MARIETTA - Sushi lovers rejoice.
Shogun Sushi and Hibachi quietly opened Dec. 3 in the Lafayette Shopping Center and has already amassed a loyal core of customers.
"We need more tables," said Andy Laksond, who is a partner with Bam Bang Sutanto in opening the restaurant in Marietta.
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Photo by Jasmine Rogers
Employees at Shogun Sushi and Hibachi sit down to enjoy some of the restaurants varied dishes, including sushi and sashimi. For those who not enjoy seafood, the restaurant also offers hibachi, or grilled dishes such as chicken and steak.
Business has been favorable enough that there have already been talks of expanding the restaurant, he said.
Sutanto, who owns sushi restaurants in Beckley and Wytheville, Va., decided to open a restaurant in Marietta because there were few local options for people who like Japanese cuisine, said Laksond.
Sushi is a traditional Japanese food that combines vinegared rice and other ingredients, typically raw seafood, rolled in seaweed or a similarly thin wrap.
However, Laksond and Sutanto, who are both Indonesian, have brought an Indonesian flair to the dishes at Shogun.
"Indonesian food is spicy," Laksond said.
In addition, the restaurant also offers sashimi, which is raw, sliced meat; hibachi dishes, which are grilled meats such as chicken, shrimp, steak, and more; nigiri, which is seafood with rice; and tempura, which are fried versions of the sushi rolls.
Their most popular dish has been the Yum Yum roll, a sushi roll that contains crab, cucumber, avocado and cream cheese, said Laksond.
"It's very yummy, just like the name says," he said.
The traditional Japanese cuisine fills a void, said some local residents.
Reno resident Barbara Leimkuehler, 41, said she loves good sushi, and living in California for 10 years, she was able to try her fair share of the dish.
Shogun Sushi and Hibachi did not disappoint, she said.
"They have a very limited menu because they are new and a smaller business. But I was very impressed with the sushi rolls and the fish was fresh," said Leimkuehler.
The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. The restaurant also offers take-out .
As for the plans to expand, they are merely tentative for now, he said. But the sushi business in Marietta looks promising.
"Marietta people, they love sushi!" said Laksond.
