Sushi aplenty
Cozy and inexpensive, with bright, cheerful decor, Sushi Gallery serves some wonderful sushi in a family-friendly atmosphere.
Korean-born sushi chef Min Suk and his wife, Susan, opened the doors three years ago in Wheeling's Riverside Plaza, not far from big guys like Don Roth's and Tramonto's Steak and Seafood on Milwaukee Avenue's restaurant row.
A veteran of Chicago sushi restaurants Akasaka, 5978 N. Lincoln Ave., and Tsunami, 1160 N. Dearborn St., Suk brings 25 years of experience to his new venture. He trained in Korea and moved to the Chicago area 19 years ago.
In the dining room light, bamboo-colored tables and chairs mix well with a few pieces of delicate Asian art. Comfortable chairs line the short sushi bar.
Formerly Sushi Jun, owned by a friend of the Suks, the restaurant attracts a mix of neighborhood customers with its mind-boggling variety of raw and cooked dishes.
Indeed, making up your mind can take time.
Of the maki alone there are 31 specialty rolls and 28 standard rolls, including seven vegetarian options. Twenty-eight nigiri sushi complicate the picture, as does a variety of teriyaki, tempura and rice "stew" entrees called donburi.
Bento boxes, akin to compartmentalized TV dinners, are available at lunch and dinner: chicken, steak and salmon among them. So are combination plates featuring a specialty roll, three pieces of sushi and a cooked entree like stir-fried shrimp with noodles and vegetables. These run about $24.
Specialty maki are a favorite of mine, so we started there, drawn at least partly by creative names like the Cowboy, with beef and asparagus; Arizona Summer, a hot number with chile oil sauce; and Latin Love, with a little heat from spicy mayo.
We shared an Eskimo and a Sun Flower, two good choices with completely different flavor profiles. Chile oil sauce builds heat in the Eskimo's combination of tuna, yellowtail, avocado and cucumber mixture. Cilantro and lime juice add jazzy notes. Delicate flavors come together in the Sun Flower, a mix of crab, avocado and cucumber topped with seared salmon and salmon roe (ikura).
Sushi, sashimi and maki combination platters are a bargain, served with well-flavored miso soup. We shared the "Sushi A," listed as five types of fish with a California roll. We were pleasantly surprised to find eight varieties of fish: three types of tuna, glazed eel, flounder, shrimp, salmon and snapper, each on a mound of rice. Best of platter -- the tender, glazed eel.
The California roll is a well-wrought version of this popular American invention made with crab, avocado, cucumber and flying fish roe.
We could easily have stopped here but couldn't leave without sampling a cooked entree. Chicken teriyaki is a good choice. The chicken chunks and stir-fried vegetables benefit from a mild, well-balanced sauce that doesn't overwhelm the dish. Our waitress forgot to bring rice with this, but I'm sure she would have provided some if we had asked.
Dessert is usually hit or miss at the sushi restaurants I've tried, and here was no different. The only option the night we visited was mochi, ice cream encased in a marshmallow-like rice coating. The mango was terrific; green tea so-so.
Our server was not as helpful as she could be, a problem if neophytes walk in. But our food arrived promptly and the surroundings were pleasant. If you live in the neighborhood, this could easily become a regular stop for a quick meal or a take-out bag.
Sushi Gallery
73 S. Milwaukee Ave. (Riverside Plaza), Wheeling, (847) 808-8038
Setting: Cozy, bright, casual
Cuisine: Japanese-Korean fusion sushi
Price range: Appetizers $3.95 to $9.95; maki $4 to $15; nigiri sushi $2 to $3.50; bento boxes $14.95 to $25.95; entrees $7.95 to $16.95
Hours: 4:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 4:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday
Accepts: Major credit cards
Also: Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday