For dinner one night, my daughter and I picked up the huge Family Bundle bag from Bonefish Grill, which my husband had ordered for us earlier in the day. Curbside delivery meant that seconds after we parked, a masked waiter strode out briskly with our bag, and we were on our way.
At home, as I lifted out the platter of salmon, a huge salad, and broccoli (and my daughter dug into the bags of warm bread and cookies), I almost crowed in delight as I saw the surprise: My husband, Sean, had also ordered a platter of Bang Bang Shrimp.
It’s something I almost never order because I can eat an embarrassing amount of Bang Bang Shrimp. For the uninitiated, the small shrimp have a thick fried coating and are tossed in a sauce that’s tangy, sweet and has just the right hit of spice. After my husband came home from work, we stood in the kitchen grinning at each other as we snacked on the appetizer right there at the counter while dishing up the rest of our meal.
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A few nights later, we snagged one of the last open tables on a busy Sunday at Surrey Center’s TakoSushi. I knew what I wanted, which is what I nearly always get: the Dan’s 49 roll, filled with lightly dressed steamed shrimp and topped with creamy slivers of crab meat dotted with green jalapeno, along with salmon nigiri, or rice topped with a pearly pink slice of raw salmon.
Sean decided to do something completely out of the norm: A cup of the special that night, green chili clam chowder, which the host raved about as he led us to our table, along with Tako’s version of Bonefish’s signature dish—Firecracker Shrimp.
Going out of the box paid off, and Sean generously shared both his dishes with me. The soup was rich and creamy, deep orange in color, and you could taste the seafood stock in every bite. It was full of fat clams, diced potatoes and gently crunchy sweet corn, with a lovely warmth from the green chili.
Sea forked one of the shrimp and handed it to me. “What do you think?” he said.
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I chewed, contemplatively. But I knew immediately that the Bang Bang Shrimp had been dethroned. Tako’s Firecracker Shrimp are twice the size, fat and fresh, with a beautiful crispy coating, tossed in a sauce that is rich in nuance—a sweet and spicy blend of takosushi sauce, teriyaki, sweet chili and sriracha. It was next level—and made my memory of my shrimp earlier that week pale in comparison.
Bonefish’s appetizer is $12, while Tako’s is $15 and is served with a scoop of white rice, plenty of extra sauce on the plate, and a fresh and crisp salad of shredded carrot and radish, with corn kernels, on top of lettuce. I also saw another plate pass by with double rice—good choice.
As I thought about it later, I realized: Falling out of love is supposed to be hard. But in this case, I think this new relationship has a bang-up beginning.
Make Your Reservation
TakoSushi
437 Highland Ave.
Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday; noon to 10 p.m. Saturay; and 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Entrée cost: $13 to $17.50
Bonefish Grill
2911 Washington Rd.
Open 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday
Family bundle cost: $35 to $60
Danielle Wong Moores is a local freelance writer who’ll never turn down a shrimp cocktail, sushi or cheese dip. Her greatest food influences are her mom and writers MFK Fisher and Amanda Hesser. Her Dine and Dish column runs the second and fourth Fridays in The Augusta Press.
