Izumi if you are not into sushi

[coaster]

Going on too many cruises lately. The MDR menus are memorized in my brain. Never paid extra for a specialty restaurant, just when it is part of a travel agent perk. Anyway, thinking about booking Izumi on Grandeur this month. No hibachi option on this ship. See a sample menu and the Ryu Futpmaki roll looks like it  is cooked. Bowls look good to me also. Worth going even for those like me who are not into sushi?

Edited November 3, 2022 by coaster

[JessyCruises]

I am not a fish person and I really like the Futomaki.  Do they have the Udon noodles on the Grandeur menu?  The Yaki Udon with chicken is delicious.

 

[coaster]

8 minutes ago, JessyCruises said:

I am not a fish person and I really like the Futomaki.  Do they have the Udon noodles on the Grandeur menu?  The Yaki Udon with chicken is delicious.

 

According to online details they do… Good to know!

[KelJ]

DH and I don’t do sushi. We ate at Izumi (non hibachi) last week on Adventure and loved it! We did the prix fixe and were very happily surprised at how much we enjoyed it. And we used our D+ BOGO, so the price was right too!

 

Edited to attach the Adventure menu. Sorry it’s not a great picture. 

Edited November 3, 2022 by KelJ
To attach menu

[Ozark_Kid]

My DW does not eat sushi.  When we eat at Izumi she really likes the Beef Teriyaki bowl. 

[Merion_Mom]

There is, among other options, vegetarian fried rice, crispy kara-age chicken (basically japanese chicken nuggets - delicious!), miso soup, two nice salads, chicken teriyaki, beef teriyaki.

 

 

[coaster]

Should have tried years ago, just could only think it was sushi or nothing. Sure I am not the only one…

[gmerick]

Had the Poke bowl one evening -- Meh.  I lived in Hawaii for many years, and have a liking for all kinds of sashimi.  Much prefer very fresh fish -- hours, not days old, and never over chilled much less frozen.  Logistics of a cruise ship makes this impossible.  The Poke was much better than the MDR Lobster that I skipped out on, but it left me wanting.  Unfortunately the rice was also cooked according to a basmati recipe rather than Japanese.  The grains were light, fluffy, and great texture, but inappropriate for chopsticks.

Recommend any of the hibachi or teppanyaki items over the sashimi or sushi.

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, coaster said:

Should have tried years ago, just could only think it was sushi or nothing. Sure I am not the only one…

With you on should have tried it years ago. 

[Coralc]

Tempura shrimp and vegetables (If you like vegetables) and Wonton soup! I just get 4 tempura shrimp and soup. 

[lovelife]

We do not eat sushi and only tried the prix fixe menu at Izumi recently. On Adventure it was delicious but then on Quantum, not so much.

[DaKahuna]

 We enjoyed our visits to Izumi on Quantum.  Granted the menu was limited but what we had was delicious. 

 

What did you not enjoy/like about Izumi on Quantum. 

 

 

[lovelife]

16 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 We enjoyed our visits to Izumi on Quantum.  Granted the menu was limited but what we had was delicious. 

 

What did you not enjoy/like about Izumi on Quantum. 

 

 

The small plates and desserts were good, but our teriyaki bowls were not. On Adventure everything was delicious.

[Ourusualbeach]

12 minutes ago, lovelife said:

The small plates and desserts were good, but our teriyaki bowls were not. On Adventure everything was delicious.

That pretty much mirrors our experience on Ovation.  

 

Symphony in March and Voyager in August were great.  Ovation had the limited menu and our bowls were not nearly as good

[Ozark_Kid]

2 hours ago, Coralc said:

Tempura shrimp and vegetables

This is one of my favorites.  

[takemeaway2008]

Can you order off the menu or do you have to do the one price prix fixe? My husband would eat several of the appetizers but not into sushi. 

 

Thanks. 

[Joseph2017China]

Sushi is a dish made with "sushi rice" or known as "Shari".  Sushi can be cooked or raw, and is made with many different ingredients which can be seafood, or many other vegetables, or any kind of meat wrapped with sushi rice.  

 

So when you say you don't like sushi, are you saying you don't like raw fish?  Or are you saying you don't like rice?  

 

My wife does not like raw fish, so instead, she orders "sushi" made with cooked items.  

 

Izumi is a really nice place to eat, filled with many good sushi rolls to fit anyone's taste.  It also has other items on the menu.  I should note that it is often times not true Japanese Sushi

[KelJ]

36 minutes ago, takemeaway2008 said:

Can you order off the menu or do you have to do the one price prix fixe? My husband would eat several of the appetizers but not into sushi. 

 

Thanks. 

You don’t have to get the prix fixe. You can pay a la carte. 

[FionaMG]

32 minutes ago, Joseph2017China said:

Sushi is a dish made with "sushi rice" or known as "Shari".  Sushi can be cooked or raw, and is made with many different ingredients which can be seafood, or many other vegetables, or any kind of meat wrapped with sushi rice.  

 

So when you say you don't like sushi, are you saying you don't like raw fish?  Or are you saying you don't like rice?  

 

My wife does not like raw fish, so instead, she orders "sushi" made with cooked items.  

 

Izumi is a really nice place to eat, filled with many good sushi rolls to fit anyone's taste.  It also has other items on the menu.  I should note that it is often times not true Japanese Sushi

 

Might be a dumb question, but how can you tell if the sushi is made with cooked items? I've had a look at the menu and it doesn't seem to be very clear on that point. 

[Joseph2017China]

1 minute ago, FionaMG said:

 

Might be a dumb question, but how can you tell if the sushi is made with cooked items? I've had a look at the menu and it doesn't seem to be very clear on that point. 

You can just ask.  Honestly my wife just asks to verify.

[DaKahuna]

9 hours ago, lovelife said:

The small plates and desserts were good, but our teriyaki bowls were not. On Adventure everything was delicious.

 

 Sounds reasonable.  I normally do not order teriyaki, if Ind it too sweet for me. 

 

 Normally the only cooked item that I eat at a sushi restaurant is the eel and octopus.  Otherwise, I like my fish fresh, the fresher the better.  

 

[cruiselvr04]

I don’t really like anything at Izumi except the fried rice which is actually very good.  The DH loves this place.  I go with him and I find enough to eat. 
I know I’m an exception.  If I try anything I make sure it’s cooked.  

[PolicromaSol]

4 hours ago, FionaMG said:

 

Might be a dumb question, but how can you tell if the sushi is made with cooked items? I've had a look at the menu and it doesn't seem to be very clear on that point. 

 

Generally speaking, certain items, such as non-seafood meats, eel, crab, lobster, or shrimp, are almost always cooked unless it states otherwise. (And usually the "otherwise" would be at more adventurous restaurants directly in Japan where they ensure absolute freshness as their livelihoods and reputations are on the line.) You can always ask the waiter or sushi chef if you're not sure.

 

The types that aren't cooked are usually certain types of fish, shellfish, and mollusks, and only those that are safe to eat raw. 

Edited November 3, 2022 by PolicromaSol

[frank808]

19 hours ago, gmerick said:

Had the Poke bowl one evening -- Meh.  I lived in Hawaii for many years, and have a liking for all kinds of sashimi.  Much prefer very fresh fish -- hours, not days old, and never over chilled much less frozen.  Logistics of a cruise ship makes this impossible.  The Poke was much better than the MDR Lobster that I skipped out on, but it left me wanting.  Unfortunately the rice was also cooked according to a basmati recipe rather than Japanese.  The grains were light, fluffy, and great texture, but inappropriate for chopsticks.

Recommend any of the hibachi or teppanyaki items over the sashimi or sushi.

My son ordered the poke bowl quiet a few times. He said it was to clean and did not taste like a local poke bowl. What he did was ask for a few extra ingredients like mayo, schiracha paste, sesame seed oil, etc and added these to his poke bowl to make a local tasting poke bowl. Waiter was surprised but for the next few dinners or lunch, those ingredients were ready for son.

[coaster]

Appreciate all the feedback here. Just made a reservation in the online planner for the second leg on our 14 night Grandeur b2b. Seems like enough cooked options now. Will be a nice break from the MDR menus.