Restaurant Review: SakiTumi
807 Gervais Street
I Like it Raw
Low lights, pulsing techno, striking works of modern art adorning the walls, Japanese movies dubbed in English on flat screen televisions, servers wearing all black, and high-raftered ceilings add to the illusion of a chic eatery you would find on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. In reality, Columbians can find this sophisticated atmosphere at SakiTumi Grill and Sushi Bar, located on Gervais Street in the Vista.
Opened last November, SakiTumi already boasts a devoted following and was voted The State newspaper’s Best Sushi for 2007. A dinner-only establishment, SakiTumi draws a mostly young, professional crowd but can meet the needs of anyone wishing to enjoy the restaurant’s trendy feel. With its mixture of wood and stone floors, the dining area gives a very intimate ambiance, but diners can eat at the bar or sushi bar, too.
SakiTumi’s menu contains a wide variety of Japanese fare, including different varieties of sushi rolls, nigiri, sashimi and soy rolls. The most popular sushi roll ordered is the SakiTumi Super Roll, a roll of fishes, crab, cream cheese, cucumber, green onion, masago and flying fish roe with sesame seeds. All of the rolls are prepared by trained sushi chefs at the sushi bar and beautifully presented on crisp white dinnerware with wasabi and ginger. For those who don’t savor the idea of eating raw fish, SakiTumi has an incredible assortment of grill items, with everything from CoCo Nut Shrimp to Lollipop Chops and Nagasaki Steak.
For such fine cuisine and superbly prepared sushi you probably think you are going to have to drop some serious coinage. SakiTumi, however, has surprisingly low costs for food, with sushi ranging in price from $2-18 and grill items ranging from $6-18. An average bill at SakiTumi is between $15-20 per person.
SakiTumi hosts a variety of special events. For those of legal drinking age, every Tuesday SakiTumi offers $10 bottles of wine. Wednesday is Sake and Martini Night with sake martinis half off. The most extraordinary and exciting event (at least for hardcore sushi fans) is VIP Sunday. On Sundays, card-carrying members receive 50 percent off all food purchases. It’s easy to become a SakiTumi VIP: when dining in the restaurant simply fill out a form, receive your card and go eat on Sunday.
So whenever you are in the mood for exquisite sushi, an intimate atmosphere and an incredibly enjoyable experience, drive to the Vista and visit SakiTumi, where they like it raw.
