North End Fish Market

          Sushi in the North End? Yes please! I know it sounds crazy, but working in the North End my lunch options are limited (in terms of variety, not quantity). I love Italian as much as the next girl, but after working in the North End for the past year I’ve done my best to track down some of the more diverse spots. My latest find is the North End Fish Market (or Mercato de Mare) on Salem Street.

          This place is primarily a market, with fresh fish, lobster, and prepared seafood (crab cakes, stuffed clams, chowder, lobster rolls, etc). However, they do have a sushi chef with his own corner in the front who prepares sushi to order.

          I tried the avocado salad, spicy tuna, and shrimp tempura rolls. The avocado salad was one of the best I’ve had. The avocado was extremely fresh, served in long thick slices atop a bed of crab meat and sliced cucumber. The whole thing was drizzled with spicy mayo. I generally don’t like mayo at all, but spicy mayo is the exception in small doses. This had the perfect amount.

          The shrimp tempura roll was also delicious. When I placed my order they cooked two shrimp fresh, which is something I’ve never seen (aside from a couple of extremely high end places).

          The spicy tuna roll was fresh and tasty, and with ten pieces a very generous portion.

          The total came to $20, which is a little more than I usually spend for lunch, but for a delicious fresh, filling sushi lunch, it was definitely a bargain! I plan to go back, would recommend this place to my coworkers (also sushi fans), and may even bring home some of the fish or prepared seafood for dinner.