The long-awaited new Tani Sushi has finally opened in its Centene Plaza location on Forsyth Boulevard, and it’s pretty impressive. Sleek and clubby inside, the space has a contemporary, cosmopolitan vibe. It feels much bigger than the previous location on Bemiston Avenue, with a long communal table in the center room, a large bar area and a more conventional dining room with great windows looking out on the street.
As for the food, nothing has changed, menu-wise. There’s a wide selection of nigiri, maki and specialty rolls, as well as a smaller offering of traditional Japanese foods like gyoza, teriyaki entrees, shumai, etc.
For starters, you can’t go wrong with the gyoza ($6), doughy fried dumplings filled with chopped shrimp and pan-browned in oil—excellent all around. Another winner is the seaweed salad ($5), crisp green shreds tossed with sesame seeds, sesame oil and sweet vinegar. It’s bursting with flavors in the Japanese ideal: to excite the taste buds with an interplay of various flavor groups, in this case sweet, salty, tangy and umami.
Undoubtedly what people come here for, though, is the sushi, and Tani is known for an impressive selection of specialty rolls that offer interesting seafood combinations and sauces to elicit that interplay of flavors. A purist may say sushi is all about the quality and variety of the fish, in particular the nigiri, or raw fish over vinegar rice. But seeing the crowds at places like Tani shows there is plenty of room for variations on this theme: Americans like their Caterpillar and OMG rolls, too.
Speaking of the Oh My God ($14), it’s pretty tasty, and it comes to the table flaming inside a tin foil ‘boat.’ Composed of shrimp, crab, avocado and shrimp tempura, the rice roll is dressed with two sauces that add elements of creaminess and tanginess to the flavors of crab and shrimp. An unusual touch is the char on top resulting from the flambé finish. It leaves you with a bit of grill flavor you wouldn’t expect in a raw roll. Our other specialty roll, the David Backes ($15), is another panoply of elements that work together well. Raw salmon and tuna are rolled with creamy avocado and covered with tobiko, black and red fish eggs, and eel sauce. It was all tasty, offering a satisfying blend of flavors and textures.
When it came to the nigiri, the raw fish proudly served atop rice in Japanese tradition, the offerings we tasted here were a bit disappointing. We ordered hamachi (yellowtail) and white tuna ($3 each), but neither had the sleek gleam or clean taste of premium fish.
If you like hot Japanese entrees, though, I’ve always found the teriyaki here delicious. It is sweet and salty and somewhat addictive, offered a choice of steak, chicken or fish. The Grilled Sea Bass ($21) was a good example, with fabulous flavor and a nice crisp grilled finish enhanced by a light brushing of tasty sauce. Plus it came with Tani’s version of fried rice, soy-browned rice dotted with veggies and coated with oil. Entrees come with miso soup and side salad. The soup, yellow miso, had a smoky, sweet and sour taste that was quite nice. The salad was less than stellar, though, tasting a bit prefab, with tired iceberg.
[amuse bouche]
the scene | Sleek, modern sushi lounge
the chef/owner | Eric Heckman
the prices | $3 to $4.50 nigiri, $6 to $15 maki, $14 to $21 entrees
the favorites | Seaweed Salad, Gyozas, David Backes roll, OMG roll, Grilled Sea Bass
[chef chat] » owner eric heckman
pedigree | I grew up in the restaurant world: my mother owned restaurants. I managed sushi restaurants and my wife has been a sushi chef for the last 15 years.
favorite ingredient | Tuna
favorite st. louis restaurant | Niche
favorite cookbook | Nobu: The Cookbook
most memorable dining experience | In Seoul, we ate omakase-style, it was exciting and every bite melted in your mouth.
guilty pleasure food | Sandwiches of any kind
7726 forsyth blvd. | 314 296.8069
Photos: Bill Barrett
