Editor’s note: Though Westport Journal has published news of restaurant openings, we’ve not focused on the dining experience. Until now. This is our first “restaurant appreciation” article. Enjoy.
Words and photos by Ken Valenti
WESTPORT–When you go for sushi, you don’t necessarily expect fire to be a big part of your meal. Raw fish is the whole point. And you certainly don’t expect a live flame at your table.
Yet that’s how the sushi box was presented at Yuzu, the new Japanese spot at 43 Main St. The Omakase sushi – chef’s choice – came inside a wooden box made to look like a large book, with Hamlet by Shakespeare on the cover. Once opened a sheet of paper on top was set afire, burning away to reveal eight pieces of meticulously sized and presented sushi.
Talk about a flare for presentation.
Each piece was topped with its own complement. Spicy garlic, caviar, a large bead of uni and so on.
Yuzu began welcoming customers with a soft opening earlier this month, but plans an official grand opening from noon to 1 p.m. tomorrow, where everyone will get a free treat.
If you’re in the mood for something cooked, Yuzu offers a full range of kitchen dishes – teriyaki, tempura, Saikyo miso-glazed Chilean sea bass, yuzu kosho grilled lobster and more.
There’s also a hibachi, soba and udon noodles and even a “taco nori lunch.”
The interior features a quietly comfortable décor of blond wood and cream-colored chairs under a night sky ceiling of blue and white lights. The space overlooks the Saugatuck River beyond Parker Harding Plaza.
“It’s perfect,” said head chef John Zhang, who became a sushi chef in 2011. “We’ve got this beautiful view.”
The first course on a recent visit was a house special of wasabi sea scallops resting on a split asparagus stalk in a potato puree. This was safe for the heat averse. The wasabi taste was there, with a pleasantly balanced flavor, but with no sting.
The bluefin tuna that came on a bite of crisped rice, however, did have a bit of a bite. That came next to a wagyu beef bite sitting on a piece of toast. The beef melted in the mouth, and the crisp on the toast added a hint of a traditional American cuisine.
A dish of sliced madai – the premium Japanese red sea bream – added a more delicate texture, resting in vinegar, perked up with a topping of candied yuzu rind.
A couple of not-too-sweet lychee mocktails washed it all down.
Owner Jessie Chen said they live in New York City, but love coming up to Westport.
Yuzu is the latest venture from the restaurateurs behind several Japanese restaurants in New York City and on Long Island. The staff, mostly from New York City, enjoy commuting to the Westport addition.
“We love this location,” said owner Jessie Chen said.
Yuzu
43 Main St.
Westport
203-242-9888
yuzuwestport
Ken Valenti
A career journalist and lifelong resident of the New York City region, Ken Valenti has enjoyed decades of reporting local, regional and national news in New York and Connecticut. Topics of special interest are development, the environment, Long Island Sound and transportation. When not reporting, he’s always on the lookout for the perfect coffee shop or used book sale.
Dining and Cooking