Biwako Sushi: over 47 rolls!

A special roll: this one was on the special board. Shrimp tempura topped with mango, avocado, and coconut.

We never know how to answer when someone asks us what our favorite local sushi place is — we like different places for different things. The chef at Yamato in Kerrytown, for example, does the best super-authentic, traditional stuff around (but more on that in a future writeup).

So what does Biwako, the new sushi restaurant in Saline, do best? Offer up a dazzling array of weird and exotic rolls, many served up with some 20 sauces made in house. Here are photos of four of them. The Las Vegas and Volcano rolls are extremely popular there (and Joe's completely addicted to the Volcano). In addition to the ones on the menu, they test new rolls — like the Mango roll above — by putting them on the specials board in the front window. Our server warned us that the ones on the specials board were kind of experimental, so they might not be as good. (The Mango roll was fine, but the mango itself could have been a bit riper.) Apart from sushi, there's a limited menu which includes some Japanese and Korean specialties; we haven't tried any because we were focused on the rolls. Another local restaurant reviewer was down on Biwako for offering a vinegar-based salad dressing. We found their rice vinegar-based dressing to be refreshing... and spiked with a small amount of wasabi, just enough to give it a nice edge. It reminds me of the rice vinegar dressing that Fuji used to (still does?) serve. Contrary to what was implied in the other review, rice vinegar dressings are actually as traditional as the popular ginger dressings even if less commonly served in local restaurants.

A note here: it may not be obvious from the photos, but these rolls, especially the Las Vegas roll and the Volcano roll, are pretty big.

Sweet Dragon roll: shrimp tempura with eel on top. Pretty self-explanatory.

Las Vegas roll: eal, crab, masago, avocado, eel sauce, wasabi sauce, deep fried. Normally includes cream cheese, but we had them leave that out. Also includes their "secret sauce" — it's the clear greenish sauce with green bits in it. They wouldn't discuss ingredients, but we suspect Kiwi fruit. This sauce is on several of the rolls, but isn't listed.

Volcano roll: California roll baked with a topping of shrimp, baby scallops, crab, and masago in a spicy sauce. The photo doesn't do this one justice, either for the size of the thing or how good it is. That topping is a variant of the baked seafood appetizer sometimes called "Dynamite" on sushi bar menus in the area (e.g. Noble Fish or Miki), and the tiny scallops take it to a new level.

Biwako Sushi
1355 E. Michigan Ave (it's in a shopping center)
Saline, MI 48176

734.944.6301

Hours as of this publishing date:
Monday - Thursday 11am — 9:30pm
Friday - Satuday 11am – 10pm
Sunday 12noon — 9:30pm

Comments

my husband and i went to biwako. delicious! fairly priced. the service left a bit to be desired. we really enjoyed the honey roll.

[Jim M]

Same experience here ... service was almost resentful I was there ... but once I got the food I hardly cared. Ditto on the volcano roll. Mine came broken up, with the roll sort of like dumplings under the seafood sauce. The plain salad dressing was an excellent complement to the spicy roll. House salad is quite large, with a lot of cucumbers--you can keep eating on it while you eat the roll, as a kind of palate cleanser.

[Scott Kim]

I've been to Asia countries a lot such as Japan and Korea, where I could try a lot of sushi and rolls. I love this place because this place remind me of what I could have in Japan and Korea. Actually this store also has something for people who didn't have enough chance to try sushi before. It's owesome. I really like the food here such as sweet dragon roll and Las Vegas roll. I will definately go there again. The price is fairly reasonable too.

[Megan L]

Biwako is a staple of our diet. We have tried up to 20 different rolls and haven't tasted one we disliked yet. Some favorites are the volcano roll, mango roll and cruch n munch. Also, the bulgogi (beef stir fry) is delicious and they've even had it in roll form, which is just as good. Service is 50/50. A couple times they messed up the order or were a little inconsitent with preparation. But other times when I've been waiting for my carry out they seated me at the sushi bar and brought me tea, which was nice.

[Krystina S]

Biwako Sushi is amazing. Catering to your every desire, the chefs will include or leave out whatever you may or may not want in your roll. The staff is extremely friendly and makes you feel at home the moment you step in. The food is absolutely fabulous. Whether you are looking for a spicy roll, a safe roll, or even something fruity, there's something for everyone. Not only that, but the Korean meals are fantastic as well. Get gyoza now.

[Jeannie]

The BEST around!!!!! Service was wonderful. The food was AMAGING.

[emily]

i absolutely love biwako. everything i've tried has been fresh and delicious. i think they are the best sushi in the area. the service is a little slow, but it's mostly because ackward 16 yr olds are the servers.

Terrible. The lettuce in the salad was shriveled and brown, and the sushi tasted like it was grocery store bought.

[Dan]

This place is simply the best I've encountered. It is very fairly priced and has excellent service. I've had sushi in many states but nothing compares to Biwako. I highly recommend the kiss of fire roll, spider roll,and the trojan roll. The tuna sashimi is incredible.

[justine]

I LOVE biwako. I go there with my friend Natalia all the time and we both love it. I really like the crunch and munch and the sumo roll. I would eat there everyday if i could.

[Maxine]

Biwako is the BEST and Andy is a great guy. My kids make me take them all the time. The gyoza rocks, the rolls are fun and very well-priced (Sumo is my fav!), and they will leave the teapot if asked. Now, if I can just convince Andy to open one in Tecumseh...

[Macro8]

Thanks for this post! We were looking for a way to make the Volcano/Dynamite roll and your description is exactly what we needed to make it!

[Chris]

I went here with some family and it was amazing. The best sushi I've ever had. The p[eople were very friendly and made sure we got great service. They served all of our sushi on a wooden boat and we ate all of it. It was awesome.

[CJN]

I'm glad they are in Saline. We've been there a lot. They will make an all-broccoli tempura appetizer for my son. I especially like the shrimp tempura roll. The bulgogi is very good and has a nice assortment of vegetables. The new sushi guy isn't as good, but the owner is very nice and the servers do an adequate job (they just seem inexperienced). They have always been nice about replacing items if they come out differently than you want (sometimes they sprinkle some weird dried flakes on the rice).

[Merrie]

I went there for lunch today, and it was FANtastic. I had the Honey and the Crunch and Munch, and both were amazing. The sauces were subtle yet delicious. I also really enjoyed the gyoza, which was crisp and firm. And there were real chopsticks and not disposable!

[jenn]

service: wonderful
price: good
food: you kidding!!! it's real good.

i used o live in LA, Biwako is one of top ten best sushi in my whole life.

[Riley]

I go to Biwako all the time with my brother. It is great! It's much better than Sushi dot com (in Ann Arbor) and Sushi Cafe (at Briarwood). The people are pleasant, the service is great, and to top it off the rolls are consistently excellent. We always order the Ferrari, Las Vegas, and Manhattan rolls, but we have yet to taste a roll we didn't like!

[Karen]

Me and my husband eat out frequently at Biwako. We are big fans of the authentic Korean dishes, especially the Bulgogi and the Dakbokum. The waiters are efficient and easygoing, too. We will be back soon!