Party of Four

With only four wooden chairs, Vic Sushi Bar beats the highfalutin pants off of Raw

by Trey Popp

Quick, which seats more people: a Toyota Prius or the best new sushi place in town?

The answer, of course, is the car � by dint of its backseat middle slot � but that doesn't begin to describe the charms of Vic Sushi Bar's tiny Sansom Street storefront. As you'd expect of a place with four wooden chairs, Vic does most of its business on a takeout basis, but that shouldn't discourage you from sitting down. Even if the vibe weren't so mellow and friendly, the sushi beats the highfalutin pants off of Raw, which opened to more fanfare last year. And unlike that pricey spot � or the Prius, for that matter � Vic is probably the least expensive model in its class.

It might be more accurate to say that Vic is the only model in its class. In a word, it's a hybrid. To capitalize on the takeout trade, it offers party platters ranging from a 39-piece assortment ($30) to a 122-piece smorgasbord ($100). At those rates, it would be fair to expect mediocrity. Yet, a roster of 15 specialty rolls features nouveau-style creations like a mouthwatering eel and avocado maki wrapped in thin slices of champagne mango. Chef Qiyang Shi also brings out boutique ingredients like eye-catching nori wrappers made from white seaweed The repertoire may be rooted in standards like tuna and California rolls, but that's not where it ends.

For a shoebox-sized place whose most visible features are a cash register and a refrigerator case filled with bottled drinks, Vic offers a surprisingly cozy atmosphere at its teensy little bar. Shi plates his sushi on broad platters and furnishes diners with decorated ceramic dishes that convey a down-home feel. His wife, Chanday Vilaysaeng, takes down orders and pitches in at the cutting boards. Together, they set a friendly tone, happily answering questions and conveying a sense of enthusiasm that envelops the bar with real personal warmth.

Both in a to-go platter served at a weekend roof party and on the premises during the week, I found the fish to be excellent � though, predictably, better when it doesn't spend an hour in transit. The yellowtail nigiri was particularly good. Likewise the spicy tuna rolls, whose squishy filling played off the al dente grains of rice splendidly. The tuna had the gorgeous deep red color that occasionally is achieved by spraying it with carbon monoxide, but its flavor was impeccably fresh. (Carbon monoxide protects against the spoiling of color, but does not prolong the quality of taste.)

Tuna also figured into my favorite dish, a two-piece "dumpling" plate that's listed as an appetizer but could easily be a meal in itself. For each one, Vilaysaeng pounded a two-square-inch piece of fish into a paper-thin wrapper that Shi then stuffed with a mixture of avocado, flying-fish roe, wasabi, fake crab and crispy panko breadcrumbs. The result was a flavor bomb whose richness was set off by appealing speckles of crunchiness. Now that's worth standing in line for � even at a bar that only seats four.

(t_popp@citypaper.net)

Vic Sushi Bar

2035 Sansom St., 215-564-4339

Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sat., 5-10 p.m.

Takeout/delivery available.