When I visit my family in New Jersey, this is often a first stop meal. My brother, Greg, his wife, Francis, and their kids live right up the hill. Convenience is nice but the food is always good and Greg and Fran are regulars. Even on a weekday, the place is packed with couples, families, and solo diners.
A local Jersey neighborhood joint it is and the quality is very good. The sake (salmon) appetizer we ordered is Atlantic, sweet, and creamy so I ordered one of the house-special rolls – the Hanami. It is filled with avocado, hamachi, toro, sake and tobiko, then wrapped with slivered cucumber and wrapped again with rice paper. It is served beautifully to show-off the skill of the artful sushi chef behind the counter. I have never been served sushi like this – it is unique and beautiful. The roll is a mosaic, with the jewel-like gems of fish and vegetables arrayed in a colorful pattern of 6 pieces on the plate. It is so pretty, I almost don’t want to eat it. Stefan ordered sesame chicken with steamed broccoli, perfectly browned, crisp not soggy, and quite sweet. I saved the few morsels on my plate for “dessert”.
Fresh orange slices and fortune cookies always offered for dessert. This must be a local tradition – every Chinese restaurant in the area serves this for dessert - yet I have never seen this done in any other part of the country.
Portions are large, tables and chairs are comfortable and there is no bar so bring your own. We brought a bottle of the Louis Latour Domaine De Valmoissine 2005 Pinot Noir - perfect!
41 Union Ave
Cresskill, NJ
T: 201.567.8508
BYOB
Visited May 10, 2007
Labels: asian, fusion, new jersey, restaurant, sushi
