A long-awaited sushi restaurant fronted by a celebrity chef will finally open its doors tonight.
Suzu is the brainchild of chef Makoto Okuwa, a protege of Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto who served as the head sushi chef at Morimoto's flagship restaurants in Philadelphia and New York. The restaurant was originally scheduled to open in May.
The 6,000-square-foot Madisonville restaurant has seating for more than 200 guests and is part of Madison Square, a mixed-used development just off Red Bank Road fronting the Medpace medical campus.
According to his website, Okuwa was introduced to cooking in his hometown of Nagoya, Japan. At 15, he started an apprenticeship with master sushi chef Shinichi Takegasa. It paid off. During the past 30 years, Okuwa has
opened his own restaurants in Washington D.C., Miami and Mexico City, among other cities, and is known for his appearances on "Iron Chef America."Suzu will join chef Fabio Viviani's Italian restaurant, Zingaro, and a new Mediterranean concept Viviani will soon debut in the former home of Alara, which closed unexpectedly earlier this year.
According to a press release provided to The Enquirer, Suzu is "rooted in tradition and hands-on craft" and "brings together culinary, beverage and culture to create a way of hospitality inspired by the warmth and generosity of Japanese family cooking."
Along with sushi rolls, nigiri and sashimi, Suzu's menu features Berkshire pork gyoza with shitake XO sauce and miso mustard; a brothless ramen with foie gras, lo mein noodles, pickled green beans, mushrooms and curry yaki sauce; and an 8-ounce wagyu Prime filet with miso tallow butter sauce.
“Americans have experienced Japanese cuisine in many different ways," Okuwa said. "But with Suzu, I’m excited to introduce Cincinnati to the kind of Japanese neighborhood dining that shaped me.”
The restaurant also features an outdoor patio, a private dining room known as the Tea Room, and a beverage program featuring sakes and Japanese whiskies.
Next month, Suzu will introduce Suzuné (soo-zoo-neh), which will offer a 10-seat omakase counter, where a trained sushi chef will focus on seasonal ingredients, techniques and Japanese culinary traditions through a chef curated tasting menu. You can subscribe to the restaurant’s mailing list to be notified of the omakase opening date and future reservation availability.
5392 Medpace Way, Madisonville, 513-540-2333, suzuresataurant.com. Hours: 4-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 4-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Celebrity chef opens sushi spot in Cincy tonight. Here's what to expect
