Sushi by the Saugatuck

They're delighted if you bring your children, but they might not have much on the menu at Matsu Sushi on Jesup Road that suits youngsters.

Walk into this restaurant right across from the library as a family, and you won't have to worry that you'll get unpleasant looks, especially mid-week when the place is rather empty. (Much of their business is delivery.) In fact, the staff bends over backwards to help with kids: fetching booster seats, bringing extra napkins and forks. They really won me over when they kindly mopped up my daughter's messy soup spill that covered a chair, a booster seat and the floor.

They don't have a children's menu, however, and won't make half-sized portions. So if your child won't eat raw fish or California rolls, ordering might be a bit of a challenge. Tempura usually works. (It's fried and comes with a dipping sauce. What kid won't like that?) The Vegetable Udon ($9) was scalding and ridiculously large but hid a nest of yummy noodles at the bottom that pleased my 5-year-old. Primarily a noodle dish, the sautéed Chicken Yaki Udon ($12), is a kid-pleaser, too, but also enormous. Plan on sharing.

Aside from sushi and sashimi, Matsu's menu offers much of what you'd expect: yakitori appetizer ($5), teriyaki entrees ($11-$20), tempura ($15 – $20) and bento boxes ($20-$22). Their list of specialty rolls is extensive and takes up three full menu pages. They've come up with rather unusual combinations – sweet potato tempura with lobster salad, fried white fish with smoked salmon, fried oyster with cucumber and eel, for instance. And if there's something you want that you can't find on the list, they're happy to make it.

Since there's not much to sushi beside a lump of rice and a slice of fish, it all comes down to the quality of the seafood. At Matsu, the seafood rates about a B. The maguru and yellowtail were very tender and flavorful. The salmon was a bit stringy and my companion felt his albacore – which is served warm -- was slightly tough. The Spicy Tuna handroll ($5.50) was a little dense and pasty to our liking. Aside from those two, the rest were solid. If ordering a la carte, the sushi is sold by the individual piece. And at $2-$6, that can add up rather quickly.

Be forewarned: there is little ambience. The dining room is one large, high ceilinged room with spartan wood furniture. Two TVs are set up over the sushi bar and a large white ceramic cat takes up residence at the other end. A digital picture frame nearby flips through photos of the various appetizers and entrees. (It's the modern equivalent of faded photographs taped to the front window at a low-end Asian restaurant.) To me, the media blitz and bizarre décor was a little distracting.

Also situated by the sushi counter is a cluster of waitresses who gather there, ready to hop if you want to order another round of sushi or just happen to drop your napkin. While they're admirably attentive, if you happen to be seated nearby, it can a bit unnerving. You might feel like you're being watched all evening.

Overall, Matsu Sushi strikes me as the type of place you call on a weeknight when you want moderately-priced Japanese delivered fast. Or, if you feel like taking the kids out somewhere low-key that doesn't serve burgers and fries, this one fits that bill just fine.

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Matsu Sushi

33 Jesup Rd.

203/341-9662

www.matsusushimenu.com

Hours:

Mon. - Thurs.: 11 am – 10 pm

Fri.: 11 am - 11 pm

Sat.: 12 pm – 11 pm

Sun.: 12 pm – 10 pm

Major credit cards accepted.

Free delivery with minimum order (lunch $15, dinner $25)