Sushi wars heat up on the street

Sushi wars have broken out on Tauranga's high street, with four outlets within metres of each other vying for the lunch dollar.
Tauranga Sushi House has recently opened at the top of Devonport Rd - just three doors down from the existing Sushi Ltd, whose sign boasts it has been in Tauranga since 2000.
Across the road is Yoku Sushi, and down the road from that is Sushi Plus, which opened last year.
But newcomer to the market Shang Wang is confident there's room for another sushi shop - and he's not worried about opening up three doors down from a rival.
"I don't mind, but they might mind. I don't know. The customers can choose us or choose them, doesn't matter.
"It doesn't matter to me, because I make the best, I think. My sushi is always fresh, and we also have a special sauce."
Mr Wang, who is Chinese, moved to Tauranga from Whangarei to open the shop.
It opened its doors last Monday, and though Mr Wang admitted it was quiet in its first week of operation, business improved in the second week.
He chose to open the shop in that location because it was in a busy part of town, he said.
But Paul Kwon, owner of Sushi Ltd, said there were now "too many" sushi shops in the city.
Mr Kwon's shop, which opened in 2000, was the first sushi bar to open in Tauranga.
And after 11 years of operation, he said he had built up plenty of loyal customers - and he's confident they will stick with him despite the growing competition.
The sushi boom is catching up with a national trend in which Kiwis seemingly can't get enough of Japanese cuisine.
Restaurant search guide menumania.co.nz last year reported that Japanese was the most popular cuisine across the country.
Japanese cuisine reigned supreme in Auckland, which has more than 300 restaurants, sushi bars and takeaway outlets.
But cafe food was most popular in Wellington and Thai in Christchurch.
In Tauranga, fans of Japanese food can also dine at Shima Japanese Restaurant on Wharf St and Takara Japanese Restaurant on Hamilton St, while Mt Maunganui offers Bay Sushi, Sushi Heaven and Satori Lounge.
There is also St Pierre's Sushi in Fraser Cove and Sushi Q Plus in Papamoa.
Registered dietician Rachel Scrivin, of FoodFX, said sushi was an excellent choice of takeaway, but she cautioned against heavy use of seasoning with soy sauce.
"People often don't realise that soy sauce is very high in salt.
"[But] if you compare it to fish and chips for example, it's absolutely fine. It's a better choice than your normal high fat [options]."
Mrs Scrivin said sushi was "fairly pricey" for a full meal and for that reason was not suitable for feeding a family.
"It suits people for a small lunch."
Sushi had become popular in the last decade as New Zealanders embraced cuisine from other cultures, Mrs Scrivin said.
"Kiwis are quite good at trying new things. Maybe we are being a little bit more health conscious, thinking this is a better option for lunch."
It also suited people who were trying to avoid too much bread in their diet, she said.
And sushi lovers can avoid the "sushi war" altogether by making their own, as Mrs Scrivin does.
"You don't need many ingredients and you can make a lot of sushi."
Editorial: Customers win in sushi shop war