Ro-Zu - New sushi in Queen Village

Update: sadly, it appears that chef Todd Kulper left Ro-Zu in late May. The main appeal of the restaurant was the unique work this chef was doing, so it's hard to imagine what Ro-Zu will be without him...  

RoZu continued-on for a short while with a new Sushi Chef. Trey Popp gave it a mixed review in the City Paper, but closed shortly thereafter.  There's another sushi joint in that location.  Todd Kulper is working on the much-anticipated Khyber Izakaya, stay tuned...

It's become cliché in Philadelphia foodie circles to complain about the sushi. Sure, there's Morimoto, but it costs a fortune, the sushi bar experience is quashed by Starr restaurant service quirks, and the place seems to concentrate more on the other parts of the menu, rather than on sushi and sashimi. And yes, one can make the drive to New Jersey for excellent fish at Matt Ito's Fuji, but it's not even a sure thing that Matt will be your itamae on any given evening, which is what elevates a meal there to its loftiest heights. And OK, there are a few other places around town where one can get decent sushi on any given night, but not really anyone doing anything extraordinary, beyond trying to distinguish themselves with the latest crazyspicycrunchyinsideoutroll.

Of course it's too early to say whether Ro-Zu changes this situation, they've only been open a few days, but an early taste has given us hope that there's something interesting happening here. They've certainly set themselves on a difficult path: their tiny space at 7th and Bainbridge barely seats 20 people, and they're not selling drinks, so they better keep those spots full!

Chef Todd Dae Kulper just might be able to do that, with a combination of good quality fish, and creative, modern touches that stop short of the silliness of the crazy-roll trend. Interesting accompaniments abound, but stop short of overshadowing the fish.

We asked the chef to serve us whatever he felt like, and we got a very interesting and varied progression of flavors and textures. From a tiny Kumamoto Oyster accented with a delicate, yet spicy, tomato salsa, through live scallop dressed with compressed pomelo and Thai chili pepper, to more traditional nigiri, most courses had some extra twist that gave the fish an extra spark.

Delicate slices of fluke were dressed with a citrusy gremolata. Tuna tataki bathed in a pool of ginger ponzu. A piece of snapper nigiri was enlivened by a shiso leaf layered between the fish and rice. A piece of bluefin tuna was slicked to a high gloss with a brush of seasoned soy. Those touches of seasoning by the chef made each piece complete, I didn't think once to dip anything in additional soy, or dab it with wasabi.

A piece of house-cured salmon tingled with a hint of citrus, and displayed a slightly firmed-up texture, but tasted mostly of fresh fish, not of sauce and seasonings. Hamachi Belly, Orange Clam, Horse Mackerel and Uni were left more on their own, perhaps a touch of ginger or chili, but never enough to distract from the main ingredient.
It's not all perfect yet, the rice had a few small textural issues, and the pacing was a touch uneven, but it's early days, one needs to let a place get into a groove before being too judgmental about every little thing.

The lights are a little too bright, the large TV mounted on the wall is out of place with the feel of a restaurant like this, the black plates don't show off the sushi as well as they could - they get smeared and hazy with residue that is not visually appealing. But these are minor things that may all flex as the place adjusts to the real rhythms and strains of serving a variety of diners.

We're certainly looking forward to following the developments, they're certainly off to a good start. Those of you looking for quality, creative sushi - just be sure to leave me a spot at the bar, OK?


Ro-Zu
7th and Bainbridge Sts
Philadelphia