By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
May 24, 2000
316F Woodfield Mall
Schaumburg
(847) 240-5252
* Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
* Prices: entrees, $7; side dishes, $2.
* Credit cards: American Express, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa.
* To-go charge: none.
* Delivery: none.
Mall sushi usually doesn’t appeal to me. The selection of rolls tends to be minimal and the taste generic.
Not so at Fuji Grill, which is worth a trip even if you’re not in the mood to take in a day of shopping at the Schaumburg mall.
The small, spotless eatery is perfect for dining in. But the food tastes just as good when you order your meal to go. Fuji Grill offers delicious maki (rice rolls wrapped in seaweed and filled with fish and/or vegetables), sushi (individual pieces made of seasoned rice, topped with tender, raw fish) and cooked delicacies including teriyaki (strips of beef or chicken stir fried with a soy sauce base).
The spider roll ($6.30/six pieces) is a must. The crisply fried soft shell crab tops a layer of rice that has been seasoned with a light coating of mayonnaise. Wrapped in a sheet of tender seaweed, the roll is so delicious that one order isn’t enough–especially if you’re sharing.
The spicy tuna roll ($4.25/six pieces) is flavored with a zesty spicy sauce that is tasty without overpowering the flavor of the tender, raw tuna. Note for the squeamish: I shared this roll with a friend who claimed to dislike raw fish, and he loved it. If you’d rather not deal with tiny pieces and want to chow down on a cone-shaped roll, order the spicy tuna hand roll ($3.95) and you can hog it all to yourself.
The side orders range from egg rolls ($1 each) to the more exotic gyoza ($2.80/6 pieces). Filled with a combination of meat and finely diced vegetables and then fried, gyoza (or small dumplings) belong to the same family as egg rolls. If you’ve got any soy sauce and vinegar in your cupboard, try dipping them in a mixture of equal parts of each when you get home.
Also worth a taste is the udon soup ($5.65), which heats up nicely at home. The mixture of thick noodles and piquant-flavored broth is comforting and hearty.
And if you’re dining with someone who wants something a little more filling, try one of the excellent lunch combos. The steak with fried rice and an egg roll ($7.15) and the chicken teriyaki ($5.20) are both delicious steals.
