Vic Sushi Bar

Vic Sushi Bar
2035 Sansom St, Philadelphia PA, 19103 (215) 564-4339
Monday - Thursday 11:30 am to 9:30 pm
Friday 11:30 am to 10:00 pm
Saturday 12:30 pm to 10:00 pm
BYOB.  Non-alcoholic drinks available in a small cooler (self serve).

This literal hole-in-the-wall located between 20th and 21st on Samsom St had such fantastic sushi that it demanded critical acclaim in this blog. Put aside your pretenses and stop ruffling your feathers over the absence of valet parking faithful reader and feast your eyes on the scrumptious cuisine before you. For God's sake this is a food blog-- not an interior design blog.

This is the entrance after walking in the front door.  This BYOB features seating for 10-15 max.  As I said before-- hole-in-the-wall.  The walls are decorated with pictures of happy patrons consuming large quantities of raw fish. The requisite Buddha is featured prominently in the center of the above photo.

We commandeered seating at the bar where the sushi was being made.  It is always fun watching your creation being crafted before you eat it.

(above) Tuna Dumplings. $10. The dumplings here are made with bigeye tuna, avocado, spicy mayo, tempura and imitation crab inside with green tobiko on top. They're garnished with daikon radish, eel sauce and spicy mayo.  They are made with a lot of avocado so the dumplings are very creamy in consistency.

Edamame. $2. Edamame or edamame bean is a preparation of immature soybeans in the pod, found in the cuisine of Taiwan, China, Japan, Indonesia and Hawaii. The pods are boiled or steamed and served with salt.  The edamame here are served a bit too chewy for my taste- almost as if they have been steamed for too long.

Row 1 (top): Shrimp Tempura Mango Coconut Roll.  Shrimp Tempura and coconut jam roll, topped with mango. $9.25.  Row 2 (middle): Long Island: spicy crunch white tuna topped with eel and avocado. $13.95.  Row 3 (bottom): Protein Roll: spicy tuna, white tuna, crab stick, avocado and apple, wrapped in soy paper. $12.95.

(above) This is a close up of the Shrimp Tempura Mango Coconut Roll.  Shrimp Tempura and coconut jam roll, topped with mango.  Very tasty, sweet, summery roll goes well with a thin slice of ginger to add that extra pop to the finish.

(above) Long Island: spicy crunch white tuna topped with eel and avocado. This excellent specimen was delicious with rich, sweet terryaki sauce balanced by the creaminess of the avocado and the spice of the tuna.

(above) Protein Roll: spicy tuna, white tuna, crab stick, avocado and apple, wrapped in soy paper.  To be completely honest, I ordered it because of the name.  However, I was glad I did. The orange and red sauces were sweet and creamy and the mixed tuna and crab were a pleasing combination to the palate.

 Of course, now a word on the amenities.  No this is not Morimoto, Zama or one of the more posh sushi jaunts in Philadelphia. You basically have to walk through the dish room to get to the bathroom.  Once inside, this looks to me like an all purpose cleaning closet/bathroom.  The toilet was very clean however.

On the flip side however, this was a fraction of the cost of Morimoto.  At $70 for dinner for two including tip, this is quite a steal and I'm surprised that the restaurant wasn't packed considering the quality of the food.

On a closing note, as a BYOB, it really is a cheap option for dining since alcohol can be brought in for the cost of 1-2 cocktails at a fancier restaurant.

All in all, I would definitely return without a doubt.  The food was excellent enough that I would overlook the less than stellar qualities in other areas--namely decor, bathrooms, and service. I only critique service however not because it wasn't fast, but because all of the workers spoke very poor English.

I am hoping after a few more trips here, I can join the ranks of the hundreds of satisfied patrons featured on the wall of the restaurant.