Eatery - Soya Sushi Bar & Bistro (VA)

225 Laskin Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Pricing - $$/$$$ | Dining - Casual | Cuisine - Japanese, Sushi

With a hankering for seafood of some sort because we were at a beach, my friends and I settled for this sushi bar right near our parking spot. When we walked in, we noticed how fitting the decor was and that it had a nice ambiance to it. The food ended up being a little bit pricier than we thought but the justification was that we were at a tourist trap of a city and were having sushi. There were other things on the menu besides sushi but I personally figured that I went to a sushi bar to have sushi, not other things. The problem I had with this meal overall was that I had sore in my mouth right behind my front teeth so eating everything, especially sushi in one bite, was quite painful. However, the ginger was good and the wasabi potent. Good restaurant but not mindblowing.


My friend ordered the chicken hibachi entree which came with soup and salad. She didn't really want the salad so I took it and it was fairly decent. The greens were actually fresh and the combination of which vegetables they picked worked well together. It was drizzled in a ginger sesame dressing that had a good amount of tang to it.


For dishes, I first had Unagi (うなぎ) which is freshwater eel for those of you unfamiliar with it. Apologies for my picture being so bright but the restaurant had dim lighting and all I shoot with is a point-and-shoot so flash was needed. It was a generous chunk of eel with the right amount of sauce over it. Not as bony as others that I've had, the eel was cooked well and the rice a fitting size. I had my friend try some even though he doesn't like fish or seafood in general and he actually approved!


Next was their Hamachi (鰤) roll which is Japanese amberjack/yellowtail. My favorite! The roll had cucumber, scallions, and small roe. It was refreshing and nice. The rice was a little too much (it was a rather tall roll) and hid the texture of the fish somewhat but overall, a good roll.


My second roll was their Golden Scallop roll which consisted of baked scallops on top (complete with with smothered in Japanese mayo) and spicy tuna on the bottom. It looked a bit overwhelming because the topping was overflowing on the big pieces of the roll. I liked this one a lot because the spicy tuna had just enough kick to complement the mayo-y scallops. It was a heavy roll though, and I had a hard time getting through all the pieces. Perhaps they should let up on the mayo next time!