Sushi Land: An Oasis in the Culinary Desert

Moving into a new house with good friends is exciting, as is starting graduate school and kicking off a research project in neurodegenerative diseases. But commencing all three within the same month was, well, a little ridiculous. Okay, a lot ridiculous. I’ve eaten more food from the not-very-good Chinese take-out half a block from my house than I care to admit, which is why my updates have been lagging. Hitting up Bed, Bath and Beyond last week was a necessary evil for setting up the new house and a trip to the ‘burbs meant a chance to stop at Sushi Land in Bryn Mawr.

To be sure, Sushi Land is the only restaurant on the Mainline that I’ve missed since graduating from Haverford College. The interior of the restaurant is sparsely decorated. There are Japanese beer bottles on display above the sushi bar, which is confusing since the restaurant is a BYO. Yet the service is gracious and the sushi is, in a word, bangin’.

My friend Kosher Hotdawg ordered the lunch bento box with teriyaki chicken and tempura and reports that it was quite good. I ordered off the adult menu (...slam!) and selected the Rainbow Roll ($8.50), two pieces of Sake nigiri ($4) and the Honeymoon Roll ($8.50). All of the fish in the Rainbow Roll—a standby in which California roll is topped with a variety of raw fish—was buttery, sweet and fresh. By far, my favorite roll is the Honeymoon Roll: a spicy yellowtail roll with tempura flakes that is layered with unagi and avocado and topped with red tobiko. The saltiness of the roe compliments the sweetness of the unagi sauce and the tempura flakes lend a nice crunch to the otherwise soft-textured ingredients. The house salad ($1.50) features a creamy, nutty dressing that is tasty if a bit inauthentic.

So city dwellers, fear not the next time you’re out on the Mainline, there’s an oasis in the culinary desert.

Sushi Land
861 W. Lancaster Avenue
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010

M-Th 11am-3pm, 5-10pm
F 11am-3pm, 5-11pm
Sa 11am-11pm
Sun 4pm-10pm