Food Fight: do sushi what I see? 

Munchy Mary

food fighter 

When people think of Pittsburg, Kansas, their next thought is likely not about the great sushi it has to offer. However, it may be time for locals to change their tune thanks to the sushi provided by Tokyo, Chatters, and Ron’s. The three unlikely competitors consistently go head to head for sushi, but who is the real winner? Will it be the new restaurant on the block, the one-stop wings and sushi shop, or the grocery store underdog? 

First up to the plate was Tokyo. This restaurant, which recently graced Pittsburg with its presence, is known for serving a wide variety of Japanese treats. The chosen competitors for sushi were a california roll, sushi deluxe, and a Kansas roll. One immediate advantage Tokyo had over their competitors was the wide variety of sushi. Unfortunately, their prices were not as refreshing. Would the taste be worth it? 

Upon first taste, it was evident that this was the freshest-tasting fish to be found in southeast Kansas. The california roll was different but delicious. The sushi deluxe provided a wide variety of sashimi and a chance to taste plenty more of the fresh fish. All three plates looked beautiful, but the Kansas roll was especially a standout. This roll is likely best described as everything but the kitchen sink. In terms of flavor, however, the mixture of everything from avocado to tempura fried lobster turned out to be a bit overwhelming. Overall, Tokyo put out a good showing with several strengths in terms of presentation, variety, and taste.  

Chatters has a wide variety of offerings in their menu as a whole but does not have as many options when it comes to sushi. Thankfully, they were able to prove that less can be more as, among what few offerings they had, each seemed more intriguing than the next. The menu for the night was a california roll, one crispy shrimp roll, and a Viva las Vegas roll. 

Out of the three, this california roll was the least favorite. However, that was likely just because it was extremely overshadowed by its delicious counterparts. The crispy shrimp roll leaves nothing to the imagination and is one bite right into the tempura fried sea of goodness. The Viva las Vegas roll was no different. Just in case there needed to be any evidence that apples are a good combination with sushi, the proof is in this roll. This unlikely roll is the invention that sushi lovers needed. These decently priced options and gold star presentation will have you leaving the restaurant feeling like a million bucks.  

When it came to Ron’s, something was fishy from the start, and not in a good way. The one advantage that Ron’s seemingly had was a better price than its competitors. Unfortunately, the price was not actually that much better than the other two options. When it came to presentation, the fact that all their food was pre-packaged left Ron’s sushi counter at a disadvantage. However, the sushi was still very fresh and looked as well put together as expected, if not better. The taste is where the competition really heated up for the other two options, but not so much so for Ron’s. 

The california roll was likely the best of the three options, but the blue knight roll was not a lifesaver, and the chef’s special was not as special as promised. In terms of perks, Ron’s was the easiest option, which was wonderful. The sushi counter does provide a convenient alternative to the world of sushi that can often seem like it is only meant to be eaten at night under candlelight. The more modern and practical sushi option was a nice twist.  

Folks may not typically diverge on Pittsburg for its sushi, but the winner of the week makes the trip worth it. In the battle, Chatters was the one that was really worth chatting about to your friends at home.  The sushi fight did not go as swimmingly as expected, with lots of surprises along the way. Tokyo put up a good fight, but the price was a bit out of reach and had some troubles in the flavor arena. Ron’s was an underdog from the start, as the only option on the list that was not technically a restaurant, but still made the best of it. The california roll was certainly worth going better, but overall there are definitely other fish in the sea and on the rice. Chatters won out this week with the crispy shrimp roll and the prices to match. The food fight was well fought, but Chatters simply swam its way to the top this week.