Foodie Friday: Go to Oregon for #Sushi

I am starting a new feature the first Friday of each month that I am calling “Foodie Friday” . While my blog reviews have mainly been about books, I am dedicating the first Friday of ever month to be about food, restaurants, and all things food related.

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When I was in Bend, OR a few months ago, I asked the hotel front desk for suggestions for dinner. They said, “If you like sushi, then you will love 5 Fusion”. That sounded like my type of place.

Located in downtown Bend, I went during Happy Hour. The executive chef has received many accolades so I am anticipating excellence. Of course, the restaurant was packed. Since I was by myself, I decided to sit at the sushi bar and watch them work. While he looked different from his head shot in all the touristy magazines, the executive chef was there churning out roll after sushi roll. He was a machine. There was no time for chit chat with me because he was all business. That did not bother me because he was in his zone.

A waiter came to take my order. He was friendlier, asking all the small talk questions.

I ordered a variety because Happy Hour prices included $5 sushi rolls and appetizers. Yea that is no misprint.

Tempura – battered squash, shrimp, asparagus, and onion – BEST tempura I have ever tasted. I usually do not order tempura because when not done properly, (1) the crispy batter becomes soft too quickly from wet veggies, (2) the batter has no flavor, or (3) the batter does not allow for the soy sauce to coat without becoming soggy. I am very particular about my tempura. 5 Fusion has ruined me for all others. It was so good. Perfect. Since tempura’s main nemesis is moisture, I was impressed that the batter stayed so crispy.
Shrimp tempura roll – tempura shrimp (which we already established was delicious), avocado, cucumber
Spicy salmon roll – raw salmon sashimi, avocado, cucumber, sriracha chili sauce
Edamame – I can never get enough of lightly salted boiled soybeans.
Angry Mango cocktail – habanero infused vodka with mango puree – sweet and spicy and cold at the same time. Is cold heat even possible? Sounds like an oxymoron but it worked so well.

I ate all the sushi rolls, but took the tempura and edamame leftovers to snack on later. I know that sushi is filling at the time, but an hour later, I feel like I could eat again.

The Opinionated Woman’s verdict: Currently my favorite sushi place in the US. I recommend it if you are anywhere near Bend OR.