Let me get this out of the way: I have never been a huge sushi fan. Until recently that is, when I was treated to
a huge plate of possibilities by Richard Ng, co-owner and chef at Bo
Lings. It’s mostly a texture thing to me
but much to my surprise, I really loved it . . . and here I am writing about it.
I always have thought of sushi as a Japanese food, but a
quick sojourn into sushi history tells me it started in China as early as the
fourth century. It was introduced to
Japan in the ninth century and spread as the number of Buddhists increased,
since they don’t eat meat. The pickling process of fermented rice as a fish
preservative is akin to pickling and why the sushi kitchen is called a tsuke-ba
or “pickling place.” Sushi really didn’t
make it into the United States until the late 60s and in 1970, the first sushi
bar opened in Little Tokyo in Hollywood – natch. Now, sushi has taken off and there are many
beautiful and tasty creations available – especially I discover at Bo Lings on
the Plaza.
The Ngs planned their sushi bar when they built out their
space in the Skelly Building in 2012, knowing that walk-ins were more likely
and one of the advantages to a really great sushi chef is quick
preparation. And Bo Lings does have that
– Salvador Cerritos-Ortiz. Salvador is
an American with a Mexican background who learned sushi from the ground
(ocean?) up – by working with numerous experts at Kabuki in Crown Center for
over 20 years. He has a devoted
clientele that would follow him anywhere, and they happily have, right to BoLings. 
701 Jefferson
Kansas City, MO 64112
Ph. 816-753-1718
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