Niya Sushi: Sushi Roll Heaven
The hour-plus drive from Santa Monica to Huntington Beach was soon forgotten after my first bite at Niya Sushi. This unassuming Japanese joint located in the middle of a random mall complex in Huntington Beach leads to sushi roll heaven. Its great atmosphere, friendly and smiley staff, quick service, well-priced menu, fresh sushi, quality food, and incredible sushi rolls made that long-ass drive more than worth it.
Appies @Niya
Every Japanese restaurant has edamame. But only Niya Sushi offers this amazing sweet and spicy garlic edamame. It is delicious, it is sweet and spicy, it is garlicky, and it is absolutely addicting. Great way to open up the meal and spark up those taste buds.
The next appetizer we got was the Avocado Popper. Stuffed with spicy tuna, California crab mix, drizzled with spicy mayo and sweet eel sauce, and served with their in-house cilantro chimichurri/pesto sauce. Damn, this dish is literally and descriptively a mouthful.
Truth though… I’m probably one of the few people out there that don’t like stuffed avocados. I tried it just to try and unfortunately, sometimes my taste buds are way too stubborn and will not budge. That being said, my boyfriend LOVED this and ate it up without a care in the world. That cilantro chimichurri/pesto sauce was super good though. I’d dip and drizzle with that all day long.
Hallelujah! Welcome to Niya Sushi – Sushi Roll Heaven
Niya Sushi masterfully creates incredibly delicious and unique specialty rolls that will guarantee to excite and surprise your palate.
Best Bite of the Night
Hands down the best bite of the night go to Niya’s Sunazuri Roll. Spicy tuna wrapped in seared yellowtail, topped jalapenos and crispy onions, nested on sweet chili sauce. Just typing that is making my mouth water. This rice-less sushi is super creative and creates amazing layers of flavor that stand out on their own while simultaneously melting perfectly together.
The Angels Roll is wrapped in soy paper and stuffed with fried shrimp, spicy crab, tuna, and salmon. It’s covered with avocado and topped with crispy onions. Despite literally having everything except the kitchen sink, this roll is light and melts in your mouth. The classic spicy mayo and eel sauce combo gives this roll a familiar flavor that everyone will connect to. A definite must when you hit up Niya Sushi.
The Baked Langoustine Roll (aka Popcorn Roll) was my boyfriend’s favorite. His commitment to the California Roll is deep. So naturally, he fell for this one. The Popcorn Roll has the California Roll as it’s base, topped with a mountain of juicy fried langoustine chunks. With the amount they put on there, it’s definitely worth every penny.
Tuna 3 ways – spicy tuna roll, wrapped with seared tuna, and topped with tuna poke. If you appreciate tuna in all it’s might and glory, this In n Out Roll is for you! My friend who was visiting us from Dallas went hard for this one. Welcome the west coast, aka sushi land!
More than sushi rolls – if they aren’t your thing
While they specialize in rolls, they also have a great selection of fresh sashimi, sushi, and other staple Japanese dishes. My boyfriend also got some tender galbi ribs and he ate every single one. I didn’t even get a chance to take a picture and my friend and I were lucky to even get a piece each.
While Niya Sushi is a bit of a drive from Santa Monica, we will definitely be back with goals in mind. Try every single roll! So, if you’re ever in Huntington Beach and got sushi cravings, make your way to sushi roll heaven at Niya Sushi.
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