There are two types of people in this world. First, there are those who want the best possible sushi, even if it means squeezing into a tiny hole-in-the-wall with no elbow room. Then there are those who want their sushi in little boats, and other accessories of extravagant sushi houses.
I tend to identify with the former, but after a long hike on Sunday morning, we were too hungry to wait out the long crowds at Oishii in Chestnut Hill. Instead, my fellow hikers and I and I drove over to Coolidge Corner, where the palatial Fugakyu was bustling with other raw-fish lovers but still had plenty of empty tables. (How this craving came about I do not know, only that one minute I was communing with the outdoors, the next minute I was thinking I could really use a maki roll. Mother Nature works in mysterious ways.)
The name may get you dirty looks if you say it too quickly, but it actually means "house of exquisite elegance." The decor is elaborate almost to a fault. It was a tad Disney-esque with bamboo everywhere and sushi boats (the only ones I know of in Boston, given our Puritan aesthete, or maybe just lack of space.) But, as a former fine arts major, I must acknowledge my weakness for ornamentation, especially when it comes to tatami rooms and carved stone benches. Kitsch can be charming if done right.
Fortunately, the atmosphere isn't Fugakyu's only draw. The food is surprisingly good. I'm sure the appetizers and entrees are good, and I'm sure I'll be back for them, but there were too many sushi options to try. The salmon and tuna nigiri pieces. The rainbow maki with avocado and spicy mayo topped with raw filets of salmon, tuna, and white fish. The spider maki with shrimp and spicy mayo. All were fresh, delicious, and very filling.
It's easy to stick to a routine when eating at sushi restaurants, at least when it comes to me and whomever I happen to be eating with. We always order the deluxe maki rolls because of the rich flavors, however unauthentic they are. And salmon, tuna, and eel pieces, just out of habit. But what makes sushi not only great but memorable?
My favorite sushi type is eel, and I've had a lot of great homemade eel pieces in addition to restaurant ones, but the ones we had at Fugakyu were cooked to perfection with just the right amount of crisp at both ends.
And the lobster maki rolls. I don't think I have tasted fresher whole lobsters in my life, let alone tiny bits encased in rice and seaweed. My only complaint is that the roll was much more expensive than the other rolls and at half the serving size (4 pieces.)
Despite what I've heard from some people that Fugakyu is overpriced, I didn't find it to be too much more than at other restaurants in Boston. Three maki roll orders, and eight sushi pieces for the three of us came out to $21 per person, including tax and tip, and we didn't order from the lunch menu. The rolls are large, so the amount we ordered could have easily fed four.
And I think the two types of people would get along just fine here.
Fugaku - 1280 Beacon St., Brookline
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