Mingles ToToTo owner Quincy Kuniyosi handed me a glass of margarita and instructed me to take a sip to wash down the biting taste.
“It goes well with sushi and sashimi,” he says.
History of Sushi
Records has it that sushi was introduced into Japan in the 7th century from China. People began making sushi to preserve fish by fermentation when there were no refrigerators. Since salt and rice were needed in order to ferment fish, sushi became to be closely related to rice in Japan. Then, it developed into current sushi which combine fish and rice.
Sushi is low in fat and is a very nutritious food. Sushi eating in Palau is not only popular among the Japanese tourists but for most of the locals, too.
With this in mind, Quincy created the Hanabi sushi-Mingles’ signature sushi when he opened the restaurant in 1995. Hanabi sushi is bite-size rice wrapped in fish smothered with kimchi base and artfully wrapped in the center with seaweed leaf. One order containing six pieces of Hanabi sushi costs only $5.
Mingles’ famed Sushi platter is a sure hit not only among the Japanese clientele but among locals as well. A platter contains two pieces of Hanabi, two pieces nama (fish- either yellow fin or tuna), two pieces Cali rolls (crab meat, cucumber and pickled raddish), four pieces tekka maki (fish), four pieces Kappa Maki (cucumber) and four pieces tamago maki (egg).
For the customers “who want it all” in a single meal, Mingles offers a Palau Food Special- a mix of sautéed kangkun, korroke or taro croquette, ukaeb (crab meat with coconut milk), taro tempura, fish sashimi, hanabi sushi, netsuke (fish teriyaki with raddish) and fruits for $10 to $15, without additional service charge.
Mingles ToToTo is open from 4 p.m. to midnight everyday. Please call 488-4496/8249 for orders and reservations. Enjoy Mingles’ added plus services to its customers- a complimentary sashimi and a free pickled papaya for every order. Craving for sushi? Mingles ToToTo is the answer!
Published in Island Times, October 12, 2006 issue