What's a little Sushi among Co-Workers?

When I started my new job, I replaced Lee who moved to another department and I worried about being compared to someone who was just a walk down the hall away. Though I've never been a second wife, I have compared the feeling because although people will say they are not measuring the two side by side, really, they are and no one wants that type of judgement. I was introduced to people for at least a solid week as, "This is Sharon, the new Lee," or "This is Sharon, she's taking Lee's spot." I couldn't wait to meet the woman I was continuously linked to by way of introduction. Finally, I met Lee and liked her immediately; a real laugh, a no BS attitude, and a warm smile (and the best head of hair)!

It's been 3 years now and we've gone out to lunch a few times and shared zeppolis that were to die for, but Lee had discovered, "THE best damn sushi place ever!" So, we finally went with Debi and a new culinary adventure was born.

At Suffern's Sushi Bada, Lee is welcomed as a regular and since she has confessed to eating there at least once a week, ordering would only be to change her mind. As a first time visitor, I wait to order last and stay at the shallow end of the pool by ordering a California roll (which I've had several times in other restaurants) and a Spider roll.

Conversation is a mix of outside world and shop talk with a heavy concentration on the restaurant itself. A busy lunch crowd makes me feel good about the freshness of the ingredients and watching the rolls prepared a counter which a few diners can also sit at is additional reassurance they have nothing to hide.

We are brought drinks, salad and miso soup within quick succession. In fact, if I remember correctly, the salad and soup may have been placed on the table at the same time. For some, this may feel a bit rushed, but since we are clearly on our lunch hour the service felt more considerate then "hurry up so we can give someone else this table." The soup's broth was warm and comforting and the salad was crisp and fresh.

Next, we were brought a dish of edamame for the table and an empty plate for the pods. The edamame was warm and salted and I had to resist the urge to make them my meal. I reminded myself the point of coming to this restaurant was the sushi and used my best inner Mommy voice to say, "Don't eat too much of those or you won't have room for your lunch!"




And when the rolls were served, no one was surprised that I wanted to take pictures of every one's plate. I was encouraged and Lee gave me a taste of her special Tuna Love which the menu describes as a spicy tuna with tuna on top with scallion, crunch and special sauce. It was the gentle pop of the roe that hooked me and the bit of heat that lingered briefly on the tongue that sold the dish.





The cell phone camera does not do the plate justice, but the Tuna Love is in the middle of the plate above.




Debi and I ordered similar plates and so the picture above and the one below are fairly similar but from different angles. We both had the Spider Roll, a soft shell crab roll with avocado, lettuce and cucumber. Of course many of the same flavors also appeared in my California roll. The sauce drizzled on the plate was silky and light. Though it is fairly common to place wasabi in the small dish for dipping with soy sauce, I avoid the wasabi. I enjoyed the entire process of eating with chopsticks and dipping each cut roll into the soy sauce. Each bite was not just about the flavors, but the mixtures of textures as well.





We were full and content with no room to try a dessert. Next time. But, I do take a healthy bite of the ginger on my plate and feel the zippy heat slide across my tongue.

Googling the word, "bada" reveals a number of meanings and although the restaurant describes itself as new age Japanese fusion, the Korean definition of bada is sea.

Google the word, "coworker" and the formal definition is a fellow worker but in my life they have always been more simply called, "friends."