Tamaya Sushi @ Sacramento

Has anyone else noticed that over the past 3 years or so that Japanese restaurants have been popping up like Starbucks? Apparently it's "trendy" for new restaurant entrepreneurs to open "cool" Japanese restaurants or sushi bars, but more specifically asian fusion type. Additionally, has anyone else noticed that all such type restaurants their sushi rolls are loaded with sauce? the fish is never fresh..and well flavors are distinct because they are just melded together. Well! While Tamaya is like one of these restaurants, I'm happy to report that it isn't loaded with sauce! The rolls aren't ginormous...and this place isn't really trying "hard." While it still isn't the best sushi, because well we all know that my heart goes to this small mom and pop place, Tamaya is good and I will go again! This is da-yogi's fav place, and I can see why :)

Phoenix Roll & Hamachi Nigiri
[Phoenix Roll: tempura shrimp, unagi, crab w. unagi sauce]
so when i look for at sushi menu and see what roll i want...mentally i have specificiations...i like avacado, i like unagi, i like tempura shrimp, i like crab, i like tuna, i like hamachi and i don't like salmon. and while i understand that the combinations may not go well together, i tend to find interesting things like cream cheese, albacore, bay scallops, seaweed salad, and other things. i like simple...i don't like lots of sauce. and well the pheonix roll did it for me! it was really good, and simple. simple sauce, it wasn't poured all over the roll.
the hamachi...did it's job. it wasn't the bestest cut of the fish, but it did it's job. i love yellow tail...it has a unique flavor that other fishes don't have. i can't explain it...do you know what i'm talking about?