The clouds are clearing, the snow is melting (hopefully for good this time), and the daffodil shoots are beginning to sprout. All signs seem to be pointing to the onset of spring, which means I am craving less hearty, stew-leaning meals, and instead wanting something fresh and light: sushi. With my immediate offerings in Three Rivers being less-than-desirable in the realm of raw fish, I set my sights on Toba Sushi in Kalamazoo.

Toba has been open for just barely a year, and my most recent visit was not my first. I dined at Toba within the first few weeks of its opening day, and have been dying to return ever since. I went into this experience, however, deciding to only order items I did not have the first time.

My companion and I chose a Sunday evening for our sushi dinner, and the cozy restaurant was nearly packed at 6 p.m. We snagged one of the available tables and we were greeted with menus and coffee mugs of ice water. Famished, we went to work scanning the menu and making a game plan of selections. Service was a bit slow this night, and it did take almost 15 minutes for us to see our server again. We chalked it up to a busy night with low staffing and settled into our hunger without holding a grudge.

Once we were able to grab our server and place our order, our food all came out astonishingly fast. Our appetizer of edamame ($5) arrived at our table in just minutes, and billowed with steam when we removed the bowl lid. These soybeans were as fresh as they could be, and each one was perfectly coated in sea salt. Arriving with the edamame was our shared bowl of miso soup, which was part of an entree we ordered. The Japanese miso paste broth was rich and luscious, and filled with tofu, seaweed, and scallions. 

When I left Toba after dining there a year ago I vowed to return for one of their sushi burritos, and, true to my word, this night I split the Toba Burrito ($15) with my partner. A wrap of seaweed stuffed with cooked shrimp, shrimp tempura, spicy crab salad, avocado, tempura flakes, eel sauce, and a sweet and spicy sauce, this entree is a beast. The burrito was so enormous we barely ate just one half between the two of us. I will admit I did feel somewhat let down by the Toba Burrito — but not because it wasn’t tasty. It just was too messy, and too overly-complicated. Because of its massive size, it was impossible to take a bite that would encompass all the components of the “roll,” and so we were left with bites that just didn’t seem to make sense. The Toba Burrito taught me that sometimes you *can* have too much of a good thing. 

Because we apparently didn’t have enough sushi on our table yet, we also ordered a spicy tuna roll ($8). This roll was simple and stunningly perfect, filled with raw tuna, masago, scallions, and a spicy mayo sauce. I was blown away by the buttery tuna and the punch of heat, and we devoured the roll in sheer minutes. 

For our second entree we decided to share the Bulgogi Plate ($19). The plate itself was barely visible beneath the piling of bulgogi beef, veggies, rice, and salad. The salad was a mixture of iceberg lettuce, kale, red cabbage, carrot, tomato, and cucumber, and tossed in a tangy and bright ginger dressing. Though it was merely a side salad, it was loaded with flavor and brought a cool, refreshing element to the hot dish. 

Bulgogi is Korean and means “fire meat,” traditionally made from thin slices of sirloin, ribeye, or brisket, which is grilled on a barbecue or a stove-top griddle. The meat is also flavored with umami seasonings like soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic. Toba’s take on this dish was quite close to the traditional preparation, though I did find myself wishing the cuts of beef were a bit more substantial. The vegetables served alongside made up for this, however, with orange and red bell pepper, mushrooms, broccoli, and zucchini being the perfect compliment to the rest of the meal. 

Not only did we manage to leave Toba Sushi with full stomachs and to-go boxes (sushi burrito for breakfast, anyone?), but our cravings for sushi were sufficiently satisfied and, with that, we waddled off into the spring sunset. 

Beca Welty is a staff writer and columnist for Watershed Voice.