February 25th, 2008 By Jenna Walker
East Side Review: Zuki
A new Japanese restaurant has recently opened in Evansville: Zuki Japanese Hibachi Grill & Sushi Lounge. Located behind Rafferty’s, where Wasabi used to be housed, sits a vibrant Zuki.
The interior of this new restaurants certainly fits an upscale, lounge-type atmosphere. You first notice the color: a vibrant red with black trim. Two rooms are situated with the hibachi style cooking, I believe it was 4 grill-tables per room. Separating the two rooms was a wall with two large glass windows that served to supply a calming zen effect to the customers—they were light blue glass with water pouring over them. The sushi portion of the restaurant was separated to the right with it’s own two seating areas. One was primarily the sushi bar where one can watch over the chef’s artistry while he prepares your sushi, or there was a half wall separating most the tables from the bar area. I saw several rooms down a hall that I presume are private party rooms.
The menu is not very large but covers the array from appetizers to hibachi entrees, to sushi dinners and sushi “a la carte.” Besides the most obvious cuisine here, they also offer noodles (udon, soba, and ramen) and a vast amount of appetizers—tempura, edamame, grilled squid, and much much more. Their appetizer portion of the menu is almost as large as the whole menu combined. We choose the special Zuki Fried Shrimp appetizer that came with five jumbo shrimp breaded in panko (Japanese bread crumbs) with a sweet yet slightly tart brown sauce drizzled over it—perhaps the house version of ponzu sauce? Ponzu or not, the sauce combined with those shrimp was delicious. We opted for sushi over hibachi that night and was seated against the half wall near the window—it was a nice spot with one exception, my chair partly stuck into the entry way of that section, giving me the feeling I was in the way.
With our ability to eat a lot of sushi, we ordered 3 rolls (Spicy Tuna, Yumy Yummy, and Volcano) and 4 nigiri (tuna, salmon, and snapper). The Spicy Tuna Roll was the “other” take on the style of making it. Instead of a slice of tuna in the roll with spicy sauce drizzled over it, it was tuna finely ground and mixed with an extremely spicy sauce, rolled, and topped with sesame seeds. This isn’t my favorite way of eating this roll since the texture comes across as so mushy, also, for me, it was way too spicy, and that’s not something I often say. The Yumy Yummy Roll was along the lines of mango, cucumber, avocado, and salmon (apologies, I can’t be for sure since I’m lacking a menu). This was really a soothing roll, nothing was over-powering. Finally, the Volcano Roll was tuna, avocado, and cream cheese rolled in rice with salmon on top and drizzled in a spicy orange sauce and the brown “ponzu” sauce. This was my favorite of the night, and while it was still extremely spicy, the sweetness of the “ponzu” sauce and creaminess of the cream cheese helped to tone it down more than it had been in the spicy tuna.
All in all there were things I did like and things I didn’t like. What I did like was their relatively upscale, zen decor and to-the-point menu that gives me the impression that they are concentrating on their cuisine to give the customers their best. Also, I loved my appetizer and most of the sushi was pretty good. What I didn’t like was the lopsided service—I think we had two waiters who weren’t in sync with each other in watching our table, but in the end we got what we wanted and needed. Also, I think the fish could have been a little colder and a little fresher, though it was much more fresh than other places in town—and that ground tuna, that’s a no-no in my book. Finally, one small thing that really irked me were the chopsticks. The restaurant was coming across as upscale and zen, yet the chopsticks were the wooden kind that you have to break apart. This really turned me off since it seemed they should have been metal or lacquered; the wooden ones were very down scale and proved hard to use with sushi—plus I can’t stand when I can taste the wood against the flavor of the food in my mouth.
Overall, I’d come back to get sushi, and I am definitely going back soon to try the hibachi, which I’ll update the site about. I think the pro’s outweighed the cons at Zuki. I’ll be back and hope to see you there.
**Update:* See our followup review on the hibachi dinner.
Zuki is located at 1448 N. Green River Rd., behind Rafferty’s. (812) 477-ZUKI. Mon-Sat 11am-2pm, 4pm-10pm; Sun 11am-9pm.
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DISCLAIMER: The views expressed below are those of their authors and not necessarily endorsed or supported by It's Evansville. In all cases, the comments provided here are offered as a courtesy and will be moderated. Any content deemed off-topic or offensive will be removed without notice. Posting a comment here boils down to two things: 1.) Think before you type 2.) Respect the thoughts of others. See our commenting guidelines for more information.
Adam
February 25, 2008 @ 10:44AM
Good review! What’s the price range?
Justin Williams
February 25, 2008 @ 10:58AM
For all the food we got, it ran me about $50 with tip, which is a few bucks more than I pay at Jaya’s.
student
February 25, 2008 @ 12:39PM
Aren’t many of the people that work there former workers from Nagasaki? I heard something about a bunch of the employees leaving Nagasaki and going to work there.
Robyn
February 25, 2008 @ 02:15PM
As a frequent visitor of both Jaya’s and Nagasaki, I’ve been intrigued by this new place. Glad to hear that there is one more place to get sushi in Evansville.
Joe Heerdink
February 25, 2008 @ 04:21PM
Good review.
This site has the best local restaurant reviews I have ever read. Much better then any review I have read in Evansville Living or News4U.
Keep up the good work
Jenna
February 25, 2008 @ 04:50PM
Thanks Joe! I try to keep the reviews personal yet objective. I’m big on taste so I try to include that so people know what they’ll be eating. I hope you keep coming back!
@adam: with an appetizer, 1 soft drink, 3 sushi rolls, and 4 nigiri, our bill came to $38. I thought that was a pretty fair price!
@student: I think that is relatively correct. I think many people get a start at nagasaki and then branch out on their own. Though I think Zuki took a handful with them this time.
amber
March 03, 2008 @ 02:58PM
I think this might be the one that broke my belief in this site. As a true foodie, culinarian, foodie or the like, you would know that many of the things that you cited as “issues” (room temp fish, ground tuna, pull apart chopsticks) are not only common, but preferred in many sushi cultures. I have been to MANY great sushi bars, with a much higher per person expense and in great cities known and revered for there food, where all of the above are the norm. Its local, its decent, maybe the best locally available and come on, this is Evansville INDIANA, not much room to be snobby.
Joe Heerdink
March 03, 2008 @ 04:58PM
Amber,
It is odd, I personally did not find the review negative or snobby in any manor. Just a reflection of the thoughts and feelings Jenna had for her experience at Zuki. Everything I look for in a food review. It made me want to go try out the restaurant shortly after I read it.
I did find your comment a little snobby though. You had to point out that you are a true foodie and culinarian as well as you have been to many HIGH dollar sushi bars. It almost seemed like you had your nose turned up the whole time you were writing your comment.
I also found your lack of respect for Evansville and Indiana disheartening. Seems as though you think this city and state are full of troglodytes with no culture.
Too bad this review has broke your belief in this site. It has only strengthen mine.
amber
March 03, 2008 @ 10:28PM
We are all entitled to opinion, I am a foodie and my reference to location simply points out the fact that we are not exactly in a thriving seaport sushi friendly metropolis. Also referring to something (i.e. chopsticks) as tacky is a bit snotty, no? I am proud of being a foodie, I take it very seriously and if I come off as snobby so be it. Good food comes from everywhere and I will be happy with all the GOOD food I get, regardless of its origin or the utensils I am given to eat it, tacky or not. As for calling the people of Evansville troglodyte, well, I just don’t agree, but its your site and you can tell it the way you want.
Jenna
March 04, 2008 @ 10:48AM
@amber: my dislike of those chopsticks were for multiple reasons: (1) with wooden chopsticks, and this kind in particular, you can taste them in your mouth, making for a very bad taste; (2) I’ve been to Japan and never saw pull apart chopsticks like this, especially in a sushi restaurant; (3) there are many other types of chopsticks they could have gotten (the wood ones that are non pull apart/round/smooth/don’t taste, metal, lacquered, or even a good quality of plastic or plastic coated)—that way I wouldn’t have had to taste the chopsticks, they also would mean that (4) the sushi would have been able to be picked up easier, the shape of the pull apart chopsticks made it slightly difficult and definitely uncomfortable to pick the sushi up; (5) the pull apart wooden chopsticks clash against the restaurant’s atmosphere in every imaginable way.
As joe pointed it, it does seem rather snobby to declare you are a foodie, etc—I know many “foodies” in person and online, and non have ever gone so far to declare a title and claim they know more about food than others, even if its true. Moreover, even though many places in Japan have room temperature sushi, yes, it is not my preference, which is why I stated that here. My preference is for cold firm sashimi, nigiri, maki…….why? The cold keeps the taste of the fish better and I believe probably makes it ever so slightly more firm (I would guess at least), and I like it firm so it doesn’t turn to must in my mouth.
Furthermore, Joe (who is not part of our It’s Evansville site, thus his opinions reflect his own), is not calling the people of Evansville “troglodytes,” he was referring to how in your first post you seemed to call us that. come on, this is Evansville INDIANA, not much room to be snobby. He, however, was appalled that you think that. Sure, Evansville may not have the culinary tastes of NYC, Paris, etc….but for being a small midwestern town, we have a fair amount of good food from local restaurants.
Also, you previously said come on, this is Evansville INDIANA, not much room to be snobby. but followed up with Good food comes from everywhere and I will be happy with all the GOOD food I get, regardless of its origin So, foodie, which is it?
@Joe: I really do appreciate your respect for the site and my reviews. I am no food critic who has studied at the best culinary schools, I’m just a 23 yr old college grad with a history degree who happens to like food, so I write reviews for the site so our readers know what’s out there and how it is. Thank you for realizing that. I hope you keep coming back to It’s Evansville for a long time to come! And if you have an suggestions on local restaurants to review, I’m always adding more to my list!
Snobby Foodie
March 06, 2008 @ 03:48PM
Can I start by saying once again that the Evansville reference has NOTHING to do with anything other than LOCATION in the country, simply stated we are not afforded some of the food selections available in other parts of the country, we are in the landlocked midwest where there is still GOOD FOOD, the cultures here afford other opportunities where food is concerned. That said, good for you and you trip to Japan, that doesn’t make either of us an expert. Your personal preference is just that, YOURS. I don’t know about your other foodie friends, but I know mine and they are a fierce and proud lot and yes, maybe a little snobby and they WILL call anyone out on something where food is concerned. I am not sure how this turned this turned into some sort “I’m a better foodie”, but it is no matter. It would seem I have touched on a nerve or two. I will not be continuing to check back and see if this juvenile exchange continues.
ch
March 06, 2008 @ 07:58PM
Thank God…buh bye! Now onto the Sushi…
Jenna
March 06, 2008 @ 10:06PM
But…I’m not a foodie….
Josh Cates
March 14, 2008 @ 01:09PM
I’m sure Amber understands that the utensils you are provided do have an impact on the food itself, if they impart an undesired flavor, as Jenna pointed out. I am sure that, as a self-proclaimed “foodie” (I eat three meals a day, so I think I’m a foodie, too … had a GREAT tuna helper last night), Amber is also aware that it’s so common to review a restaurant’s ambiance, utensils, service, and other non-taste related aspects, that a review that doesn’t have these things stands out as incomplete.
It’s typical for reviews of sushi restaurants to talk about the temperature of the sushi, because it does impact the flavor and texture. I personally have never experienced a sushi restaurant serving true “room temperature” sushi. Even Rusan’s in Nashville, with their huge buffet (which I personally find to be outstanding, as do enough others that every time I go there you have to wait a while to get seated), always serves slightly chilled sushi. I’ve even seen restaurant reviews that criticize the restaurant for using freshly dishwahed (and therefore warm) plates to serve sushi on.
PS Alton Brown says that sushi was developed as a finger food, and should not be eaten with chopsticks, but rather, with your fingers, rolled quickly in the soy sauce. He also says you should never add wasabi, because if the sushi chef had wanted wasabi to be part of the flavor profile, he would have added it himself (or herself).
PPS Alton Brown is THE MAN
PPPS Evansville-ians are, in fact, troglodytes