Fuji Ya, Minneapolis, MN

Fuji Ya
600 West Lake St.
Minneapolis, MN
(612)871-4055
www.fujiyasushi.com

Overall Rating: 95%
5 July 2008

Summary
The sushi was amazing: High quality fish, great combinations, and reasonably priced for the area. The service could have been more attentive, but it was nothing to complain about. Dessert was acceptable.

Sushi - 10 out of 10
All of the fish was of a very high quality. When I put the salmon nigiri in my mouth, it was soft and buttery - just the perfect texture. In fact, the salmon and toro were so good, we ended up ordering the extra salmon sashimi. The Winter Roll was great as well. It was one of those "has every kind of fish in it" rolls, but it was also sprinkled with tempura crunches. A definite recommendation. Lastly, the caterpillar. Now, you have to understand, I'm not a fan of eel. I tend to find the flavor unpalatable and the texture a weird blend of squishy and chewy. This was none of those things: it was "good eel". Lynn loved it. I found it an education in what eel should be.

Service - 5 out of 10
Our server could have been a little more attentive. I had to wait a while for a refill on my drink, and we waited for at least ten minutes trying to get our server's attention to order the salmon sashimi. Finally, I just had another server send her out of the back. Granted, I didn't really mind the waiting, having Lynn for company, and it's really not that big of a complaint. We were there for sushi and the service didn't detract from an awesome experience.

Dessert - 7 out of 10
We ordered a tempura green tea ice cream and a chocolate pyramid. The ice cream was huge, a ball probably five inches in diameter. It was a little too far on the bitter side for both our tastes, but Lynn seemed to enjoy it. The chocolate pyramid was quite delightful. Soft chocolate mousse on the outside with a soft white chocolate mousse in the middle: An excellent selection.

Miscellaneous
The inside of the restaurant was nicely modern and trendy, which came as a bit of a surprise given the feel of their website.
They have a pay parking lot, which many people might complain about. We were fortunate enough to find a parking space on the one way street next to the restaurant, which worked perfectly.
They also have a location in St. Paul. We don't know how it compares to the one that we went to in Minneapolis.

What We Ordered
1 Caterpillar ($10.50)
1 Winter Roll ($15.95)
1 Sake (Salmon) ($4.75)
1 Sake (Salmon) Sashimi ($5.75)
1 White Toro Sashimi ($6.95)
1 Tempura Ice Cream ($4.50)
1 Chocolate Mousse Pyramid ($5.95)


Copyright 2008 by Matthew Fulgo.