Magic Fingers Gluten-Free Sushi Bar

Atlanta is a landlocked city, yet counter intuitive as it may seem, they offer some of the best sushi I have ever had. Magic Fingers or MF Sushi in Midtown provides an elegant environment and exquisite fare.Now for those of you thinking “eww, raw fish?” Three years ago I was of the same mindset. At the time I didn’t even eat cooked fish, why would I pay MORE for raw fish? Luckily my good friend Gareth claimed that he didn’t like cooked fish either but assured me that he had enjoyed amazing sushi from “the sushi nazi” in LA. This hole-in-the-wall restaurant in a strip mall serves some of the best sushi in LA. Chef Nozawa is called the Sushi Nazi because a la the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld, he will kick out customers that talk on cell phones and doesn’t accept any payment but cash. We sat down for lunch, never saw a menu, but various sashimi and sushi dishes were brought to our table. (This continues until you say stop and then they give you a check.)

How could a girl that didn’t like the fishy taste of a California roll make that leap of faith to eat big slabs of raw fish? I’m still not really sure where I got the courage. But thank goodness I did! The buttery, steak like taste of yellowtail and smooth rich flavor of salmon sashimi were unlike any of the rolls I had previously experienced. I discovered that the actual fish was delicious – it’s the seaweed used in rolls that I didn’t like. Since then I have developed a discriminating sushi palette. A perfect piece of hamachi or toro is an unparalleled luxury. If you can muster the courage, go to a good sushi restaurant (I still find most cheap sushi and rolls less than appetizing) and order a couple pieces of yellowtail (hamachi), salmon (sake) and tuna (maguro) sashimi, mix a bit of wasabi with your gf soy sauce and give the combination a try. You may be glad you did.

Once I was diagnosed with Celiac, sushi restaurants became a haven for my gluten free dining. It’s so much easier to ask someone if they want to go for sushi than look for other gluten free friendly dining establishments. I can just grab my bottle or packets of gluten free soy sauce and head to the restaurant.

For appetizers – the steamed or boiled edamame sprinkled with salt is always a winner.

While I know that some Celiacs have had success with more fancy rolls and sushi offerings, I keep it simple with a plate of sashimi.

Unfortunately eating sushi gluten free is not completely care-free and there are still things you need to be wary of in order to eat safely. Ask for your fish to be cut with clean utensils on a clean surface. The rising popularity of tempura rolls has increased the chances for cross-contamination here. Tell your server no crab unless they can assure you it’s real, most fake crab meat used in sushi rolls is made with wheat. Most roe (fish eggs) used to top sushi has wheat as an ingredient. Also, ask for no sauce, albacore sashimi usually comes with a forbidden sauce and many white fish are sprinkled with a gluten containing culprit. Eel (unagi) comes soaked in a sweet sauce that is a definite no-no. Double-check the wasabi, ginger and rice to make sure that there are no suspect ingredients. (I usually just forgo the rice since the combination of carbs, protein and fat wrecks havoc on my blood sugars.)I highly recommend MF Sushi in Atlanta if you want to sample fantastic sushi far from the sea.

MF Sushi 265 Ponce De Leon Ave : Unit B : Atlanta GA 30308 Telephone: 404-815-8844

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