Kurama Sushi

Kurama Sushi at the corner of Franklin and Columbia in Chapel Hill (105 N Columbia) has been my favorite sushi in the Triangle since I got here in 2006. N and I have a long history with this restaurant, which played a big part in our relationship. We've never had a bad experience at Kurama through our many many trips to this establishment. They have a wide variety of sushi, appetizers, and delicious noodles. Their udon is particularly delicious- especially on a cold day. Make sure you ask for some of the ichimi togarishi (pepper flakes) to compliment the udon.

We went there tonight for dinner (after visiting Ben & Jerry's for Free Cone Day today), and true to form, left satisfied. They have a sushi conveyor belt to add to the dining experience. The staff are friendly and the sushi chefs prepare both beautiful and delicious offerings. Below are a couple samples of what we had tonight.

Their extensive sushi menu is below. I've made it my goal to try everything on this menu, and thanks to the low prices, and our frequent visits, I'm getting pretty close. They also have a great menu of rolls.

N is a big fan of the Spider Roll and Unagi. I would recommend the Hiro Roll, Salmon Skin Roll, the Scallop Nigiri, and Octopus Nigiri. Overall, an emphatic 5 out of 5 for Kurama Sushi & Noodle Express.

Vit Goal Tofu

Vit Goal is tucked away in South Durham, near the intersection of Highways 54 and 55 (2107 Allendown Dr) and is a perennial favorite of mine and N's. It's also located next to a great Korean grocery if you want to try to replicate any of these dishes at home. We've been there probably 3 times and it's been consistently delicious. Though they offer some specials and Korean BBQ (as noted by the sign ;-) ), their specialty is definitely in their soups.

I'm a big fan of their presentation and ambiance, they have lots of nice Korean prints on the walls and they certainly know how to set a table- as you can see at the right.

They bring out a variety of different pickled veggies (mmm, kim chi...) along with a miso soup, and rice along with your meal. This time we ordered the Seafood Tofu soup and the Bibimbap. The Seafood Tofu soup was FANTASTIC! Pairs of whole shrimp, clams, and oysters in a chunky tofu broth that was rich and filling. The different flavors of the seafood permeated each spoonful, it's actually making me salivate all over again just thinking about it.... N's Bibimbap was alright, rice layered with ground meat, veggies, and a fried egg on top. It was good, but not the most stellar we've tried.



We give Vit Goal a 4-stars (out of 5). Plus you've got to give props to a restaurant with a spice rating chart that ranges from White to Hottest :-)