If it wasn't for Yelp, I would have never I repeat NEVER venture into a place like this or be able to find it. Sushi House 21 is pretty much in the middle of nowhere in Newark and I honestly will not walk around this area by myself at night. But I believe in Yelp and its 4.5 star rating (as of 2/9/15) so I put my life (and my friends' life) on the line for the sake of good food!
Sushi House 21 as the name suggested - is a French restaurant that is run by a very nice Chinese lady. WHAT? Although they do serve sushi and sashimi; they are really a French/ Japanese fusion restaurant! My friend spoke to the chef Nelson (very friendly guy) and he said he's Chinese but lived in Montreal most of his life and was taught the way of the French cuisine along with Japanese.
Parking: No parking lot for the restaurant but street parking wasn't too difficult; just make sure to park closer to the restaurant during night hours.
As we approached the restaurant, we couldn't help but notice how beautiful the outer front wall of the restaurant looked, good sign definitely! We called ahead to make a reservation since we had a party of 8 so when we got there at 6pm, we were seated right away. The restaurant was not very big; there were only 7 tables of 4s. The restaurant was dimly lighted but feels very cozy.
Our waitress (I believe she's also the owner) was very friendly and accommodating, she apologized to us a few times because she said one of the cook was out that day so service was a bit slower than usual. We love how honest she was and we said we don't mind.
The menu was quite extensive featuring both French and Japanese food. We all went for the Japanese food since we read how fresh their sushi and Sashimi were, they also had a special at night, I think it's 5 rolls for $20- great deal!!
EVERYTHING tasted excellent!! All of their fish were super fresh, I had the Sashimi deluxe combo and everything was so delicious and did I mention FRESH??? That salmon was to die for, really melts in your mouth, chef Nelson knows how to cook and handle fish by the way he cuts the salmon, we had over at least 15 pieces of salmon sashimi and every piece was melt-in-your-mouth good!! It's not just the quality of the fish but also the skill/technique of the chef. By the way, they are not stingy with their fish, when you get their sushi/sashimi, you get the FULL piece! This is not the ultra-paper thin slice that your typical sushi restaurants serve you; it's the real deal- FULL PIECE!
The scallop sashimi was OMG- SUPER Fresh with a hint of sweetness. Melts in your mouth, it is not fishy at all, I have to say this is one of the freshest scallop I had for a long time!!
And of course we have to talk about the Uni. YOU MUST GET THE UNI HERE!!! We didn't know this item was off the menu but we lucked out that night and they only have 8 orders left so we got them all. Our waitress told us to call first next time so they can make sure they have enough stock for us before we come. But that Uni was just heavenly! I can't say it's as good as what I had in San Diego but it's close enough. Creamy, neither fishy nor slimy, everything about it screams fresh!!! Definitely a MUST TRY!!!
Our waitress ask us how we like the food at the end, we said everything tasted so fresh and she said that's because they get their fish pretty much every other day to ensure people get the freshest sushi/sashimi. NO WONDER IT'S SO GOOD!!!
Price: inexpensive- Most entrées and sushi/sashimi combos are around $20, with that quality of fish they are serving, $20 is a steal.
Overall: This is a true GEM in the Newark area, if not the New Jersey area. Super high quality fish, excellent service and an awesome chef will guarantee you get the best bang for your bucks. Now I only wish I live closer to New Jersey so I can come here more often. PS. I will be back to try out the mango mousse and cheesecake!! read more