Sushi Trio, 09-17-2004

(as published in The Southern Voice, www.sovo.com)

Show me your sashimi
By: Rodney Smiley
September 17, 2004

You can’t shake a stick in Atlanta without hitting a sushi place, so here are three places in the gayborhood to eat it raw.

Sushi is OFTEN regarded as an acquired taste. Many people avoid it, thinking they’ll be served a platter of raw, cold, wriggling pieces of catfish or trout. And that’s as far as they get.
Surely fish that’s not been dredged in corn meal and deep fried can’t be tasty, can it?

The answer for many is a resounding yes.

For years, sushi was something you’d find only in larger metropolitan cities, but now sushi bars and restaurants are popping up seemingly everywhere both inside and outside the perimeter.

We decided to check out three intown spots and see what’s what.

But before we get started, here’s a quick lesson in what to expect at most sushi restaurants.
A true sushi night is not cheap and shouldn’t be. The better the fish, the fresher the fish, the more expensive the fish. I’m convinced that most people who avoid sushi have not experienced “good” sushi.

Choose wisely and never regret it. Choose poorly, and you may never forget it.

The experiment starts at Ru San’s. The Ansley Park eatery popular with gays is the least expensive and most domestic of the eateries reviewed here.

Fully descriptive menus advising every ingredient in each roll, a loud, almost party-like atmosphere and harried service make Ru San’s the place for the proletarian sushi diner on a budget. There’s even a non-sushi menu for those who are steadfastly opposed to sushi.
Sushi at Ru San’s is passable, but the menu is basic and far too Americanized. Yet that might make Ru San’s perfect for the uninitiated. It’s a place to find suburban families, college students on a budget and of course in Midtown, a sprinkling of gay couples and groups.

But surprisingly, there are no Asian faces, save for the kitchen staff and sushi chefs. That’s probably the best indicator of a place known for its easy menu and atmosphere rather than for its sushi.

Also known for atmosphere, but providing a better sushi experience, is MF Sushibar on Ponce de Leon Avenue. “MF” stands for “Magic Fingers,” and chef/brothers Alex and Chris Kinjo create a glossy, martini-lounge inspired restaurant where Atlanta’s hipsters nosh on plates that look as sleek and appealing as the room itself.

After a bit of a wait for a seat, the server shows up offering advice and suggestions — something most amateur sushi-goers need. At her insistence, I order a shrimp tempura roll and a ginger salad.

The salad arrives, crisp and tangy with just enough ginger to set the taste buds on point. Followed by the tempura roll, fresh and packed with shrimp, it’s hard to imagine a more pleasant meal in such polished surroundings.

BUT TO EXPERIENCE the true aficionado’s sushi, visit Taka Sushi Café in Buckhead. It’s pricey, but Taka is to sushi what Prada is to handbags: near perfection.

Unpretentious in its renovated Taco Mac location, Taka is small enough to provide a personalized and distinctive experience yet large enough for an escape to a corner table to share elegant bites and some of the finest sake.

At the sushi bar, Chef Taka is carving, forming and exhibiting his wares. He is happy to offer suggestions as to what is particularly good on a given evening.Trust him. I did, and I found myself dining on luscious dishes.

In addition to nigiri, maki and one plate of wonderful fried pork fritters, a seaweed cone chock-full of cucumber, herbs, a little sticky rice and tuna is drizzled with just a modest amount of soy. It’s as scrumptious a treat as anyone could ask for.

Visitors might just think that Taka Sushi Café is Sushi Nirvana.