The Abundant Sushi Project - An Inspiration-Raiser ~ February 9, 2020

This event was planned and organized by Edward Kuo. The backstory below is by Edward.

"The Abundant Love Project: In September 2019, The Community Church in Ada invested the proceeds from a land sale by giving $242 to each of its members, encouraging members to apply the funds in individualized ways to bless the world. This event is part of a series of themed social events, raising awareness of specific causes and funding others to replicate this process to positively affect the community around them. We debuted the series with the 'Abundant Bourbon Project' this past fall and raised nearly $750 for the Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan. We hope the 'Abundant Sushi Project' can raise around $1,000."

Edward chose Heartside Ministry as the beneficiary of this event, and a diverse group of 20 people gathered at the Simple Fish Restaurant for our 'omakase' experience. (The phrase 'omakase' is most commonly used in Japanese restaurants when the customer leaves it up to the chef to serve his/her seasonal specialties.) Simple Fish is closed on Sundays and the chef agreed to host this private event on a Sunday night. The food here is top-notch so without further ado, here is what we enjoyed.

Our first dish (out of seven) was Bulgogi with Kimchee. Nice and spicy!

Number two was the Fireflower Roll (asparagus, spicy tuna, cucumber, masago, topiko wrapped with seared ebi [butterflied shrimp], furikake, green onion, spicy sauce and eel sauce). This complex combination was an explosion of flavor and is not to be missed!

Marinated Hamachi (Yellow Tail) was up next along with a baked Scallop Roll. Double deliciousness! Of particular note was the sauce in which the Yellow Tail was served. It was made from rice vinegar, lemon juice, and soy sauce. Simply the best at Simple fish.

Uni (sea urchin) with a raw Quail egg came next and the recommended eating procedure was to take it as a shot, so that's what we did. A slight mishap resulted in me not getting a quail egg but I can vouch for the sea urchin!

Jeyuk (pork belly) stir fry was number five. My dining partner happily ate most of this dish, and if this wasn't dish number five, he would have had more. 😊

Number six was, in my opinion, the best of the night. Beautifully presented, the Bluefin Tuna Nigiri (Maguru) came with eating instructions. Pick it up with your hand, dip the end in the soy sauce, take one bite, and repeat. It is a two-bite dish.

Our last item of the night was Salmon Teriyaki. It was as lovely as all the others but was probably my least favorite of the night (but it was stiff competition).

This wonderful staff put on a dinner we won't quickly forget. Informative, friendly and efficient, they did their best to put on a great event, and they truly succeeded.

Additional thanks go to Greg Randall, Executive Director of Heartside Ministry, who not only bought into the dinner to benefit Heartside Ministry but also braved the winter weather to be here to speak to the group.

It was a fun gathering and new friends were made 😊

Notes were taken on a left over container and said left overs were enjoyed the next day.

You may already have a favorite Sushi restaurant but I don't think you will find any better than Simple Fish.

The evening brought in $2956.99 for Heartside Ministry, and Simple Fish gave us a evening of culinary adventures!