Sushi, beer and bibimbap warm up a wet evening

It was a rainy, chilly evening last week — one that was calling out "sushi." So we went to eat at Sushi Yama, the Japanese and Korean restaurant that sits on the site of the old Arctic Circle hamburger place.

Spokane has a number of decent sushi spots. But it's hard to beat Sushi Yama, which features the hand-made dishes of owner Charlie Yang. Long-time patrons let Yang decide what they should order. But that night we opted for convenience and economy: My wife and brother order mixed-sushi (both featuring California rolls), and I ordered what I normally do: bibimbap, the Korean rice dish that comes with a range of options, from veggies and tofu to various meats (this time I opted for beef).

And my brother added as an appetizer one of the daily specials: fresh oysters.

The dishes came out at different times (I was halfway done with my bibimbap before the others received their sushi plates), and we had to ask more than once for other dishes or implements we wanted (seaweed salad for me, a fork for my brother). But no one was pushing us, and we had plenty of time to drink (I had a large Cass beer) and talk.

Besides, everything arrived eventually, and it was as tasty as usual. Which made it a lot easier to head back out into the dark and wet.