Suika

J mentioned wanting to try Suika several times so we finally did go. In fact, we liked it so much that we went twice in 2 weeks.

Aburi Salmon Battera

Suika is located on Broadway with street parking available. It doesn't have a very noticeable storefront so we almost missed it on our way there. They have a small patio but we chose to eat inside (on both trips). The servers there all speak Japanese (as far as I can tell) and they do the typical Japanese greeting and thank-you/farewell when guests enter and leave the restaurant. The decor inside is mostly black with regular tables, some long tables and a lounge area.

Service was pretty good overall. When we went on our second visit, we brought some of my extended family and several from our party wanted to order their special Suika Soda. The server suggested that we get a pitcher instead, which ended up being way more than the individual glasses and saving us some money as well.

Torotoro Cha-shu

The food itself is definitely the highlight of Suika. They serve Japanese tapas like many of the restaurants in downtown. However, their dishes are very well-made, delicious, and different from the typical fare that you get downtown.

Following are some of the items that we've tried there:

Hellz Chicken

Aburi "Shime-Saba" Sushi

• Grilled Sable Fish - Tender, moist, very flavorful and very few bones.
• Hellz Chicken - Spicy boneless fried chicken... what's not to like? This one is a little on the spicy side though.
• Torotoro Cha-shu - Very tender, tasty, and fatty. It almost melts in your mouth. Don't think about the calories.
• Beef Filet Fried Rice - Beef on the fried rice was soft and tender, but it didn't feel like there were enough chunks of beef. If you need to leave a restaurant full and not break the bank, this'll do.
• Asari Yaki Udon - Another very tasty dish. The sauce makes the dish.
• Three Kinds Sashimi - Fresh sashimi. Not much else to say about it.
• Hainanese Style Chicken Salad - An interesting take on a warm salad. I think the salad and the chicken go better on their own, but it's still interesting.
• Aburi "Shime-Saba" Sushi - The different flavors in this one was a little cofusing. None of the flavors stand out on their own, so it ends up just tasting like a generic fusion sushi.
• Aburi Toro Battera - We tried both the toro and the salmon version of this and the toro version was far better. The sauce mixed with the sashimi goes very well with the rice. Everything is soft and melds together well.

Beef Filet Fried Rice

Pricewise, Suika is not cheap. However, it is in-line with most Japanese tapas restaurants. I would definitely recommend Suika, especially if you don't like having to head downtown for a Japanese tapas fix.

Summary
Food: Very Good. Almost all the dishes we tried were very good. The tastes may be a little too rich for some.

Service: Good. Servers are usually quick and they are nice about it.

Setting: Good. Decent parking available and it is usually bustling with activity inside.

Value: Average. Expect to pay $20-30 per person or more if you're a big eater.