In my mind, sushi was something you ordered in a sleek restaurant with a long bar, a serious chef and a fairly serious price tag. A food truck was not where I expected to find pristine slices of fish and beautifully rolled maki.
My first bite at NorthFresh Sushi proved me very wrong. Sometimes all you need is a brightly painted food truck, a sunny picnic table and a talented chef who takes seafood very seriously.
The group I was with ordered widely and generously shared tastes around the table. Someone passed me a piece of Big Eye tuna nigiri and I paused for a moment after the first bite. The fish was buttery and clean tasting.
Then came the NorthFresh Poke Bowl, another fan favorite. The bowl featured Big Eye tuna layered with cucumber, sweet onion, jalapeno, pineapple chunks, green onions, avocado and lemon, all drizzled with spicy mayo and sriracha and finished with furikake seasoning. The combination of bright fruit, mild heat and silky fresh fish worked beautifully together. Every bite had something a little different going on.
Another standout that evening was the Spicy Tiger Roll. The roll begins with cucumber and tempura shrimp, then is topped with spicy tuna, avocado and sesame seeds. Crisp shrimp, creamy avocado and fresh tuna all wrapped in a memorable bite. I left that meal impressed and determined to come back.
Now, I’ll admit I’m a little late to the party. NorthFresh first rolled into Central Oregon at The Bite in Tumalo about six years ago and somehow it slipped past my radar. A couple years later a second truck opened at Midtown Yacht Club in Bend. After a stint at Blacksmith Public House in Redmond, the team has now launched its newest location, which opened earlier this month at Dry Canyon Club, also in Redmond.
On a recent second visit, I started with the gyoza at the Midtown Yacht Club truck. These potstickers are filled with white meat chicken and vegetables and lightly fried until the wrappers turn delicately golden. The six dumplings arrived steaming hot and packed with flavor. They were honestly some of the best potstickers I’ve ever had.
Next came the Spicy Tuna Roll, an eight-piece classic that proved once again how much care goes into the ingredients here. The roll features yellowfin tuna with cucumber, sesame seeds, sriracha, toasted sesame oil and a squeeze of fresh lime. The result is crisp, clean and just spicy enough to keep things interesting. Generous fresh slices of pickled ginger on the side offered a bright palate reset between bites. Perhaps the most surprising part of the meal was the price. The roll cost just nine dollars and the dumplings five dollars, a combination that felt like a steal considering the quality.
Regulars have plenty of other favorites as well. The Hyper Drip Roll has become something of a signature item, an exuberant creation packed with avocado, jalapeno, cream cheese and real crab, topped with king salmon, spicy mayo, eel sauce and sriracha. The roll is finished with sweet chili sauce, crunchy onions, green onions, tobiko and sesame seeds. It’s bold and fun.
Poke bowls are a major draw. The NorthFresh Bowl with Big Eye tuna, jalapeno and pineapple continues to be a top seller. Those seeking serious heat gravitate toward the Kimchi Ghost Pepper Poke Bowl, which features fresh tuna tossed with Mama O’s famously spicy kimchi paste. The staff describe it simply as fire, and they are not exaggerating. Prices for bowls range from fourteen dollars for the Full of Shrimp Bowl to fifty dollars for the generous Sashimi Combo featuring fifteen cuts of fresh fish with a side of sushi rice.
The menu extends well beyond rolls and bowls. Appetizers include tempura battered avocado slices, seaweed salad, tempura poppers and shrimp. There is even an Orange Chicken Bowl for diners who might not be in the mood for seafood. Nigiri options range from four dollars for ebi shrimp to ten dollars for premium fish like hamachi, king salmon and Big Eye tuna. Maki rolls cover an impressive spectrum as well, from four dollar mini rolls with avocado or cucumber to the eighteen dollar Legend Roll packed with deep sea crab, salmon and yellowtail. Another crowd pleaser is the Redmond Roll with spicy tuna, Big Eye tuna, cucumber, onions and a house sauce.
In other words, there is something here for nearly everyone. Sushi newcomers will find approachable rolls filled with vegetables or cooked seafood. Devoted sushi fans can zero in on pristine raw fish and creative combinations. For me, the biggest surprise was simply how good everything tasted coming from a pair of humble food trucks. The fish is fresh, the presentation is beautiful and the service is impressively fast, even when a line forms. I can’t believe it took me this long to discover NorthFresh Sushi. But I am very glad I finally did!
NorthFresh Sushi Make Poke
https://www.northfresh.co
IG: northfreshsushi
Midtown Yacht Club, 1661 NE 4th Street, Bend
Dry Canyon Club, 1865 NW Hemlock Ave., Redmond
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