Shiku held its “soft opening” on Monday night along Ballard Ave.
The sushi restaurant’s specialty is Izakaya, or Japanese tapas, like organic vegetable tempura, Kakuni pork and foil poached salmon. We had the pan roasted halibut cheeks with Shiitaki mushroom ragout and it was terrific.
But this is a sushi restaurant, and if you’re looking for the traditional fare, you won’t be disappointed. The fish was incredibly fresh as well as affordable by Seattle standards: an order of tuna sushi (two pieces) costs $5. An order of uni costs $6. We also had a “ninja roll,” which is a double-wrapped spicy tuna roll breaded in panko and lightly fried, for $9.50.
Shiku also features a full bar with a big flat screen. Owner Rob Kim (seen at the bar) kept things running smoothly on opening night. All in all, sushifans will rejoice. But be warned: Shiku’s doesn’t accept reservations, so getting one of the few tables may become a challenge on busy nights.
Also: NWSource has the back story on Shiku and soon-to-open Moshi Moshi, which are just a couple doors down from each other.
