Hotoke :: 41 Rte. 111, Smithtown

A tasty new Smithtown treat is Hotoke, a Japanese hibachi-style restaurant boasting the “Fusion Sushi” title you see so often these days. Hotoke is in the Uncle Guiseppes’ shopping center, just south of Main Street in Smithtown.

Jennifer ate:

Hibachi Lunch: Vegetable ($6.65)
with Buckwheat Noodles ($2.75)

We’ve been waiting for this place to open since we’ve been running low on interesting Smithtown eateries that we haven’t blogged about yet. And it was worth the wait! Interesting decor as you walk in, it’s dark but inviting and the restaurant is really set up with three distinct eating spaces that flow well into each other. The bar area is first, which, I imagine, is bustling at happy hour, but not so much at lunch. A more traditional dining room area is central, followed by hibachi-style seating in a somewhat closed off area of the dining room. (That’s the group-type seating where the chef cooks on a large, flat surface while doing fancy things with knives and sauces, and you sit with strangers. Doesn’t appeal to me, but has a large following by those who enjoy playing with their food (or having their food played with).)

The Vegetable Hibachi Lunch meal was outstanding! Of course, first came the mushroom soup and standard Asian salad with ginger dressing on iceberg lettuce, both were good. With the meal they brought out two tasty dipping sauces, one mustard (wasabi) and one ginger (reminiscent of the salad dressing). Both were very interesting and I couldn’t decide which way I preferred the already tasty veggies, alone or dipped in one of the sauces.

When you order the Hibachi Lunches you can also add on either hibachi fried rice or buckwheat noodles. Both were tasty, but the buckwheat noodles were outstanding! And far healthier than fried rice.

We finished off the meal with a dessert this time, the traditional deep-fried ice cream, which is always delicious! It is definitely big enough (and calorie-laden enough) for two to share.

The bottom line:
Vegetable Hibachi Lunch– Really, really good!
Buckwheat noodles – Try them!
Overall rating: Another superb addition to Smithtown’s collection of yummy Asian eateries. And it’s new so go check it out!

Chuck ate:

Hibachi Lunch: Chicken ($7.65)
with Hibachi rice ($2.75)
2 pcs. Smoked Salmon Sushi (a la carte) ($5.50)

Mmmmmm sushi. Seriously either you love it or you don’t. I (happily) love it and I get it every chance I can. My beloved smoked salmon came to me on an intriguing rectangular plate, tasty and sticky white rice and wasabi. It was good, real good and whetted my apetite for the coming Habachi lunch.

Unlike Jennifer I enjoy the Habachi Chef and the culinary antics that ensue. The performance aspect of the meal makes it more of an event than just “let’s eat!” and I like that. The lunch was exceptional, I found the ginger salad dressing tastier than other eateries we’ve blogged about and the Habachi chicken and rice were fantastic. As Jennifer stated, the sauces where excellent as well.

While I am by no means as enthusiastic about dessert as Jennifer is (particularly ice cream) – tempura ice cream is just plain awesome.

The ambience was great. I really liked the dark wood feel and the floorplan makes it perfect to host private parties. They also have a bar, so why don’t you saddle on up for happy hour and have yourself a Saki?

The bottom line:
Chicken Hibachi Lunch and Rice – Flavorful and light.
Smoked Salmon Sushi – Awesome.
Overall rating: Yeah, gotta agree with Jennifer. Hotoke is a great place and a fine addition to Smithtown’s excellent foodscape.

Shiki :: 97 E. Main Street, Smithtown

Shiki Japanese Restaurant has a narrow storefront on Main Street in Smithtown with an unassuming awning and simply decorated front window. There is also a rear entrance accessible from public parking off Bellemeade Rd.

Jennifer ate:

Bento Box Lunch Special – Cucumber Roll, Edamame, Salad, Miso Soup, and Vegetable Tempura ($11.50)

Walking down Main Street in Smithtown, you might easily miss Shiki with it’s unassuming storefront and rather plain awning, but you’ll want to take note and stop in. It’s simple entrance and narrow hallway open to a simple, tastefully decorated dining room in the front, and a more traditional area in the back with tatami mats.

Although our server was less than enthusiastic, she was attentive, brought our food quickly, and cleaned up our table several times during the meal. At the height of the lunch hour the restaurant was less than half full, so I have to assume that business picks up later in the afternoon and at dinner time.

The presentation was good, typical of what you’ll find in American Japanese restaurants. The meal was outstanding. The lunch menu has quite a variety of interesting options and I chose a Bento Box which lets you choose one item from each of three lists. There were enough meat-free selections for me to have options and I chose a cucumber roll, edamame (lightly salted boiled soybeans in pods), and vegetable tempura. Included with the meal was a typical salad and miso soup. This was quite a large lunch!

The salad was typical with iceberg lettuce and sesame/ginger dressing, but had added interest with small pieces of brocoli and orange slices mixed in. The miso soup was somewhat less salty than I’ve had at other restaurants and decidedly better that way. The Bento Box was pretty with compartments for each item. Cucumber rolls are pretty much the same no matter where they come from, but the vegetable tempura was outstanding. The edamame is always a fun treat and if you’ve never tried it, I highly recommend it. (Pop the soybeans out of the pods and enjoy.)

The bottom line:
Bento Box with cucumber roll, edamame, and vegetable tempura – Good all around!
Overall rating: Overall, the meal was great. For a good Japanese dining experience, give Shiki a try on your next visit to Smithtown.

Chuck ate:

Chicken and Vegetable Tempura Lunch Special ($7.95)

I am increasingly impressed with the quality of Asian cuisine on Main Street. Shiki is good – It’s bright with faux finished walls and a single skylight in the center of the main dining area. Sushi chefs are in full view and welcomed us in to the restaurant with a firm “Hello” and even thanked us for dining and said goodbye. I liked the simple, bright ambiance and was impressed with the food.

I just didn’t feel like raw fish today, so I decided to go for something a little different. I chose the Chicken and Vegetable Tempura and I was not disappointed. Incredibly light and flaky, the chicken was tasty with a mild dipping sauce and the veggies where excellent. The meal was served on a bamboo plate with a doily (both a nice presentation and functional arrangement to soak up any extra oil — which there was none, BTW).

I agree with Jennifer regarding the soup and salad. She also encouraged me to try the Edamame and I liked it. Really simply, but pretty good. I think I will have a bowl the next time around.

The bottom line:
Chicken and vegetable Tempura – Tempura done right. Very good.
Overall rating: Nice and bright with friendly Sushi chefs. Shiki has a relaxed feeling with attentive staff and excellent food.

Genghis Khan :: 71 E. Main Street, Smithtown

Genghis Khan sits next door to the Frame Center on the corner of Main Street and Landing Avenue in the heart of Smithtown village. It is self-proclaimed Pan-Asian cuisine, with tastes of Koren and Japanese fare. Take-out options and “Free Delivery” are advertised in the front window.

Jennifer ate:

Hotstone Bowl – vegetables and egg only, no meat ($8.95)
Small House Salad ($1.95)

Designed primarily for takeout, the few, small tables and wobbly floor give Genghis Khan a decidely “fast-food” feel.

Walking through the front door, we were greeted by a small, empty dining room and a friendly, eager staff. After being seated we explored a 2-sided, plastic-laminated menu and ordered drinks — water and diet coke — which were served in a bottle and can, respectively. Not what you’d expect while sitting at a table. This was our first indication that Genghis Khan is primarily designed to be a take-out eatery.

The wait staff was eager to explain the variety of offerings on the menu. I needed assistance to come up with a vegetarian option, and I went with the Hotstone Bowl with vegetables and rice, served with a spicy sauce on the side. (He also asked to make sure we were comfortable using chopsticks (we are) and would have offered to either give us forks or show us how.) The standard miso soup appetizer was served in styrofoam bowls with plastic spoons, our second indication of GK’s take-out focus.

The house salad was basic iceberg lettuce with a few pieces of purple cabbage and carrot strings and a watery dressing that was flavorful enough but not remarkable. The salad was also served in a styrofoam bowl. When the Hotstone Bowl showed up, it was indeed hot! The rice and vegetables were sizzling and steaming as it sat on the table, and an egg yolk sat in the center. I was informed that I was supposed to mix everything together, then add the spicy sauce to taste.

Overall, the meal was good, not great. The vegetables were sparce (more were needed for flavor), mostly rice and fairly bland. The spicy sauce added some flavor, but there was a little bit too much oil for my tastes. Not sure I’d eat at Genghis Khan again, especially with the lack of vegetarian options available.

The bottom line:
Hotstone Bowl with vegetables over rice – Decent Asian-American cuisine. Not quite a unique blend of flavors, rather bland.
Overall rating: You might want to try some of their take-out, they have a variety of options. However, if you’re looking for something unique, there are better options in Smithtown.

Chuck ate:

Spicy Chicken Bento Box ($8.95)

Genghis Kahn certainly conjures up an interesting mental image when seeing and hearing the name. I imagined GK himself standing in front of an hibachi with a “Kiss the Cook” apron holding a spear in one hand and tongs in the other. Alas, the Kahn was nowhere to be found, he did however, leave me with a nice lunch.

I say “nice” because GK was a little unexpected. First, it was small with small 2-seater tables. The service was exceptional though and very helpful. I was, however, expecting a more high-end dining experience — e.g. actual utensils and tableware (not Styrofoam and plastic) and at the very least, a glass with ice. Now, that being said, the food was good. The Miso soup was good, though the Styrofoam bowl was a buzzkill. My Bento Box arrived in Japanese-box-lunch-shaped black plastic (obviously a take out item — reminiscent of the plates at Boston Market). It included a salad, tempura veggies, a dumpling, spicy chicken, 3 California rolls, Wasabi, and a healthy scoop of rice with sesame seeds. The tempura vegetables where tasty, the spicy chicken was spicy (but not too), the salad was fine, the rice was bland, the dumpling and the rolls where both tasty. I was actually unable to finish the lunch, so the portions where good.

The bottom line:
Spicy Chicken Bento Box: Good variety, not bad.
Overall rating: If you have a hankering for some Asian and want to eat in, by all means, give GK a call, have them deliver or get take-out.

Tomo Sushi :: 9 East Main Street

Located next to the Bank of Smithtown (to the East), Tomo is a well designed, delightful find.

Website: http://tomosushi.com/

Jennifer Ate:

Avocado Salad w/Ginger Dressing ($5.00)
Cucumber/Avocado Roll ($4.50)
Rice-wrapped Vanilla Ice Cream ($4.50)

A rainy last-day-of-spring brought us to Tomo in the heart of Smithtown village. A very unassuming exterior gave way to a simple, yet nicely decorated dining room with a variety of seating options (including fun, sunken tables in the front window). A tastefully done mirrored wall gave the impression of a much larger space, without displacing the restaurant’s appealing intimacy.

Tomo’s traditional and numerous offerings were moderately priced and nicely laid out. We were seated near the sushi bar and were able to watch the skilled sushi chefs prepare meals while we waited (not long) for our various plates to arrive. For a unique twist on the typical Japanese-American salad of iceberg lettuce with ginger dressing, try the Avocado Salad, which has sesame seed-sprinkled avocado slices resting on top. The ginger dressing was classic and tasty. As were the cucumber/avocado rolls which were served on a simple, white rectangular plate.

Tomo also offers some of the most-loved Japanese-American desserts such as fried ice cream, red bean ice cream, banana tempura, rice-wrapped ice cream, and tempura cheesecake (deep fried cheesecake served with whipped cream and a cherry — try this if you dare! Yum!). With summer starting tomorrow, I felt skipping the fried selections was the right choice, and instead went with the rice-wrapped ice cream. Three large, individually wrapped pieces were more than enough to wrap up a very tasty lunch. Glad I saved room for dessert!

The bottom line:
Avocado Salad w/ Ginger Dressing : Excellent! With extra ginger dressing on the side.
Cucumber/Avocado Roll : Very fresh, nice proportions.
Rice-wrapped Vanilla Ice Cream : 3 large pieces! Perfectly chilled and wonderful, mild flavor. If you’ve never had this treat, try it at Tomo!
Fried Iced Cream : (I tasted Chuck’s dessert) Very tasty! Tempura shell was a bit thicker than I’ve had, but tasty nonetheless. A classic fried ice cream!

The overall experience at Tomo was super! Everthing was fresh, delicious and promptly served. For a tasty lunchtime or dinner treat, I highly recommend Tomo. Save room for dessert!

Chuck Ate:

Avocado Salad w/ Ginger Dressing ($5.00)
Miso Soup ($2.00)
6 Smoked Salmon Sushi ($2.50 ea.)
Fried Iced Cream ($5.00)

I really liked Tomo. We arrived around 11:45am for lunch. While the restaurant was empty, it quickly began to fill up around noon time. The service was prompt and the food arrived quickly. Inside, the atmosphere was pleasant with light wood and a dark ceiling. To mask the intimate size of the interior on a large, mirror-covered wall stood half of an enourmous bamboo umbrella. This gave the effect of a much larger room center piece and interior.

The food was excellent, the ginger dressing was much tastier than what I have had at other Japanese restaurants and the salad was rather large, served in a very artful ceramic bowl. The Miso soup was flavorful with cubes of tofu and seaweed. The sushi itself was excellent, lightly smoked and flavorful, it was easy to bite through so I didn’t have to place the entire strip in my mouth. Of course, the sushi was dipped in the lite soy sauce and wasabi mix.

Even though I was quite full, we did need to have dessert — mostly prompted by Jennifer’s love of ice cream . I had the fried ice cream which was very tasty and surprisingly light.

The bottom line:
Avocado Salad w/ Ginger Dressing : Larger than expected, excellent
Miso Soup : A classic Miso
6 Smoked Salmon Sushi : Excellent
Fried Iced Cream : Light, Sweet, and Tasty

Overall, this restaurant is excellent! I highly recommend it. Between its cozy atmosphere and bamboo accented interior to its’ excellent food and service, Tomo Sushi is a winner.