Gosh Asian Bistro, Lakeland

Today, Ed and I ran some errands and planned to get some lunch. Neither one of us could really decide, but somehow, we'd settled on Shingetsu, so Ed could have sushi and I could have tempura. Alas, with their new ownership, Shingetsu currently is only serving dinner. Both of us were trying to figure out something nearby, and Lings was just too much food for lunch, so Ed suggested Gosh, and off we went. He'd been before, I haven't.

The main reason I don't typically go to sushi places is that while I like it, I usually max out on 3 or 4 pieces, grow bored, and want something else. As Gosh's menu showed more variety than sushi, it was a good balance. However, once I looked at the menu, the sushi grabbed me more than the entrees. That said, the vegetarian menu is a winner. We sat at the sushi bar and a server suggested getting an egg roll appetizer. That sounded good.

Now, a lesson for the uninitiated: Egg Rolls are fat and short, spring rolls are skinny and can be tall or short. These were not. Instead, we got taller spring rolls, similar in appearance to a taquito. They were very hot, light, and crisp, with a simple plum sauce for dipping. As it was just the two of us, no one was complaining about the double dip faux pas. I could have gone for a second one, the cabbage and carrot mixture in these was very nice


Ed opted for the Eel roll, probably because he noticed some fresh eel in the display as soon as we sat down at the bar and it is probably his favorite. He shared with me, and I liked the poppy and sesame finish to these rolls, which were very light.


Now, mine was going to be trickier. I like a lot of sushi ingredients that Ed does not care for, and I was pretty sure I wouldn't come close to finishing whatever it was I got. The sushi chef had overheard us bantering back and forth about the different rolls and said he could modify whatever we ordered-he actually made a small change to Ed's eel roll.

The Kanpai! roll sounded perfect to me: tempura shrimp, krab, and asparagus, topped with avocado, smelt roe, eel sauce, and spicy mayo. Ed was all in except the avocado, and in explaining that I probably wouldn't finish mine, it was prepared half with avocado, half without.


If not for the appetizer, I probably would have finished this roll. It had the perfect blend of fresh, crunchy, savory, creamy, and sweet. For years, I'd wondered what the Asian sauce was that I really liked in some of my favorite dishes-turns out it's the Eel sauce.

I did end up eating some of the roll without the avocado, but much preferred it with. Some was consumed with wasabi, but the flavors were full and rich that it wasn't really needed. Ultimately, I ate all but three pieces, and if not for that appetizer, I would have finished it.

Sitting at the sushi bar was ideal. We got to interact with the sushi chef and watch our rolls being prepared. We talked a bit about how the rolls could be made and watch others being prepared. They make a volcano roll that actually looks like a volcano.

For the two rolls, egg roll appetizer and two sodas, we spent about $30, which I think is appropriate for good quality sushi that is prepared fresh. It may be preferable for us, as we get to see some of the prep work involved in making other sushi rolls, rather than sitting at a table, so it is nice to have the option.

All I know is that I should probably branch out, now that the Kampai! was so good-but I'll probably opt for that one next time, too.