Momoyama
Sushi is a cuisine that is technically easy to make gluten free, however it’s just not often done that way. Many Japanese spots in the U.S. douse everything in soy sauce, eel sauce, or other sauces that contain gluten. The rare, wonderful exception to this is of course is the local, almost entirely gluten free favorite, Bamboo Sushi. But sometimes I want something a little different, and that’s when I come to a place like Momoyama. This Pearl district spot has some of the best fish in town, along with a variety of other gluten free foods to enjoy!
Momoyama has such a nice variety of dishes, sushi and otherwise, with gluten free items noted on the menu. They also will bring you gluten free soy sauce for any dish. The staff here are super helpful and there to ensure you get something tasty and safe. Now with Bamboo Sushi, you know you’re going to be eating safe, however the service there is often a bit lackluster. I also can’t get a nice wagyu steak at Bamboo 🤤
At Momoyama, even though lots of menu items are off limits, they have more than enough options to not get bored. With my last visit, I went with two of my favorites - the crispy smashed potatoes and the sashimi sampler (with gluten free soy sauce on the side.)
The crispy potatoes are absolutely addictive. They are served with wagyu drippings and a fried quail egg on top that you mix in for maximum creaminess and umami. I was, as usual, ravenous with my most recent visit and started to dig in before taking a picture - sorry!
Momoyama’s sashimi sampler is always top notch. Every piece is melt in your mouth richness and I’ve never had anything served as part of this that I didn’t absolutely love. In addition to these options, Momoyama serves up typical Japanese steakhouse dishes like A5 wagyu, octopus, grilled veggies and skewers that are gluten free, and some gluten free rolls. They also have many gluten containing, non-sushi dishes like fried chicken, in addition to the wagyu, to appease any friends you might be dining with who don’t like fish.
Some of the rolls they offer than normally contain gluten can be made without as well - talk to your server and they should be able to guide you towards some options that will still taste delicious without the gluten containing ingredients.
At some point, I also need to inquire about their omakase and see if that can be done with gluten free restrictions, and if so, I will book it and report back!
