Portsmouth: Wreath-laying ceremony and parade with ‘rare’ route

If you’ve ever looked at a sushi menu and thought, “I have absolutely no idea what any of this means…” you are definitely not alone. I was there once. I was thrown into the fire rather quickly.

For a lot of people, sushi can feel intimidating at first. Raw fish? Seaweed? Tiny little sauces? Words you can’t pronounce?

But once you figure out the basics… it becomes one of those foods you suddenly crave all the time.

I’m deep into the Sushi and I would get the giant boat and probably try to eat it all.

And after asking the station App and Facebook listeners where the BEST sushi spots are in New Hampshire… let’s just say New Hampshire has opinions. Favorites, to there is no good place for sushi, lol)

First Things First… What Exactly Is Sushi?

A lot of people think sushi just means raw fish.

Not exactly.

Sushi is actually the seasoned rice. (I didn’t know this) The fish, veggies, crab, shrimp, avocado, cucumber and all the other ingredients are what get paired with it.

Here are the beginner basics:

Sushi Roll

Rice and ingredients rolled in seaweed and sliced into bite-sized pieces.

Usually the most approachable for beginners.

Nigiri

Slices of fish served over rice.

Simple. Fresh. More “traditional.”

Sashimi

Just the fish by itself.

No rice.

This is usually for people who are already deep into their sushi era.

Best Beginner Sushi Rolls to Try

If you’re new to sushi, don’t immediately jump into something super adventurous.

Start here:

• California Roll
• Spicy Crab Roll
• Shrimp Tempura Roll
• Philly Roll
• Sweet Potato Roll
• Crunchy Rolls

A lot of these are cooked, crunchy, creamy, or have familiar flavors that make sushi WAY less intimidating.

And yes… it is completely acceptable to drench it in soy sauce your first few times. You will usually get soy sauce, ginger and wasabi.  Be very careful with the wasabi.  Too much and your eyes will water and your mouth and nose will feel it.

READ MORE: Experience Breathtaking Ocean Views At Cliff House, Maine

So Where Should You Actually Go in New Hampshire?

After asking you on Facebook at the app, these places came up over and over again.

Orient Pearl

Chris Kozlowski said:

“Orient Pearl in Epping has the biggest rolls for the best prices by far!”

Big portions and beginner-friendly pricing is honestly a great combo if you’re trying sushi for the first time.

Domo Japanese Cuisine (Portsmouth)

Jackie Orosz recommended Domo in Portsmouth and mentioned they’re currently closed for renovations but expected to reopen sometime in August.

If you know Portsmouth food people… Domo gets mentioned A LOT.

Kume Bistro (Newmarket)

This might’ve been the most-mentioned spot overall.

Jenna George simply said:

Kume (Seabrook)

Mike Scott also shouted them out, and Cecile Rhines made it VERY clear:

“Kume in Seabrook. NOT the Epping location. The SEABROOK location.”

When listeners start specifying locations that passionately… you know they mean business.

Sushi Time (Plaistow)

Shelly Dawn called it her favorite, while Billy Bartlett added:

“Sushi Time in Plaistow is pretty freaking amazing.”

Multiple votes usually means it’s worth the drive.

Delaney’s Hole In The Wall (North Conway)

Diane Blake recommended this North Conway favorite.

A lot of people know Delaney’s for comfort food and pub vibes… but apparently the sushi deserves attention too.

Koung Sushi Mart (Laconia)

Michelle Renée Renzi shouted out Koung Sushi Mart in both Meredith and Laconia.

Locals LOVE hidden gems like this.

Kumo Sushi (Windham)

Rachelle Rachelle said:

“Kumo Sushi is delicious. The owners are super kind and the food is oh so fresh.”

Honestly… fresh fish and kind owners is basically the perfect sushi combo.

Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse (Salem)

Kathy Keefe Botterman recommended Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse.

Great option if your group has sushi lovers AND people who just want hibachi.

Lemongrass Restaurant and Sake Bar (Moltenborough)

Another recommendation from Michelle Renée Renzi.

Lemongrass has one of those “date night but also casual enough for a random Tuesday” vibes.

Final Beginner Sushi Advice

If you’re brand new to sushi:

• Start with cooked rolls
• Don’t overthink it
• Try multiple things
• Go with friends who know sushiDon’t be afraid to ask questions

And most importantly…

Ignore Sean Patten, who commented:

“No such thing as a good sushi spot.”

Because based on the WOKQ listeners… New Hampshire might secretly be loaded with them.

When people think of New Hampshire, they usually think of granite, mountains, old white
churches, town greens and long winters. When I think of New Hampshire, I think of our people. I think of the feeling of growing up somewhere where history is not locked away behind museum glass. I think about the feeling of growing up somewhere that teaches you who you are before you are old enough to realize it.

I spent almost my entire childhood in Concord. Every important version of myself exists somewhere in this city. The awkward middle schooler wandering Main Street after school beneath strings of glowing lights. The nervous freshman trying to figure out who he wanted to become. The kid at the Concord Community Music School performing at recitals, hands shaking before walking onstage, discovering that playing guitar could make life feel bigger, brighter and more meaningful.

I think about early mornings rowing on the Merrimack with Concord Crew, the river covered in fog while the oars cut clean lines through the water. Some mornings the river felt silver and still; other mornings the current churned dark beneath us after rain. Watching the seasons change from the water taught me how slowly life transforms without you noticing. Green summer banks fading into fiery October trees, then bare branches outlined against cold winter skies.

The older I get, the more I realize how lucky I was to grow up in a place like Concord. It is not loud about what it offers you. Instead, it gives you something more lasting: community. A kind of closeness that settles into you over time until it becomes part of the way you move through the world.

Some of my strongest memories are simple ones. Walking downtown at sunset when the brick buildings glowed orange in the summer light. The smell of old wood, clay and paint inside Kimball Jenkins after shaping it into a small cup with my hands. Hearing music drift down the halls at the music school before a recital, notes echoing softly through the worn staircases. Sitting outside during Market Days while the streets filled with food vendors, kids running around with lion and fairy face paint, and musicians playing songs that bounced between the old buildings late into the evening air.

There is something deeply comforting about a city that respects its own history. Concord has always felt alive with memory to me. The old houses, white church steeples and worn wooden floors in certain buildings remind you that generations of people have passed through before you. It feels like people here understand that preserving history is care. They protect what matters because they believe future generations deserve to experience it too.

I think that shaped me more than I realized at the time.

New Hampshire taught me to slow down enough to notice things. The sound of leaves moving in the woods by my house. Snow falling silently outside during the winter, making the entire world pause for a moment. Long walks downtown where you somehow always recognized someone. Even the “between places” mattered: the trails, forests, rivers and back roads that reminded you the world was larger than your own worries.

As a senior in high school, I’m getting ready to leave for Dartmouth College this fall, and it doesn’t feel like I’m stepping away from home so much as moving deeper into it. I chose Dartmouth because it’s still rooted in the same landscape that shaped me. The woods, the cold rivers, the long winters and the quiet sense of space that feels so distinctly New Hampshire. Growing up in Concord, so many of the people I met, families at the YMCA, volunteers at the planetarium, friends of friends, teachers and mentors, seemed to have some connection back to Dartmouth, as if it were part of the state’s shared geography rather than something separate from it. Because of that, it already felt present in my life long before I applied. Leaving for Hanover feels like a continuation: not like leaving home, but like walking along the same trails I’ve always known, just farther into the trees.

Concord gave me my first experiences with art, music, friendship, independence and becoming part of something larger than myself. It gave me room to grow while still making me feel supported. It taught me that community is built through ordinary moments repeated over time until they become the foundation of who you are.

To me, New Hampshire means roots. It means history that still breathes. It means creativity, kindness, old buildings, deep winters, rivers at sunrise, summer festivals and long walks through the woods. Most of all, it means home.

Vaibhav Rastogi is a senior a Brady Bishop High School. He lives in Concord.