A pescetarian’s dream come true. Boathouse Sushi, a local’s favorite hotspot, is located in Rohnert Park, Calif. off the Rohnert Park Expressway. They first opened up their doors nine years ago and now have expanded into Santa Rosa, Calif. and will soon also be in the new Graton Casino located in Rohnert Park in early November.

The décor is a fusion of modern flair and Japanese influenced styles which are similar to their menu, which is a pan-Asian fusion of fresh and fun sushi, topped with in-house specialty sauces.

The menu boasts a variety of textures, flavors and amazing unique dishes. Since this isn’t your typical sushi restaurant, guests can explore non-sushi items such as the Aloha burger, Asian spaghetti noodles, oriental chicken salad, dirty fries and jalapeno poppers which are just some of the non-traditional dishes on the menu.

For the sushi connoisseur, a must have are the chips and salsa appetizer which were guest inspired. Take away the deep fried tortilla and substitute it for tempura carrot wedges, add sliced avocado, diced spicy tuna and then drizzle it all with homemade spicy aioli and you have a new twist on an old favorite.

“The homemade spicy aioli has been such a hit with customers that they will be able to purchase their own take home bottle soon,” said Missy Gaynor.

From the beginning, a crowd pleaser has been the wet n wild roll which has spicy tuna and cucumber on the inside topped with ahi, avocado and wet n wild sauce made up of garlic and ponzu sauce. Then decorate it with green onions and those tiny orange beads, which always seem to get stuck in your teeth, known as masago. Masago is the roe (eggs) of the capelin fish, typically used in sushi restaurants to garnish dishes to add color, texture and flavor. 

For the baseball fan there is the World Series roll, created by general manager Missy Gaynor, inspired by the Giants victory in 2010. It consists of spicy shrimp tempura topped with seared ahi, fresh salmon and topped with crunchy tempura onions, chili flakes and a ninja sauce.

Mouthwatering sushi deserves to be paired with delicious handmade to order cocktails or a sake bomb. The coconut hibiscus mojito is made with muddled mint leaf and lime juice, Bacardi rock coconut rum and hibiscus nectar and garnished with a lime wedge and mint.

If rum isn’t your poison, then be sure to try the rose and orange gimlet, made with Grey Goose L’Orange vodka, rose water, fresh strawberries, lime juice and embellished with fresh basil. This libation is light and refreshing and there is no better way to enjoy it than on their patio on a hot summer day, which is surrounded by bamboo.

“The Boathouse got its name from the owner and Chef Catherine Do, who designed the restaurant. She originally wanted to do the floating boat sushi theme and the name suited the concept,” said Gaynor.

Catherine Do, her brother Tu Do and Hans Mogenson have been very successful at creating a fun sushi restaurant that is exciting with a new twist to it.

“One of the main goals was taking a different approach at sushi than your average sushi restaurant,” said Mogenson.

By creating a reasonably priced menu, this allows for everyone to be able to enjoy the Boathouse Sushi experience.  The average costs ranging from $8 to $20 are great for any budget. Many of SSU’s students like to take advantage of the happy hour specials from 5-6 p.m. Monday through Friday and late night menu from Sunday to Thursday, 9-10 p.m.

Some of the items to choose from are the $3 truffle fries, $5.50 crazy monkey roll, Lisa Lisa roll or the $6 ceviche with wonton chips, shrimp spring roll or the spicy green beans.

Boathouse is open seven days a week from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday and 12:30-10 p.m. Saturday to Sunday.  The newest edition to the Boathouse family, located inside the new Graton casino in Rohnert Park, Calif. will be open from 10-2 a.m. every day and will be a quick serve Asian food concept. They will also be expanding their menu to include Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine, as well as made to order sushi.

All three locations will allow for takeout in case you feel like vegging out at home instead of enjoying the ambiance.

“Boathouse takes pride in always reinventing themselves. They get their inspirations from all over, including their customer’s suggestions,” said Gaynor.

“The moment that you stop creating menu items is the moment you lose your passion and drive. Every month we have monthly specials to keep it fun and fresh,” said Mogenson.

It’s the tiny details that set apart Boathouse sushi from the rest, such as the cucumber water to the ever evolving menu or the specialty sauces that they dress up their sushi with. It’s the perfect place for the sushi virgin to the connoisseur.