Sushi Ya Restaurant

Posted on April 24, 2008
Filed Under Restaurants

When we first moved to the Algarve, there wasn’t a Japanese restaurant in sight. This was a sad thought for sushi lovers like us, so we resigned ourselves to making it at home. Then one day while driving through downtown Faro, we spotted what appeared to be a mirage….a small, new van with the words SUSHI written on the side….could it be?!

Since we were in an one-way lane, we needed to circle back to get more information off the van. Excited to find where fresh sushi was hiding, we made a quick turn, and headed back…only to discover, it was gone!… :o(

Feeling a bit like we just lost our family pet, Moses and I returned home, and tried to forget how close we came to having sushi that day. Knowing it was “somewhere” near by, we asked around every chance we got. Then finally, a friend who also happens to love sushi directed us to where we could find it!

Feeling a bit like kids at Christmas, we planned a dinner and even took an uninitiated soul with us. On arrival, we couldn’t believe this place had been under our nose the entire time, “Sushi Ya”. We had driven on a crossing street to the restaurant dozens of times, but now we were here and excited to try sushi in the Algarve.

This is a small but very cozy restaurant with Japanese inspired decor. It serves up a range of sushi and sashimi, plus a choice of Japanese beers and teas to accompany your favorite rolls, sashimi or whatever tickles your fancy.

We regularly order a bowl of edamame to start, accompanied with some gyoza, and for our entree, we love our hot sushi rolls, futomaki, grilled salmon skin rolls and some cold ones too: California maki, café Japan maki. Writing this, is making me want to order some of their take out…very tempting…actually, they also do home deliveries, now that’s dangerous.

So, if your in the mood for non traditional fare, and feeling the call of the Orient, this is some good sushi and the service is very friendly.

The only disappointment so far has been the desserts. A little to heavy, dense and rich after sushi. I think some nice light options with Asian inspiration like white chocolate ginger cheesecake, or some exotic fruit sorbets like mango, lime or lychee, or even something with fruit and roasted coconut…mmmm. Getting very hungry, and hope someone from Sushi Ya sees this post, so we can go back and have great sushi, and great desserts!

Sushi Ya Restaurant Faro
Cuisine type(s): Sushi, Sashimi, Take-away
Avg. price: €20-25 per person (bottle of wine, appetizer, main dish)

Location: Rua Cruz das Mestras, n.º 36
Faro, Algarve (view on Google Map)

Hours: Open Tuesday to Sunday. Kitchen closes at 10pm.