We Are Hook's-ed

When Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote, "How do I love thee. Let me count the ways." I don't think she was talking about Hook's Sushi Bar & Thai Food in St Petersburg, FL, however that is how I feel about it! Hook's is my absolute favorite sushi spot because its menu is extensive and, more importantly, it has three of the most scrumptious items that no other spots can match. What could they be?

Two days ago I won a bet with my boyfriend (a story for another day LOL) so I got to pick where dinner would be and, of course, I picked Hook's Sushi. Our mouths were watering thinking of the tasty food. When was the last time we went to Hook's? Has it been that long? Tisk tisk.

Once seated we hurriedly scanned through the menu, as if we even needed to, and marked our choices. We were super hungry so we decided on two appetizers, our usual must of BAKED GREEN MUSSELS (pieces of mussels baked on the half shell topped with spicy sauce) and a SUNOMONO (mix shellfish, thinly sliced cucumber, in a tangy soy vinaigrette), which is something we've never tried from Hook's before.

Wait, just one order of Baked Mussels? It's gluttonous to say but we've many a times ordered two. Yes, the Baked Mussels at Hook's are that good! So good I had to find out how to make it so I can eat it whenever I have the cravings. Hook's, why oh why can't you be open 24 hours?!

Not to be outdone, the Sunomono was equally delish! I must admit, I was a little apprehensive about ordering it. I've eaten the Sunomono from other restaurants and they always skimped on the seafood. Would Hook's be the same? My apprehension faded when the waitress placed the order on our table. The bowl was filled to the rim with krab (immitation crab sticks), octopus and shrimp. Definitely an item we will order again.

Feeling satisfied but still hungry after the appetizers, we downed some sake bombs and waited for the main event. We didn't need to wait long before our sushi arrived comprised of unquestionably my two favorite rolls of the entire menu - the Never Say Never and the KC. All the ingredients in the NEVER SAY NEVER (jalapeno, salmon, eel, yellowtail, cream cheese, asparagus, krab, tempura and house sauce) work so well together to create the most perfect roll. What sets the Never Say Never apart from other sushi rolls is the spiciness of the jalapeno. It's just enough to give you a kick but only lasts until the next piece is in your mouth.

And then there's the KC roll (sliced cucumber wrapped with salmon, krab, smelt roe, scallion with ponzu sauce). It tastes quite the opposite from the Never Say Never but is equally delicious. This roll has no rice and is wrapped in cucumber so it tastes really fresh. It's one of those rolls you never get tired of eating because it's so darn fresh!

We gulped down the sushi, alternating between rolls, occasionally wondering if we had ordered enough. We decided to finish what we had before making another decision. Before we even got to the last piece, we each placed our hands on our stomachs, looked at each other and let out a groan. We were officially STUFFED!

As always, Hook's didn't fail us. Every dish were exceptionally made with super fresh and flavorful ingredients. With our stomachs bulging and our cravings quenched, we rolled out of Hook's promising ourselves we'd be back real soon.


Check out the RECIPES section for my version of the Baked Green Mussels and other delicious recipes.


Website for Hook's: http://www.hookssushi.com