Tuna Bar Review

My husband and I recently had dinner at Tuna Bar in Philadelphia. It was the first visit for both of us and we were excited to try the sushi offerings.

© Katie Skrzek

We arrived in time for our reservation. We checked in with the hostess, who then brought us to our table outside. It was a beautiful night and our table was perfect. Our waiter met us shortly after we were seated with water and to take our drink orders. We each ordered glasses of Sauvignon Blanc. As we often do when dining out, we decided to split several dishes for our meal. From the hot and cold appetizers section, we ordered Wagyu beef spring rolls and seaweed salad. From the sushi menu, we ordered four rolls and one order of sashimi.

The appetizers arrived quickly. The crunchy spring rolls were filled with Wagyu beef, onion, ginger, cabbage and scallions, and came with a spicy mustard sauce. The seaweed salad was the classic preparation of mixed seaweed, cucumber and sesame seeds. The two appetizers paired well and offered a nice contrast.

Our sushi order arrived next on two serving plates. The toro (fatty tuna) came in two pieces in cucumber cups. Also on the plate was a yellowtail and chive roll with avocado and chili oil. We tried a Sindy roll of crispy eel, avocado and mango wrapped in thinly sliced tuna and topped with a spicy sauce. We also ordered a classic shrimp tempura roll. Our final roll, the Geisha roll, included tuna, salmon, avocado, wasabi aioli and ponzu in a cucumber wrap.

© Katie Skrzek

I was most interested to try the Sindy and Geisha rolls, as I hadn’t experienced sushi rolls without rice before. They were both flavorful and we didn’t miss the rice. Of all the bites, my favorite was the yellowtail and chive roll, for its simple presentation highlighting each ingredient.

The service, sushi and ambiance at Tuna Bar were stellar. I look forward to a return visit to experience more of the unique sushi offerings.

Tuna Bar

205 Race Street

Philadelphia, PA 19106

tel 215 238 8862