EDGEWATER — A couple recently opened a late-night sushi spot in Edgewater because they wanted to share freshly made, traditional Japanese recipes with the community, they said.
Co-owners Tim Viboonchan and Sonia Savitree, who each have more than 15 years of experience in the restaurant industry, opened Sayuri Sushi Bar, 1553 W. Devon Ave., this month near the intersection of Clark Street and Devon Avenue. The restaurant will be open 5-11 p.m. weekdays and 5 p.m.-midnight weekends.
“We want to share our recipes and inspiration behind the food with our customers,” Viboonchan said. “We want to make good food for people. We’ve gotten some feedback from people so far, saying that they really like our restaurant’s atmosphere and food.”
Viboonchan, the head chef, said he starts preparing sushi rolls as soon as customers order them, resulting in a meal that tastes especially fresh.
The menu includes items inspired by traditional Japanese recipes Viboonchan learned growing up and while he worked at other restaurants throughout the city. He most recently worked as a chef at the traditional sushi restaurant Kamehachi, 1531 North Wells Ave., in Old Town.
The menu features a variety of sushi, sashimi and maki rolls as well as tempura, teriyaki and udon noodles, among other things.
One of Viboonchan’s favorite items on the menu is the tsunami roll, which is filled with tuna, salmon, white fish, cucumber, tempura, spicy mayo and eel sauce. He also enjoys making the Mexican roll, which has Japanese eel, yellowtail tuna, masag jalapeno, avocado, lime and chili oil.
Viboonchan said he uses traditional Japanese methods to cook everything and he makes all of the sauces from scratch, including spicy mayo, ponzu sauce and tempura sauce.
“People have said they’ve never tasted sushi that’s so fresh before,” Viboonchan said. “We make everything order by order, which is why it tastes totally different from other places. We make our miso soup fresh every time too, people say they’ve never had soup like this because we make it one by one.”
The inside of the restaurant is “cozy” and “family-friendly,” Savitree said. The main area of the restaurant features a sushi bar where people can watch chefs make their food, but there’s also a separate dining room visitors can reserve for larger events.
“We try to be especially friendly, we treat people who come in like they’re part of our family, not just customers,” Savitree said.
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