A new location of Raku Sushi opened at the Shops at the West End near the end of 2012. The area is becoming a very popular destination for dining and date night as the Showplace Icon movie theater is located there as well.
The restaurant is more interesting inside than I was expecting as well. When you enter, there is a host stand and off to the right is a small bar area. Behind the host stand are several tables covered in yellow stone and lit from within. The chairs and tables are built-ins you step down into and made from that stone and they look really neat, though I don't imagine you can move your chair or table around at all. There is a larger seating area in the back, with red booths and origami birds strung from the ceiling that look very pretty. The menu also had a much wider variety than I was expecting as they have a variety of Japanese entrees on the menu in addition to sushi selections.
We started with the pork goyza, which were excellent, although I was starving and I forgot to take a photo of them. They were pan seared and had just the right amount of crunch on the exterior.
I tried the lotus special roll, which had spicy tuna and yamagobo inside and tuna, avocado and spicy mayo sauce on the outside. I had no idea what yamogobo was, but it turns out it is a vinegar marinated ginger root. When I was eating the sushi roll, I thought it was carrot because it did not have much flavor. The sushi roll was great and I would definitely order it again.
John was feeling super adventurous and ordered the marine sashimi platter. It was 18 pieces of assorted fish ranging from fatty tuna, yellow tail tuna, salmon, red snapper, shrimp, fluke and tomato, which was described as an omelet. The portion was quite large, very filling and all of the fish tasted very fresh.
The service was good and the food arrived pretty quickly. Our server was great at keeping our water glasses refilled and checking back to see if we needed anything on a regular basis. Overall, we had a great time and I think we will return again soon.
Deals and Discounts: Groupon had a deal back in December for $15 for a $30 certificate, which I jumped on. When we arrived I also noticed they had signs for a variety of happy hour specials as well. I would call or visit their website for the current happy hour deals, as I am sure the offerings can change frequently.
Raku Sushi and Lounge
5371 W 16th St
St Louis Park, MN 55416
(952) 378-1803
http://www.rakumn.com/
