KANJI Steakhouse & Sushi
As our regular readers know, all the members of Jimi’s big
family – even the littlest ones – are BIG FANS of sushi. So when
three different people told us to get ourselves to Kanji, all
within the same week, we didn’t need any more prompting.
Actually, we ended up being very ticked off at ourselves - not
just for waiting as long as we did, but for getting “scooped” by
Andrea Clurfield of the Asbury Park Press, who called KANJI “the
altar of sushi heaven” and by the Star Ledger’s Brooke Tarabour,
who reported on “the most dazzling sushi I’ve found in New
Jersey.”
In any event, we’re telling you essentially the same thing: Get
yourselves to KANJI – ASAP – and get there early, since the
place is really jumping.
Master Chef Roger Yang, formerly of Sawa - aka “Monmouth
County’s premier sushi chef” - has indeed created a veritable
‘temple of sushi.’ The moment you step inside, you’re impressed
by the authentically Japanese – and very soothing look and feel
of the restaurant – but with an added, modernist kind of buzz
that’s contributed in part by the cool décor, and in part by the
cool looking but quite eclectic crowd. And the big Sushi bar,
with its big, bold red KANJI logo that dominates the far end of
the main room, does look like the high altar of sushi. And –
most important of all to know – the Sushi really IS divine.
As we always do, we started out with the Chef’s special sashimi
selection for the day. This, of course, is the acid test of any
Sushi restaurant and a test that Kanji passed with highest
honors. Beautiful and very generous slices of buttery salmon,
Ahi tuna and red snapper were the features that day. In fact,
the fish was so good it made both the wasabi - and the soy sauce
- mostly superfluous, which is what sashimi is supposed to do,
but rarely does.
Next came another special of the day – a “fusion dish” of
scallops and crabmeat, broiled in Japanese mayonnaise.
Incredibly good…and something we hope they’ll add to the every
day menu. Then came another cooked “fusion” item – partly
because we were intrigued, and partly because one of our diners
was expecting – and thus, temporarily sworn off the raw fish;
battered rock shrimp, served in a little pool of a rich and
delicious and slightly sweet sauce. Both dishes set off an
immediate and fast-paced “duel” of chopsticks at our table.
As to the parade of Sushi rolls we ordered next, we were truly
in Sushi Heaven. Among our favorites from the “Signature K” side
of the menu were Tuna Amazing - white tuna tempura (based on a
fish that neither we, nor our server could identify by its true
name - and that, we’re sure, was not true tuna - but which was
wonderfully good), plus spicy tuna, avocado topped with pepper
tuna and drizzled with a mango sauce and roe; a special “Four in
Love Roll” (shrimp tempura, spicy “white tuna”, avocado,
asparagus and fish roe, rolled in white nori), a Crazy Friday
roll, since it was Friday…and the Tuna Lovers special from the
fusion side of the Sushi menu.
Needless to say, we are already planning our next three trips to
Kanji – the first, to have more sushi and sashimi; the second to
zero-in mostly on the fusion dishes, and the third to commandeer
one of their ten hibachi tables for a full-family feast, where
the chefs put on a show that totally awed the one grandchild
that was in attendance on our last visit…and us too.
Kanji Hibachi & Sushi • A&P Tinton Falls Plaza, Route 35 •
Tinton Falls • 732.544.1600
Visit www.kanjisteakhouse.com for menus, hours, directions and
more.
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