I love Asian food. Seriously…LOVE it. Every kind of it. Which is why when a little gem of a place like Beijing comes around, my foodie self rejoices!
Beijing Grill & Sushi Bar, at first glance, would seem like something that would be fighting to survive on Gordon Ramsay’s “Kitchen Nightmares.” Not that the place is a mess. It’s not. In fact, it is immaculate. What worries me about this restaurant is, every time I’ve been in there, no one else has been. It’s so quiet. It’s so…empty. And that is truly a sad thing.
Located in Sellersburg, Indiana, Beijing offers a fantastic menu consisting of Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese food. In addition, they have one of the best sushi bars I have ever been to. Seriously. The woman who makes their sushi is a master and no other sushi has come to live up to the standards of hers. It is, without a doubt, the best sushi outside of Japan.
I went to Beijing on St. Patrick’s Day. I love Irish pubs, but not on thatcommercialized Irish holiday. So, instead I went to a bar – a sushi bar. And it was just what I needed that day.
To begin my meal, I ordered a Vegetable Sushi Roll off the sushi menu. It was delicious. And they don’t skimp on the size either. Most sushi establishments give you tiny slices of a small roll. Not at Beijing. You get a large roll, sliced into 5-8 pieces. Each bite is delicious. While eating it, the woman who makes them came over to see if we got the vegetable one because we don’t eat meat. My roommate does eat meat, but I said that I did not and she said next time she could make it with apple or whatever I wanted in it. Now, name another place where they will personalize a sushi roll to your taste? Regardless, the one she made was delicious and I ate most of it as my roommate was sampling their egg rolls off the appetizer menu.
For my entree, I wanted to try something different. Previously I had ordered off the Vietnamese menu…the Boom Cha Gio Vermicelli Bowl. But since then I had become a vegetarian, so the spring rolls that were on that bowl were not going to work for me. I opted to try something off their Chinese menu, deciding on the Spicy Eggplant and Tofu entree. This was a simple roasted eggplant stirfried with fried tofu and topped with roasted sesame. It looks a bit of a mess when it is set down in front of you, but the taste is exceptional. Not even kidding. The eggplant was roasted and marinated to perfection. The tofu was done perfectly. Despite the huge portion size and my indulging on the sushi roll prior, I ate every last bite of it. Cleaned my plate completely. Happily stuffed and in Asian food heaven.
Another thing to point out about this fantastic restaurant is that they can substitute tofu or mock chicken for almost any dish on their menu. Talk about vegetarian friendly. They also have a note on the menu that if you alert them to any food allergies, they will accomadate you and make sure you have a safe dining experience.
Honestly, if you like a variety of Asian foods, Beijing is the place to go. The food has always been delicious. The service is great. And you feel like the people there really care about you and want you to have the best dining experience you can. And that says a lot these days when most people think Asian food is always served buffet style, drenched in thick, fattening sauces, and over overcooked fried rice. This is a refreshing change. Freshly cooked food done perfectly to reflect the area of Asia it is derived from.
If you are in the Sellersburg area and want amazing sushi…or Asian food. Go to Beijing. Just go. You can thank me later!
The Celiathlete 