Makisu Serves Sushi That Transcends The Strip Mall

America eats in strip malls.  It's a phenomenon we may not notice much in Skokie because, as part of the greater Chicago area, a good number of our restaurants are set in peculiar spots adjoining parking lots.

Makisu Sushi Lounge & Grill at the Village Crossing is no exception to the strip mall rule. Nestled between a Chuck E Cheese and a mattress store, it's an unlikely location for one of Skokie's best restaurants and some of the best Japanese eating in the region.

None of that matters to co-owners Mike Myint and David Kim, however. The two are veterans of the suburban sushi scene, and have an amazing sense of taste that comes through in the restaurants decor and it's food.

 The clean and simple modern design inside provides a perfect backdrop for the complex flavors and appearance of the sushi, which often features garnishes with clever touches, such as a swan carved from carrots or a votive candle made from rice.

The owners' ability to make the right choices really comes through most strongly in the food.  For example, the Japanese pot stickers, or gyoza, are a great place to start a meal.  These pan fried or steamed dumplings are a simple dish and very hard to mess up.  If a kitchen gets these wrong, something's wrong with that kitchen.  Predictably, Makisu passes the easy appetizer test handily, delivering a solid steamed version filled with ground spiced beef ($6).

The gyoza here may not change your life, but that's because all the real energy is being poured into the sushi.  The focus and effort pay off in specialty makizushi such as the Fire Cracker ($16). The ingredient list is unassailable (spicy tuna, lightly battered, with cream cheese, avocado, asparagus, shiitake mushroom, wrapped in a thin soybean sheet and drizzled with a creamy wasabi sauce), and this dish alone might transform Makisu from one of the region's greater sushi restaurants to a destination.

Nearby office workers will be able to make Makisu their destination for the lunch specials.  During the all too painfully narrow window of 11:15 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Makisu offers lunch specials, mostly in the form of a Bento box. These light, balanced meals hover in the $10-12 range, making them more of a lunch splurge, but the price is well worth it.

Especially good is the steak teriyaki ($10).  The steak is around six ounces, done to order, and delicious alongside sautéed vegetables and a large portion of fried rice that just seems to get bigger the more you dig your fork into it.

Makisu also features more than a dozen different sakes and a variety of mixed drinks. With every element in place for a great night out--interesting, stylish decor, unusual drinks, friendly service and amazing food--despite the strip mall location, it hardly matters what the outside looks like.  What really matters is inside.

When it comes to Makisu at 7150 N. Carpenter Rd., you're going to want as much of its tasty sushi inside you as possible. For restaurant hours, take-out orders and other information, call 847- 677-9030.