Satsuma Kitchen

Satsuma (Wilmington, DE)

My husband and I decided to have a laid-back dinner for New Year’s Eve.  We had never been to Satsuma, but heard good things from friends of ours.  When we entered the restaurant, we saw the sushi bar on the left side, some high-top tables on our right, and a lot of employees milling around.  They were not busy at all.  We were shuffled upstairs where more tables were situated and took our place in a comfy booth below an eclectic light fixture.  We each ordered a drink and then started reviewing the menu.  There are a few vegetarian options on the Satsuma menu, but not an overwhelming amount.  We decided to start off by sharing the Edamame and Asian BBQ Tofu.  My main meal was The Veg roll.

The Edamame came out first.  It was cooked with chiles, olive oil, and smoked sea salt.  Each bean had a good combo of heat and saltiness to it.  My husband took more than a few sips of water while we devoured the dish.  I like Edamame and this new take on it piqued the interest of my tastebuds.

Next came the Asian BBQ Tofu.  Although my husband is not a tofu person, I did talk him into trying a piece, but he was more interested in his tuna rolls.  That’s OK, more for me!  The tofu was soaked in BBQ sauce, with it permeating each orifice (not just slathered on top).  There were spicy walnuts, arugula, and pickled red onions atop the tofu pieces.  There was also a drizzle of lemon oil, which I actually couldn’t taste (thank goodness because I am NOT a huge fan of lemon).  The tofu had been pan fried and just a hint of crispiness to its exterior.  It played nicely with the crunchy walnuts and chewy arugula.

The final part of my meal was The Veg roll – avocado, asparagus, fennel, and pea shoots wrapped in seaweed and rice sitting atop some truffle aioli. Even though I don’t love asparagus or fennel, I thought I would give it a shot because the truffle aioli sounded good.  Well, this was a mistake of mine.  The truffle aioli was a bit too heavy for my liking and it did nothing to cover the taste of the avocado or fennel.  I understand that this is not a bad thing if someone likes those vegetables – you aren’t supposed to hide a taste in any dish.  I was just hoping that the combination would help my tastebuds get along with the other flavors.  Each bite incorporated the creamy avocado with the crispy textures of the other veggies.

Overall, this is a good restaurant for vegetarians and I look forward to going back for the BBQ Tofu and maybe some wasabi mashed potatoes!