The Dine Out Lauderdale promotion continues until November 7th, and offers dining enthusiasts the chance to enjoy a multi-course meal at a fixed price at several locations around town. It's an especially good value for pricier styles of cusiine, like sushi!
We checked out the deal at Amatsu Sushi & Sake in the Westin Beach Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale, a relative newcomer to the local dining scene. This small, casual sushi bar hidden away on the 2nd floor of the hotel is not particularly intimate or romantic. (It's located in a busy area near the guest room corridors.) But, Shula's on the Beach is situated in the same hotel, if you're interested in that kind of an experience.
The service at Amatsu is personal and friendly, the decor is sleek, and for the Dine Out Lauderdale promotion, the menu is extremely extensive. They offer four courses, with several opportunities to upgrade your choices along the way, making it a bit more expensive if you want the more exotic flavors.
For example, the first Course offers a House Salad, Edamame, Miso Soup, or Wakame Seaweed Salad, but for an addition four bucks, you can also choose an Ahi Tuna Tataki, Hamachi Jalapeno (pictured below) or a Rainbow Cucumber Wrap. That's just to start.
Next, you get a choice of sashimi or sushi selections: Escolar (pic below), Salmon, Shrimp, and Tuna. The third course includes your selection from 5 different rolls, with again, the option to upgrade to a handful of others for five additional bucks. (If you love the combo of warm conch atop a cold sushi roll, check out the Volcano - pictured below.)
Finally, the dessert course offers some interesting ways to end your meal-- Lemongrass Panna Cotta topped with strawberries, Toasted Coconut Cheesecake Lollipops, and Mochi Ice Cream (the ice cream sits inside a doughy dumpling) in a Green Tea or Sesame flavor!
FYI...according to the menu, the Dine Out promotion is only valid on Sundays through Thursdays, and is not valid during the Boat Show (10/31-11/4).
But, for a laid-back meal offering an array of sushi choices (in an area where sushi is hard to come by), you may want to seek out Amatsu Sushi & Sake before the deal is done. One of the dozens of restaurants participating in Dine Out Lauderdale.