The top Japanese restaurants to ring in the new year

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Officially, the Japanese New Year falls on the standard Gregorian calendar New Year: Jan. 1.

But many celebrations of it coincide with celebrations of the Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese New Years, which this year are slated for Jan. 28. So if you’d like to celebrate 2017 at one of the authentic Japanese restaurants around town – many of which are concentrated in the northwest quadrant of the city – here are some solid options for you.

Ba Sho

2800 Festival Ln., Dublin

When Shihomi Lower and Chef Masa Kobayashi took over Ba Sho in 2003, they sought to make a restaurant that serves food just like in their home country.

The restaurant has two menus: one with an extensive list of authentic Japanese dishes, and another, smaller menu that offers more Americanized dishes.

The favorite for Japanese customers is the pork cutlet with udon noodles. Americans tend to go for sushi. But about 80-90 percent of the dishes have been popular in Japan for a long time, Lower says, and she believes that’s what sets Ba Sho apart from other Japanese restaurants.

Kobayashi has been cooking all his life, and went to culinary school in Japan, where he grew up. He doesn’t have to take any special precautions to make sure the food is authentic.

“Chef is from Japan, so he doesn’t do anything special to make it authentic; he just cooks what he knows,” Lower says.

Don’t be offended if your waiter or waitress isn’t very chatty, Lower says; it’s Japanese custom not to socialize much with customers.

“We don’t talk with customers so much, and some Americans think that is rude, but it’s just the Japanese way,” she says.  

For Japanese New Year, the Ba Sho staff also plans to celebrate in the traditional Japanese way: by closing the restaurant for a few days and taking time to spend with family.

SushiKo

122 Hutchinson Ave., Columbus

SushiKo has been open for 15 years, but when owner Andy Wu took over the restaurant two years ago, he rebranded and breathed new life into it.

He modernized it and got involved in social media in an effort to appeal to a younger demographic, of which he is a member.

“The newer generation, we want them to experience Japanese culture,” Wu says. “We want to introduce the food we like to the people. It doesn’t matter if it’s traditional or a new concept.”

Though the food comes from traditional Japanese roots, added flavors and decorative plating Americanize the dishes. Classically trained Japanese chefs experiment with combinations of American and Japanese dishes using traditional techniques, but fresh flavors, Wu says.

“We do our homework,” he says. “We look at the old and look at the new and combine the best parts.”

One of the most popular traditional dishes is the shrimp tempura, which Wu says is not too heavy, not too light. The teriyaki is also popular, but less authentic, as is the chirashi sushi.

Wu says it’s important to him to provide top-notch customer service, and the warm and friendly atmosphere modeled after Italian-American restaurants.

“It’s about relationship and community, even before food,” he says.

Akai Hana

1173 Old Henderson Rd., Columbus

Surrounded by multiple Japanese shops in Kenny Centre, Akai Hana has been serving Japanese cuisine for just north of 25 years.

Assistant Manager Yumiko Passalacqua says the clientele is about 80 percent American and 20 percent people of Asian descent. Over the past few years, the restaurant has seen Americans become more adventurous in trying raw fish, such as sashimi. Still, more Americanized sushi rolls with fried toppings and sauces remain among the most popular items on the menu.

Chef Tsukasa Endo, who was trained in Japan and New York City, also creates a seasonal chef’s choice, and takes special orders from people familiar with Japanese cuisine.

Akai Hana will celebrate Japanese New Year Jan. 1-15, during which time Endo will make a traditional Japanese New Year soup: zouni. The soup has a clear fish broth with mochi sticky rice and vegetables. For a celebration libation, the restaurant has 10 types of sake as well.

The island nation of Japan certainly has easy access to fresh fish, and Akai Hana keeps things authentic with six weekly shipments of fish. The restaurant also keeps things healthful by avoiding processed foods and making its own broth from scratch.

Even with some American flavors and customers, Passalacqua says Akai Hana still keeps the traditional Japanese restaurant atmosphere and greeting.

“When a customer comes in, of course we have a big smile, but we also bow,” she says. “This is very important to show respect to the customer.”

Hannah Herner is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.

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