Fill Up At Sushi Village
Sushi Village
32-50 Francis Lewis Blvd., Bayside
(718) 886-4733
Cuisine: Asian Fusion / Sushi
Hours: Mon-Thu 11 am-10:30 pm; Fri 11 am-11 pm; Sat Noon-11 pm; Sun Noon-10:30 pm
Parking: On-site
Reservations: Accepted
Credit Cards: All Major
On a steamy Monday night, a guest and I ventured out for a late dinner to the popular Sushi Village. After a long day at work, the availability of on-site, and ample street parking was quite a relief. Though the restaurant was shockingly busy for a weeknight, we were quickly seated and offered paper menus to peruse and mark down our order.
The fare is a healthy mix of the appetizers, entrees and sushi one would expect to see at any Japanese eatery, but this is Asian Fusion, so there were a few surprises, like the eagerly anticipated Red Bean Ice Cream and Banana Tempura. More on that later.
Anything goes at this all-you-can-eat restaurant. Mindful of the menu’s instructions to order all we want but eat what we order, and with the motto “try anything once” ringing in my ears, we decided on a little bit of everything.
As we waited for the first round of food, a House Salad, Shrimp Tempura and Chicken Teriyaki, I examined our surroundings. The room was filled nearly to capacity with large and small parties exuberantly enjoying their meal. The paneled ceiling, cherry wood walls and bamboo divider added just the right hint of the exotic.
The House Salad was a small bowl of mixed greens with a ginger dressing. Although this reviewer is not normally a fan of ginger anything, with its strong taste of orange, this dressing was delightful and dutifully devoured.
Much to my dismay, at Sushi Village a single serving of Shrimp Tempura is two delicious, lightly fried and tender pieces, with a great dipping sauce on the side. To rectify this obvious problem – the table that can be satisfied with one piece of shrimp tempura each is not mine – we ordered two more servings. This dish is a must-try.
The Chicken Teriyaki, strips of chicken breast enrobed in a sweet and tangy teriyaki sauce and sesame seeds, was ordered on behalf of my guest, who is a lover of all things teriyaki. I, normally, am not, but this sauce satisfied my palate.
Simplicity is the watchword at Sushi Village. Dishes are plated quickly and elegantly, but without fuss. Our eagerly- awaited next course was no different, and consisted of several rolls: Kamikaze Roll had spicy tuna, salmon and yellowtail with a crunchy top; Dancing Tuna was made with crunchies, spicy tuna and mango with salmon on top; and the Yummy Roll lived up to its name with eel, avocado topped with spicy tuna and crunchies. None disappointed.
We somehow made room for desert, and enjoyed a dish of Red Bean Ice Cream and a plate of Banana Tempura. The Red Bean Ice Cream is surprisingly good, with a delicate, sweet flavor that I would like to further explore with another serving as soon as possible. The Banana Tempura is a treat for the true banana lover. Served in a light tempura batter and topped with a tantalizingly sweet sauce, this is my newest favorite way to prepare banana.
With all you can eat prices of $19.99 on a weekday and $21.99 on a weekend, find your favorites at Sushi Village and chow down.
— Jessica Ablamsky