You don’t need to buy a ticket to Tokyo to experience the wonders of hand rolled sushi and Japanese convenience store treats.

Just off the corner of Dempster Street and Chicago Avenue, Sea Ranch Sushi serves a variety of classic Japanese dishes, from sushi to ramen, that offer the perfect spring bite to welcome the warm weather. 

While half of the store holds a sushi counter and wooden tables, the other half is a mini grocery store that sells Japanese cooking essentials, frozen foods and snacks, such as wasabi peas, Hi-Chew and Pocky.

This hidden gem is located at 518 Dempster St., a 15-minute walk from South Campus or a short ride on the Intercampus Shuttle. You can dine inside of Sea Ranch or order online for takeout or delivery. You can also order Sea Ranch from Evanston Pour, a coffee shop located two doors down, a perfect agenda for finals season.

Sea Ranch’s regular rolls, ranging between $3 and $7, are the perfect lunchtime bargain. These rolls come with a variety of fish, including tuna, salmon, eel and shrimp. We ordered the north ocean roll, filled with salmon and avocado. The salmon was light and melted in our mouths, while the avocado added a refreshing creaminess.

In addition to classic flavors, Sea Ranch offers a variety of specialty rolls that blend a fusion of avant-garde flavors and cuisines, including the Peruvian ceviche roll and spicy Mexican roll. Sea Ranch also pays homage to its location with specialty rolls like the spicy Evanston roll, filled with tuna, salmon and dill, and the spicy Illinois roll, stuffed with albacore and scallions.

Off the specialty menu, we ordered the mango roll. The roll comes with tuna, avocado and tempura crunch, and it’s topped with spicy mayo and mango. The soft texture of the tuna and avocado paired well with the slice of mango, which added the perfect sweet touch to the spicy mayo. All these elements, combined with the tempura crunch, made for a delicious bite.

Sea Ranch has perfected the sweet and spicy balance with the spicy white dragon roll. Inside, the roll had eel, avocado, tempura crunch and pineapple, which packed a sweet, refreshing punch. The outside of the roll was covered in a salty, seared albacore. Drizzles of spicy mayo and eel sauce on top added a rich, umami flavor that cut through the sweetness of the pineapple. 

Although sushi is in its name, Sea Ranch also offers udon, soba and ramen noodle bowls. Ranging from $8 to $16, these noodle dishes come with a variety of proteins, including pork belly and shrimp tempura, and vegetable toppings. For the best of both worlds, you can also order a noodle bowl set, which comes with one California roll.

We washed down our sushi with UCC milk tea, one of several canned drinks available in Sea Ranch’s grocery section. This Japanese drink had the delicate balance of bittersweetness, helping to cleanse our palate as we hopped from roll to roll. 

After stuffing ourselves with sushi rice, we digested our meal by strolling through Sea Ranch’s grocery aisles. We passed Sea Ranch’s large cooler, which offered make-your-own-sushi ingredients and chilled desserts. 

No meal is complete without a sweet treat. We opted for the red bean-filled daifuku mochi, which you can pick up in the grocery portion of Sea Ranch. The gelatinous texture of the mochi complemented the sweet bean paste filling, and the sesame seeds added a slight crunch to the smooth and tasty dessert. 

Whether you are looking for a quick bite for lunch or are heading down to the beach for a picnic, Sea Ranch Sushi is sure to have what you are looking for. 

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