Maru Sushi, Okemos, Michigan

Today was the kickoff for my “Mental Health Weekend.”  After consultation with my significant other and professional consultants, I opted to cancel some plans this weekend and attempt to get my life in order.  I have been a little stressed out in the past week.  The receipt of a few too many “where is this paperwork?” emails coupled with obligations for the class I am taking online through UNC have lead me to be a “little” on edge. 

I work late every Thursday and get to comp my time with a day off every other Friday.  Luckily, this was my Friday comp day!  Corky and I slept in this morning.  Counting the couple hours I snoozed on the couch last night prior to hitting the real bed, I think I got about 10 hours of sleep.  On top of the afternoon nap, I think I have more than made up for the several nights that I ran on under 5 hours of sleep this week!  The first thing on my list of things that I needed to do today was “go out to lunch.”  I knew that I wanted something good and wasn’t in the mood for our regular diner fare or Corky’s favorite, the taco stand. 

My first idea was the Tap Room at Dusty’s Cellar.  Corky immediately refused for political reasons.  They are big advertisers on the The Big Show with Michael Patrick Shiels and he is not a fan.  My second thought was Troppo, downtown, but he did not feel comfortable walking in there in shorts.  Yes, he wears shorts year round.  I don’t get it either.

Then I thought….SUSHI!  I love sushi.  Corky does not love sushi.  He has gone to San Su with me on a few occasions, but after a bad experience when my niece ordered the Koala Roll (think tentacle “eyes” staring at you) he has not been willing to go back.  He likes Bulgogi and I thought I might be able to get him to try San Su again, but then I remembered that I had not yet tried Maru, even though it has been open since Spring!  Surprisingly, he was willing to give it a try.  I promised him that if they didn’t have a menu of non-sushi dishes, we would leave.  Against my better judgment and “cardiac diet police” mentality, I even promised him a drive-thru visit to Culver’s for a Butter Burger and Chocolate Shake on me if he didn’t find anything he liked.  Luckily, they had a full menu and Corky was more than satisfied with his meal!  Yeah!  He has even commented several times this afternoon and evening that he enjoyed his lunch.  I finally have a sushi destination with a menu that he not only “will tolerate” but truly enjoys!

We started with an order of Edamame.  You can’t go wrong with the salty steamed young soybeans…yum.  Both of our orders came with a salad and miso soup.  I am a big fan of miso soup, but Corky likens it to dish water.  To each his or her own.  The salad was fresh with the typical ginger dressing of Asian Restaurant fame.  Their version is good.  Corky still thinks his favorite in town is at Gourmet Village in East Lansing, but I am not so convinced.  The dressing at Maru is not as creamy as some, but the flavor is excellent.  Having a mixture of greens, carrots AND tomato on the salad was a bonus as well. 

Maru has an Express Lunch Menu with a variety of sushi rolls, salads, and Hibachi entrees.  Probably the best deal on the menu is a “Pick 2” Sushi Roll special for $11.00 which includes Miso Soup and House Salad.  After reading their specialty roll menu, I opted to order the Soy Joy roll and two pieces of Maguro Nigiri.  The plating of my sushi was nothing short of incredible.  It was so beautiful that I did not want to eat it!  Luckily that passed in a minute or in the time it took to snap these pictures:

Corky was initially a little “concerned” about by his menu options.  I first tried to talk him into ordering the Chicken Kasu, which is a panko crusted fried chicken breast served over rice with salad and soup.  He is not a big fan of Hibachi Style Grill, such as at Ukai.  Maru has a Hibachi menu on their dinner and lunch menu. He opted for the steak and chicken hibachi grill and was MORE than happy with his choice.  He loved both of the meats, the veggies and the rice.  This is a good day for him and for me!  Like I said earlier, I found sushi and he found a REALLY good option for him, both health and taste-wise under the same roof!  I am sorry to be so redundant here, but this is a BIG deal for us! 

I could eat sushi every day.  Unfortunately, my bank account would not allow that.  Maru will now be in my regular sushi rotation though.  It might even move to the top spot, but I will have to get back with you on that one.  I do not want to jump too soon and have to eat my words. 

Next time you are in the mood for sushi, definitely check out Maru.  If you have a “mixed crowd” of sushi lovers, non-sushi folks, carnivores and vegetarians, it is the perfect place for you.  They have an abundance of vegetarian roll options and not just your typical one veggie selections like a cucumber roll or daikon roll.  For example, The Archer has asparagus, mango, organic tofu, roasted red pepper and avocado and is served with maru’s own green goddess dressing.  Lunch for 2 was $40.00 with an appetizer, one entree and two sushi selections.