Of all the gastronomic specialties available in our lovable Nashville, sushi is perhaps not the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of dining out in Music City. Though there is no lack of actual sushi restaurants, the quality ranges from gourmet, delicious and expensive to cheap, semi-satisfying and made with fish of questionable origin.
However, my visit to Belmont Boulevard’s indoor-outdoor eatery PM this past weekend has answered my prayer for the seemingly impossible to find: good, cheap sushi in a landlocked state.
PM is nestled on a seemingly residential side street adjacent to Belmont University, and for that reason, goes unnoticed by most Vanderbilt students in their pursuit of a new hot spot. Perfect in its combination of hip Asian-influenced decor and mellow lighting, patrons are instantly relaxed the moment they walk in and choose from a variety of seating options, including the spacious outdoor patio, tables and bar seating. Serene music, patterned light from a slow moving disco ball and some sort of modern-art interpretation of Aladdin on a flat-screen TV round out PM’s ambience.
Still, the most surprising and satisfying part of going to PM is the menu. The restaurant boasts an array of gourmet sushi options (as well as other menu options, as diverse as shrimp dumplings to chicken wings) all of which sound absolutely fantastic, and astonishingly, almost all of them are under $10.
The rolls are prepared elegantly, garnished with heaps of brightly colorful fish and strips of fresh eel wrapped on California Rolls. Everything is so fresh and delicious, you might find yourself ordering more than you can handle in an effort to taste it all. But if you can save room for dessert, PM’s menu has at least one item everyone can appreciate, from apple wontons to banana spring rolls.
So when the Meal Plan has exhausted your palette and dining out in Nashville has exhausted your bank account, make the short trip over to Belmont Boulevard to give PM a try. With its affordable, delicious and extensive menu, it may not stay one of Nashville’s best-kept secrets for much longer.
