Expect the unexpected at this MS Coast Thai restaurant in an unassuming strip mall

I’ve been chasing king cakes along the Coast. But no matter how delicious I find them, the Mardi Gras dessert can’t substitute great Thai food.

While in Waveland, a hankering for pad Thai led me to Sushilicious & Thai. Anchoring a small Highway 90 strip mall and next door to a Nicholson Ave. gas station, Sushilicious is an easy place to overlook.

Tinted windows hide the warm, inviting atmosphere within. While the restaurant offers plenty of seating, the friendly staff make bar seats at the sushi bar a fun alternative.

I opted to get my food to go, but became fast friends with three generations I found working behind the counter of the family business.

The staff warned me that the order might take a while, but it turned out to be just one more sign of the staff’s impeccable service.

An extensive menu of sushi and signs for specialties like Krab Bombs (jalapeno peppers stuffed with crab and cream cheese) and flavorful boom boom chicken tempted me to take a closer look at the menu.

Sushilicious offers daily happy hour deals as well as lunch and dinner specials, including udon soup, original sushi combinations and a host of noodle dishes.

I was intrigued to find yakisoba on the menu and chose the Japanese stir fry of chicken, noodles and mixed vegetables over my original plan for pad Thai. The bountiful yakisoba dish was seasoned to perfection. I have a feeling it will be my go-to dish when I return to Sushilicious.

I also decided to test a theory I have that any sushi named after a location is never a disappointment. In addition to the tried and true California roll, Sushilicious offered a Fuji (a California roll topped with baked spicy crab) and a New Orleans.

The layers of spicy crawfish and asparagus inside a roll topped with crab salad and spicy tuna made the New Orleans roll a delicious confirmation of my working hypothesis.

I came to Sushilicious expecting to find the usual mix of classic stir fry dishes and sushi rolls, but the menu exceeded my expectations. The fast, friendly service was a welcome addition.

When you visit Sushilicious & Thai, expect to find a creative fusion of Asian favorites and delicious surprises.

If you go to Sushilicious & Thai

Address: 315 Highway 90 Suite A, Waveland, MS 39576

Hours: Tuesday - Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., happy hour weekdays from 3 p.m.. to 6 p.m.

Phone: 228-344-3524

This story was originally published February 10, 2023 at 10:55 AM.

Mona Moore

Sun Herald

Mona Moore was a Service Journalism Desk Editor for the Sun Herald in Mississippi; Mahoning Matters in Ohio; and the Ledger-Enquirer and Telegraph in Georgia. Originally from West Covina, California, she holds a bachelor’s and master’s in corporate and public communication from the University of South Alabama. Mona’s writing and photography have been recognized by press associations in Mississippi, North Carolina and Florida.