By Tammy Jaxtheimer, Restaurant critic
DOWNTOWN SUFFOLK has enjoyed a resurgence in the past couple of years with numerous restaurants taking a chance on build it - or cook it - and they will come.
Last month marked one year that Michael Hart and wife, Megan, have been making the regular trek to Suffolk from Virginia Beach to Sushi Aka, their "Japanese fusion" restaurant.
When we got out of the car on West Washington Street, a block off Main, I took note of the quaint downtown and complimented my guest, a Suffolk friend, on her evolving town.
The Harts have turned a 100-year-old building into a spacious, hip, but unpretentious Asian-influenced space. The sleek leather furniture at the entry made me want to linger, maybe enjoy sushi and sake there before settling in at a table along the exposed brick wall in the dining area. An 11-seat sushi bar bumps up the dining room capacity to 45.
Rock & Roll ($7) was a lovely combination of tuna, salmon and rockfish with avocado and cucumber. Fish eggs, gochujan (Korean spicy-sweet sauce), sesame seeds and scallions topped the jammin' roll.
Being eggplant fans - whether Italian, Mediterranean or Asian style - we zeroed in on broiled eggplant ($7) under "Kitchen Starters." Elongated split eggplant, drizzled with miso glaze, was soft and sweet like gooey candy, elegantly presented on beautiful greens. It was tasty, but next time I will try one of the many other tempting starters, since I prefer a more savory and firm preparation.
From a dozen lunch-priced items that include offerings from the sushi side of the house, hot kitchen and a combo of both, we opted for tempura shrimp ($8.50) and beef teriyaki bento box ($10).
A generous fresh salad attractively garnished and dressed with sliced tomatoes and ginger vinaigrette was an appealing accompaniment to the tempura shrimp. Three shrimp and several vegetables - sweet potato, zucchini, onion - were gently fried to perfection.
A bowl of well-balanced miso soup started off the bento box, a compartmentalized tray allowing room for many marvelous morsels.
Tender beef sirloin, char-grilled and sliced to expose its pink streak, was terrific topped with a tasteful teriyaki sauce. Other delights in the bento box included al dente green beans, perfect tempura vegetables, rice, salad with ginger vinaigrette and half spicy tuna roll.
Green tea cr�me brulee ($5.25) was selected over tempura cheesecake and wonton Napoleon. The crackled sugar top protected the smooth, velvety custard underneath. Although we craved more green tea flavor, we easily made it disappear.
Michael Hart, the sole sushi chef, was mentored by Town Center's Zushi chef-owner, Kevin Chang, at Chang's previous restaurant, Nara Sushi in Virginia Beach.
In my follow-up phone call, Hart told me that he's been cutting tuna since he was 14 years old. He has merged his Asian training with his extensive American cuisine experience (including Five 01 City Grill), allowing guests to enjoy a variety of East meets West, with a touch of the South.
I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch with attentive, pleasant service and look forward to trying more sushi selections.
However I can't wait to return to Sushi Aka for dinner, even when I'm not in the mood for sushi. I guess the "aka" can mean "also known as" Japanese fusion - or just a wonderful place to eat where quality food is artfully prepared.
Tammy Jaxtheimer, flavor@pilotonline.com
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