls are so egregious they require a fork to really get through (looking at you, Volcano roll). The Packer Roll was not one of these monstrosities, and while the shrimp was cooked well, the combination with the cucumber made it almost too crunchy. It probably could’ve benefited from some sauce to add some moisture back in, whether yum-yum or mayonnaise-based squeeze.
Food is as much about exploration as it is comfort. If you’ve never tried sushi before, you’d be hard-pressed to find many better places in Portage County, Wisconsin than Matsu Ya. Go during a lunch period when you can take your time, or you’re not too hungry – try a couple of pieces, and ease yourself in. Soon enough, you might become a sushi junkie too.
Personal rating: 4/5 stars
Do you have a suggestion for a restaurant we should cover on Portage County Eats? Send it our way – we’re looking for hidden gems, home favorites, and new food experiences anywhere inside Portage County (or just across the line). Send your suggestions to [email protected].
Dowling grew up outside St. Louis, MO, and went to school at Loyola University, Chicago. A passionate writer, Mason worked for local news media for over a decade, including positions in front of and behind the camera, eventually settling in Wausau. A life-long foodie, Mason takes a lot of joy in trying new foods, watching cooking shows and competitions, and making experimental meals for his wife, Nikki (and, very occasionally, their dog Jax). Mason’s inspirations for writing include Walter Cronkite, Anthony Bourdain, and Mr. Rogers, and he believes food can be a source of healing, joy, and more than a few laughs.
Dining and Cooking