Plenty To Smile About At Jimmy’s Happy Sushi

By The Foodies./ foodie@longislandernews.com

Jimmy Yeh’s latest restaurant on Jericho Turnpike is called Jimmy’s Happy Sushi. And after a recent visit, we can report the cheery, comfortable space is aptly named, and also a great spot for quick, tasty meal and dozens of creative sushi rolls.

The Huntington restaurant is Jimmy’s third – he already operates sushi restaurants in Ronkonkoma, which he opened 10 years ago, and Mt. Sinai, which opened three years ago. He’s been in the restaurant business for 28 years – since he arrived in this country from Taiwan.

“In the beginning, I was a busboy. I’ve done everything,” he said. “I was a waiter, I was the chef.”

While working at a sushi restaurant about 15 years ago, he was introduced to the art of being a sushi chef, and three restaurants later, he hasn’t slowed down a bit.
Jimmy said most of his business in Huntington is takeout orders, but it’s also a great place to sit down and stay a spell, too. He greets all of his guests with warm edamame and bite-sized whitefish tempura, drizzled in spicy sauce.

Sushi is his specialty, and aside from a selection of tempura and some desserts, it’s all Jimmy does – and he does it very well. He brought out a selection of his special A-to-Z rolls, which cover the gamut of spicy, smoky, savory and sweet. Yes, sweet – Jimmy’s not afraid to go outside the box. Check out the aptly-titled Wonderful roll, which finds slices of mango atop a roll packed with crab. The sweet mango, which gets punched up with some additional drizzle, hits you first and sets the stage well. A classic Spicy Tuna Roll bursts with fresh fish and zesty flavor. Topped with tender eel, the Out Of Control roll is smooth and smoky. There’s cooked and raw sushi to satisfy the rookies and the diehards alike.

Jimmy also does raw sushi salads – he whipped up a special creation for us of salmon and tuna, topped with breadcrumbs and spicy dressing, giving his patrons a new way to enjoy sushi.

Wrap your rolls in a choice of white, brown or for a dollar more, unique “purple rice,” which boasts a nuttier flavor. For those wondering, purple rice is sourced from black Indonesian and Thai rice, which turns purple when you cook it. The resulting sticky rice is unique, and packed with lots of vitamins. Health-conscious diners should definitely give it a shot as they explore Jimmy’s extensive menu of dozens of sushi creations.