Chefs shine at new downtown eatery

Source: Ann Arbor News
Wasabi is like a bento box, the simple but often elegantly arranged lunch package available everywhere in Japan.

A sushi restaurant, Wasabi opened in March where Voila, the women's clothier, used to be at 115 W. Washington St. in downtown Ann Arbor.

Owners Dave Shima and Mike Sabbagh kept the light oak-finish floors but painted the walls sage green and hung them with a series of contemporary oil paintings. To mark off the reception area, they arranged a pale blue-green, heavily-embroidered kimono in lacquer red frame.

The eating area includes simple, squarish chairs and dark wood tables with subtle ridges etched into the tops, but the real action happens toward the back of the restaurant, where sushi chefs work with fast and almost surgical precision. Best seats are in front of the chefs.

By the way, if you haven't eaten sushi, you've missed something. Vinegared rice wrapped around raw fish and sealed with seaweed might not sound like much, but done properly, it can be addictive. And if the idea of raw fish doesn't ring your food chimes, try vegetarian sushi. Either way, sushi nearly always comes arranged simply and elegantly - worth a look-see all by itself.

Wasabi also offers thick regular noodles (udon) and buckwheat noodles (soba) in four different soups.

The restaurant's hours are Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m-2 p.m. and 5:30-10:30 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 5:30-11:30 p.m. Phone: (734) 222-5219.
Source: Ann Arbor News