Sushi Kim in the Strip District will be closing after 20 years at its Penn Avenue location. The building is up for sale, with David Glickman of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank representing the property. Owner Yong Kim said he will remain open until the business sells, but its days are numbered.
Though it would be a stretch to say that Sushi Kim represents the finest sushi in Pittsburgh, it has been a place that offers personality, with a ground-floor sushi bar and a menu of Korean dishes as well as a weekend-only, second floor all-you-can-eat buffet. As Munch had noted in a 2009 column, that second floor offers “eclectic … decor, from the digitally flowing waterfall picture, complete with gushing sound effects, to the Chinese scroll painting, to the picture of the half-Korean Hines Ward.”
With its closing, it’s a good time to size up the state of sushi in Pittsburgh.
I still miss Fukuda, the tiny Bloomfield sushi bar that closed in September 2014. I valued the place for chef T.J. Barney’s skill and some show-stopping dinners. Owner Hoon Kim closed it when Mr. Barney moved back to California.
Since then, I’ve gone to a few sushi places that were disappointing — Sushi Tomo in Ross (I didn’t love the fish), Nakama (too much party, not enough care) on the South Side and Monterey Bay’s Sakari (my review gave it one star in May) on Mount Washington, to name a handful. I’ve also visited spots that have been satisfying, if not sublime.
What I’m wishing for is a small, stylish place with a highly skilled, Japanese-trained chef and beautiful fish in a restaurant that educates diners in the traditions of sushi. But the market isn’t big enough — or willing to spend the money on a regular basis — to sustain it. Good fish, fresh fish is expensive.
In the meantime, here’s the best of what we have, which can offer a range from a fine lunch to a lovely evening out.
Kiku
Why go: You want to be schooled at the sushi bar by local pros.
Open since 1983, Kiku is one of the oldest sushi bars in the city. A restaurant with Japanese owners, the restaurant requires a walk through the mainly desolate Freight House Shops on West Station Square Drive. Head to the sushi bar and ask the server for the sushi omakase, which is different from the menu listing of chef’s choice of dishes from the kitchen.
There, you’ll learn from chefs Taku Okumura and chef-owner Hiroko Uchino to wrap a shiso leaf around the tendrils of shaved daikon. You’ll learn to vary between mild and strong pieces of sushi, “like a melody on a piano.” You’ll learn that the house makes its own rice vinegar and soy — a milder version of the latter, since Americans “tend to use more than they do in Japan,” which can disrupt the balance of flavors. And more. 225 W. Station Square Drive, South Side; 412-765-3200.
Andy’s Sushi Bar
Why go: You like a cast of characters with your sushi.
Andy Nguyen has rented his stand on the floor of Wholey’s since 1997. Having been a sushi chef for so long, it seems that just about everyone who rolls through the door knows him, from a police officer who stops by to say hello, to a customer who stops in to get a roll with “anything but raw fish,” she said.
I went with a guy who knew him when he was a college student at Carnegie Mellon University. “Give me something that will fill me up,” he directed Mr. Nguyen. His request translated to a California roll overstuffed with avocado, paper-thin cut yellow tail dolloped with mango sauce, salmon and tuna nigiri.
The rice is not seasoned as it should be, but the fish is satisfying. 1711 Penn Ave., Strip District; 412-281-8272. Lunch only.
Penn Avenue Fish Company
Why go: You want recommendations straight from the fishmonger.
On Monday, Penn Avenue Fish Company, Downtown, will reopen after a brief renovation, transforming the daytime-focused fish restaurant to a restaurant and bar serving sushi and izakaya specialties through the dinner hour. Yes, you will be able to grab a bite and a drink after 10 p.m.
It’s not the first expansion for the restaurant.
Henry Dewey and business partner Angela Earley opened the original location in the Strip in 2007; two years ago, they bought the building next door and expanded the sushi bar and the restaurant seating area.
Today, Mr. Dewey recommends tuna and — my favorite — mackerel nigiri, as well as broiled salmon with homemade eel sauce. “When we warm up our Scottish salmon just a bit with the torch,” he said, “it’s amazing.” 2208 Penn Ave., Strip District, 412-434-7200; 308 Forbes Ave., Downtown. 412-562-1710.
Chaya Japanese Cuisine
Why go: You want a neighborhood sushi place run by a Japanese restaurant owner.
Behind the sushi bar, you’ll find owner and executive chef Fumio Yasuzawa where he has worked since he opened the restaurant in 2001. Before that, he was in Tokyo until 1975, then moved to a Manhattan hotel, where he cooked from 1975 to 1996. He stayed in the New York area until 1999.
Though the Japanese menu can upstage the sushi, I prefer hamachi (yellowtail) maguro (bigeye tuna) or unagi (eel) nigiri over the Pittsburgh roll or the red devil roll layered with multiple ingredients. 2032 Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill; 412-422-2082.
Umi
Why go: You want date-night sushi, interesting wine and a refined space.
The sushi den above Soba is manned by Shyh-Dyi Jou Shu, who goes by Mr. Shu, formerly of the New Dumpling House and before that, Nobu in New York City. Despite that it has been open for well over a decade, the room is serene and stylish.
The first time I went to Umi, I sat at the sushi bar and was asked by a chef if I knew what wasabi was. That’s fine, as it’s bend-over-backward hospitality to make everyone feel comfortable, even those who may be skittish with raw fish as the focus. But I knew I wasn’t going to get a curve ball as far as presentation or rare offerings.
For the omakase, the fish was not flashy but it was lovely and simple, a show of respect for high-quality seafood. From fluke, to yellowtail, to salmon, tuna and toro, there is care in this sourcing. The wines paired well with each course, though I especially like the flinty, acidic whites. 5849 Ellsworth Ave., Shadyside; 412-362-6198.
Melissa McCart: 412-263-1198 or on Twitter @melissamccart
First Published: October 29, 2015, 4:00 a.m.
