By Stephen Hacker
Like many people, I used to view Japanese cuisine as mysterious and exotic. I was introduced to both sushi and the Benihana-style hibachi show grill in New York City sometime in the ’80s, then found Japanese food in Atlanta, Cincinnati and finally in a few Louisville places.
Now Louisvillians can get sushi from their neighborhood Kroger, and for me, Japanese is a "regular" dining-out choice — though one that makes me feel slightly more virtuous than Mexican, barbecue or Indian buffets. And when I want some Japanese close to home, I usually stop by Fuji Japanese Steakhouse.
Fuji manages to shoehorn a range of dining options — sushi bar, standard tables and a hibachi grill-table section — into a small space in one of the many Springhurst Boulevard mini-strips. Things can get a bit jammed up during busy hours, but to me the effect is usually cozy, not claustrophobic. I especially enjoy sitting at one of the few tables running along the divide separating the restaurant’s hibachi grill section from the "sushi" section; here, I can watch the grill-masters toss eggs, flip shrimp and bang birthday drums without having to settle for fried rice and teriyaki chicken.
Instead, I opt for a spread of sushi and assorted rolls. (I mean no offense to hibachi-grill fanciers — after all, a lot of what I enjoy at Fuji may be less Japanese than the Karate Kid.) For example, when I feel like I’ve exercised enough to indulge in a bit of fried goodness, I’ll usually order the tonkatsu ($13) or tempura ($14) dinner. Tonkatsu, breaded and deep-fried pork, is actually a dish created in Japan through the influence of Dutch and German traders during the Meiji period (1868-1912). It comes with rice, but there’s also a side of Worcestershire and ketchup sauce. It may not make you think of samurai and shoguns, but Fuji’s version is crispy outside, tender inside, and overall a quite comforting meal.
I also like Fuji’s tempura, which is usually a crisp assortment of vegetables and shrimp coated in egg-and-flour batter. Fuji’s kitchen sometimes mixes things up by coating the shrimp in panko instead of a traditional tempura batter, but either way the shrimp, like the vegetables, present a pleasing contrast of crisp batter and tender filling. Dipping these morsels in a bit of sweet mirin sauce always leaves me satisfied.
Even more Japanese is one of my favorite Fuji starters, agedashi tofu ($4). Cubes of lightly breaded tofu swim in tempura sauce with scallions and dried bonito tuna flakes. The silky tofu is almost creamy within its crust, and the salty, fishy sauce applies great taste to this texture. The only drawback: There are only three tofu pieces, and believe me, you’ll want more.
However, what generally calls me to Fuji is a hankering for some sushi — or at least something with rice and seaweed that I can dip in soy sauce and wasabi. On a recent visit, I once again enjoyed some maguro tuna ($4), a bit of yellowtail ($4) and scallop ($4). I especially enjoyed the scallop, chopped into a spicy mayo sauce with a bit of flying-fish roe. But I must say that Fuji’s sushi is really no better than much of that found at our city’s many other fine Japanese restaurants — something I’m happy to report (although Fuji probably isn’t thrilled that I’m doing so).
I think the Fuji folks know they’re in a parity situation as well, which is why the sushi chefs there come up with a variety of innovative rolls and combos. A whiteboard behind them has daily specials, and the restaurant has a regular list of "Inside Out" rolls, as well as "Oven Baked" rolls, "Crunch Specials" and other items.
The Crunch Munch roll ($9) on a recent visit featured spicy crab mixed with mayo, wrapped in seaweed and rice and then topped with cooked shrimp covered with tempura flakes. A sweet sauce paired nicely with the pate of spicy crab, moist shrimp and crunchy panko crumbs. It was delicious, but about the only thing connecting this roll with sushi was rice and seaweed, which were virtually lost amid the other flavors.
The Golden Dragon roll ($9) also seemed designed to impart the feeling of eating sushi without really being that daring — although it did go another step down the exotic road. Featuring cooked sea eel with cucumber inside a seaweed/rice roll topped with spiced mango, the Golden Dragon contrasted sweet, soft and spicy mango with cool and crispy cucumber and the meaty, only faintly fishy taste of eel. Even if you’re only a "safe" sushi eater, you should take a tiny step on the wild side with this one
I can’t say that Fuji is the area’s most "authentic" Japanese restaurant, nor the most exotic, comfortable or even extensive. But I can tell you that Fuji delivers consistently good food not as a novelty, but as the draw at an agreeable neighborhood gathering spot
If You Go
Fuji Japanese Steakhouse, 3576 Springhurst Blvd., 339-1978. Open for lunch Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Dinner Monday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday, 4:30-11 p.m. Open Sunday 12-9:30 p.m.
