Like some professionals, chefs are a transient lot. They move with the prevailing tides, driven by changing tastes, locations and trends. These changes are not often noted for public "consumption." Owners and chefs occasionally have stormy relationships, accounting, in part, for the inconsistency that characterizes some restaurants around town. And free-spirited chefs value their own independence as much as any other artist.
Keeping track of who's cooking where and for whom would just about be a full-time job.We had heard that one of the chefs for the Kyoto in its earliest days left several years ago and opened the Yamamoto on Social Hall. After changes in ownership, he left there and opened his own restaurant further south in Midvale called the Suehiro, another of the elegant Japanese restaurants that dot the Wasatch Front.
As a result of the reputations of the other establishments, we entered the brightly lit interior with certain expectations that had been met at the other restaurants. The decor, highlighted by white walls, blond wood trim and minimal but appropriate Japanese artwork, displayed a care for clean simplicity. Unfortunately, some of the dishes we sampled, as well as uneven service, did not reflect the same care for detail.
Three of the dozen appetizers we sampled were adequate. The gyozas , Japanese pot-stickers, came with a translucent dough skin, though the meat filling was a bit greasy. The agesashi tofu ($3.95) a favorite of ours, was served lukewarm. Nonetheless, the ginger soy sauce had a nice flavor. The kaniage ($5.50), deep-fried soft shell crab, came with a nondescript sauce, not nearly as spicy as expected.
Other appetizers include tori kaarage ($5.75), Japanese crispy fried chicken; yakitori ($3.75), broiled chicken on a skewer; several other kinds of tofu with sauces; shishamo ($6.75), broiled fresh water fish; sashimi ($8.75); and five different sushi variations, priced from $4.85 to $5.90. These include California roll, futomake and inari.
Each of the dinners are served with a miso broth, green salad and steamed rice. Among the five of us, we sampled just about every style of dish except for the sukiyaki.
The clear favorites were the large steaming cauldrons for the nabeyaki udon ($7.50) and yosenabe ($9.50). The similarity in presentation confused both the waitress and two in our party who ordered the dishes. The help should have known the difference; but the sharing of the dishes just made the rest of us envious. The nabeyaki udon was chock full of vegetables, thick noodles and topped with shrimp tempura and fish cake. Seasoned with a spicy chili powder, it came alive. The seafood in the yosenabe was very good, adding to the flavor of the broth.
The vegetable tempura that came with the combination dinners was, on the other hand, clearly disappointing. Slivered to a fault, the flavor and texture was overpowered by the occasionally soggy breading. It appeared to be mainly yam, carrot and onion. No green vegetables were served. The shrimp, two with each of the dinners, were spared this fate, though for the price, $11.50, we expected a bit more. The salmon teriyaki was also on the sparse side. It was also somewhat frustrating because the customary dipping sauce came more than a few minutes after the tempura was served.
In contrast, the chicken katsu ($9.25), deep fried chicken breasts accompanied by tempura, was a bit dry though ample in size. The dipping sauce was a bit sour for our tastes.
Other dinner choices include combination dinners priced around $12 with variations of tempura, teriyaki, sukiyaki and sashimi. A dozen or so entrees can be ordered with main portions consisting of the same dishes as well as gyukatsu, deep-fried beef; yakizana, pike or mackerel boiled in salt; and unagi donburi, boiled eel over steamed rice with sauce. These dinners range from $9 to $11.
Perhaps as the Suehiro made its moves it lost some of the original freshness we remembered from its other locations.
Rating: * * 1/2
Suehiro Japanese Restaurant, 6933 S. 1300 East, Midvale. 255-1089. Open for lunch, 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dinner from 5:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday. Reservations recommended for weekends. Accept major credit cards and local check with guarantee card.
- NOTES: Beginning this Saturday, July 6, at 2:30 p.m., I will be joining KSL radio personality Amanda Dickson and restaurateur David Schreiber offering advice about dining out. A variety of topics is planned for the next several weeks including good hamburgers, vegetarian restaurants and Sunday brunches, to name a few. This week's program will discuss al fresco dining around town as well as the food served at the Utah Arts Festival. As usual, your calls and comments will be welcome. Tune in and keep your local restaurant critic on his toes.
Speaking of al fresco dining on the patio, the Red Lion began a Friday seafood buffet on June 21. Served from 6-9 p.m. at the Cityside Cafe, the "Calypso Seafood Buffet" offers more than 30 salads, appetizers, desserts and seafood favorites. The buffet will be offered through the summer months. Cost is $12.95 per person.