Page 40 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2019

ADDRESS:
Sazerac Square 125 Davis Avenue Pass Christian
PHONE:
228.222.4647
HOURS:
Tues - Thu 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Fri and Sat 11-10 p.m.
While it once was considered an “exotic” food that involves raw fish, sushi has become a billion dollar industry in the U.S. According to Forbes magazine, Japan is exporting an all-time high of almost 10,000 tons of rice used for sushi. That’s a pretty big deal for a food that by definition means “fermented rice” in Japanese.
You can find sushi at restaurants across the Coast and even in some supermarkets and specialty stores. But like other food trends — think craft beer, coffee and ice cream — sushi is also a part of the “b-word” culture. Chef Scott Meinka, who owns Fatsumo Sushi in Pass Christian, has no problem with the “b-word” label.
“Fatsumo Sushi is a boutique sushi restaurant,” he said. “We use only the freshest ingredients we can find and everything is made to order in small batches.”
Meinka, who was trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, has been living on
the Coast for 10 years. He had a sushi place in Orange Grove before opening his current place in Pass Christian. In February, Fatsumo will celebrate six years at its current location in Sazerac Square at 125 Davis Avenue.
“One thing that sets us apart, besides the quality of our ingredients, is we don’t offer things like teriyaki and other items that have become popular at some sushi restaurants,” he said.
The menu at Fatsumo isn’t overly long and complicated. Meinka offers several non-sushi appetizers such as Yokozuna tuna (a tuna tartar served over shrimp chips) and ceviche. Britany, Fatsumo’s longtime server, described the tuna dish as “sushi nachos.” It’s also worth mentioning that Britany lives on a sailboat in Pass Christian Harbor.
Although ceviche is often associated with the cuisine of Latin America, Fatsumo’s version of shrimp and fish marinated in lime juice with
FATSUMO
story by Jeff Clark photos by Jeff Clark and courtesy of Fatsumo
40 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • January 2019
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YOKOZUNA Tuna
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