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By Laura Freeman
Fuji Japan Steakhouse at Great Lakes Mall in Mentor was open less than a month before I decided I just had to try it. I have an unwritten rule against writing about a restaurant that has not been open for at least a year.
But rules are made to be broken, right? Besides, it’s hard enough for restaurants to make a go of it, and in this economy it’s even harder so I figured it couldn’t hurt, just this once. And, with very few places in all of Lake County serving sushi, we really want to keep this one around.
 In addition to the sushi bar, the restaurant features hibachi-style cooking and a full-service bar. It is one of five restaurants owned and operated by Steve Lin and Henry Lin, both master sushi and hibachi chefs who received their formal training in Japan.
Ron Traub, Mentor economic development director, couldn’t wait to show off the new restaurant to me. So while our own personal chef juggled eggs, tossed knives and set fire to the grill, we discussed upcoming running races (he was running in Chicago’s Shamrock Shuffle in a couple days), other new restaurants coming to Mentor and a possible joint entrepreneur incubator project with Lakeland Community College.
Fuji is located on the mall’s east side just to the left (south) of the food court entrance. Once inside, you’d never know you were in the mall – all the usual retail din is canceled out by cherry-paneled walls.
We were seated around the grill and became acquainted with our table mates. One had already eaten at Fuji three times. She seemed an authority on the subject, saying she has tried many of the other Japanese steakhouse style restaurants in the area.
“This is one of the better hibachi-style restaurants,” she said, remembering how excited her son was upon catching a morsel of food in his mouth tossed to him by the chef.
Traub said people want more from the shopping experience at the mall.
“A trip to the mall becomes an event,” he said. “That’s why the lifestyle centers are doing so well. They utilize an outdoor courtyard for events. We don’t have that yet, but a dining experience like this can provide that something that is unique in the city.”
Sometimes the best surprise is no surprise. Lunch started with the traditional clear soup – broth with a couple sliced mushrooms, scallions and what tasted like French-fried onions lurking on the bottom of the bowl. The traditional iceberg lettuce salad topped with ginger dressing followed.
I ordered the scallops. After passing out the requisite sauces and getting a mountain of rice and veggies cooking, our chef slipped my scallops onto the grill with chicken breasts, steak and shrimp for the other diners. Our lunch cooked amongst a lot of chopping, clanging of utensils and several hay-yahs! It was soon ready to toss onto our plates.
I was a little disappointed by my thinly sliced scallops, but then it was lunch and it was only $10 – not bad for food and a show. And it took just a little over an hour, so if you have a little extra time it’s do-able during the week.
Traub was happy with his lunch, including the entertainment, and perhaps most of all, the ambience.
“The biggest thing is just the transformation of this place,” he said. “They’ve created an environment here that you don’t think you’re eating at the mall. And the food is enough to eat – I enjoyed the taste of everything. And you got a show too. I particularly liked the onion volcano. It really goes to show the point our mother’s taught us – that you can’t play with your food. Because yes you can.”
Fuji Japan Steakhouse is open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. It serves dinner from 2:30 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 2:30 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from noon to 10 p.m. Sunday.
On a Wednesday at lunch, there were three guys at the sushi bar, and three full hibachi tables. Not bad for a restaurant that just opened. The restaurant is at 7850 Mentor Ave., No. 786. Reservations are recommended for Friday and Saturday. Call 440-205-1888 or visit www.fujihibachi.com.
Confession – I haven’t tried the sushi yet, but the hibachi is great.
Laura Freeman is editor of the Lake County Business Journal
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