Mizu 36

It might only be an urban myth that the best Japanese food ever can be found in a nondescript strip mall. Yet such is the case at Mizu 36, located on Route 36 in the shopping center that houses the West Long Branch Shop Rite.

Behind mirrored windows hides a chic little spot to get unlimited sushi or assorted Japanese dishes. Walk in to be greeted by the hostess at her ornate welcome desk. On one side of the restaurant are two rows of small booths that run parallel to a long sushi bar, where you can get all you can eat made to order for $32.99 ($21.99 for lunch). On the other side of restaurant are two additional rows of cozy booths.

I’m not the person to make $33 of sushi worth it, but that’s fine: you can order whatever you want from their extensive menu. They have everything from chicken katsu to assorted hibachi meals, teriyaki many ways including steak, tofu, beef negimaki, lobster, filet mignon, and salmon style.

For a strip mall sushi joint, Mizu 36 is downright classy. Traditional Japanese designs are cut into the wooden booths, the ceiling has ornate, maze like lighting elements, and the spacious interior is always cool and clean.

They have an extensive selection of sushi and sashimi menu, with assorted classic rolls, cone-style hand rolls and Mizu signature rolls. Top picks on the signature rolls include the fiery Dynamite Roll, with hot blackened tuna and avocado inside and spicy crunchy scallops outside. Another popular cooked roll is the Mama Mia Roll with shrimp tempura inside, and the Angry Dragon roll with shrimp tempura and spicy tuna inside. The deep-fried salmon and yellowtail Godzilla roll is another hot pick.

There are many, many specialty rolls you’ve probably never seen anywhere else, like the heart-shaped Valentine Roll with spicy hot tuna inside and fresh tuna outside, the crab and shrimp Strawberry roll, or the Paradise Roll, with shrimp tempura, lobster salad, and fried banana wrapped in soybean paper.

They even have sushi rolls with no rice! There’s the Rainbow Naruto Roll with salmon, tuna, and yellowtail; the Green Phoenix Roll with crunchy tuna wrapped in avocado, and the Bomb Naruto Roll, hot lobster tempura and spicy mani wrapped in sliced cucumber.

Mizu 36 also has amazing appetizers, including the best tempura I’ve ever had—and I went to Tokyo! It’s melt in your mouth delicious. So we start by ordering that, only $10 for the appetizer. We also indulge in an order of seaweed salad and, because it’s summertime, we try their Vietnamese Summer Roll, with mango, avocado and shrimp wrapped in rice paper with vermicelli.

For our main course, we get the Mizu 36 Deluxe, with the Amazing Tuna Roll, a hot tuna sushi roll topped with spicy crunchy tuna. It comes with a miso soup and a side salad, so I order a bowl of their delicious, savory Hot & Sour soup, studded with chunks of tofu and assorted dried mushrooms in a thick broth. It’s always been one of my faves and Mizu 36 does it very well, with no weird springy things and not excess vinegar to make you pucker.

Like a lot of New Jersey restaurants, Mizu 36 doesn’t have a liquor license, so we bring our own Sapporos to sip on. If you forget, the Shop Rite liquor store is located right next to the restaurant.

Our no-nonsense waitress first brings Js miso soup and side salad with ginger dressing. Then she drops off a a big tower of fresh seaweed salad on a triangular dish. Then my big bowl of hot and sour soup, which has a deep color and is nice and just the right amount of vinegary.

Mizu 36 also has a wide variety of soups, from basic Tom Yum seafood soup to Shrimp Coconut Milk Soup, plus 20 assorted Udon and Ramen varieties. They do noodles very well, and have wok and grill signature dishes, plus a variety of assorted bento boxes, for those who can’t make up their minds.

On the speakers is a KPOP version of Sweet Dreams by the Eurythmics. It’s quiet but fun with good vibes. Then all at once, a robot with a kitten face and shelves for guts delivers our appetizers. The no-nonsense waitress with braces laughs at me squealing over the robot.

The hot tempura and cold summer rolls arrive. The summer rolls are perfect with ripe avocado, shrimp, mango, cuke, and greens wrapped in thin rice paper and sliced into rolls. The best part is the rich coconut peanut dipping sauce. Yum!

We tuck into our tasty appetizers but don’t eat them all, because we want to leave room for sushi. While we wait, a couple at the table across from ours gets a huge boat full of sushi. Ours is next and I’ll find out what’s amazing about this tuna roll.

Once we get our apps wrapped, the sushi platter arrives. It’s so delicious, with giant pieces of finely-cut fish, plus the peppery hot Amazing Tuna Roll. I think it’s truly amazing, but J eschews it, calling the crunchy hotness too hot and crunchy.

No matter, there’s plenty of food for us both, and we end up packing up leftover sushi for the next day’s lunch, as well. We like everything we’ve ordered here in the past, and according to the inter webs, folks rave about the tuna roll, homemade shrimp wonton soup, gyoza dumplings, and the ramen.

Mizu 36 is so good, it makes J muse whether the dicey-looking pizza place called Serpicos down the way is equally good. One day soon, I’ll find out.

Mizu 36
145 Monmouth Rd. #9
West Long Branch NJ 07764
732-963-9898
https://www.mizu36.com/Sunday

Sunday 12:30-10 p.m.
Monday 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
Closed Tuesdays
Wednesday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
Friday 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.
Saturday 12-10:30 p.m.

Save a Few Clams

Get a deal at lunchtime with any three rolls for $17, or get the Teriyaki, Tempura, or Hibachi lunch box with California roll, soup, salad, rice, and fried shumai dumplings for $18. Also, BYOB for discount booze.