Ballwin's 'Kabuki' Brings Authentic Traditions Home

Kabuki, which dates back to one of Japan's traditional theatrical arts, often includes vibrant colors and make-up, singing, dancing and avant garde performance. For the Kabuki Sushi and Fusion restaurant now open in Ballwin, lovely presentation continues to please as visitors are presented with morsels filled with vibrant colors and garnishes prepared by a skillful sushi chef.

The menu is diverse, offering sashimi, nigiri and maki on the sushi side, as well as Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese selections for the fusion side. Rather than marrying cuisines together in individual dishes, however, the chef keeps main entrees authentic. Some appetizers have elements of fusion. The Tuna Tartare is topped with a spicy guacamole and shrimp chips ($10) and the Baked New Zealand Mussels are mixed with scallions, masago, spicy mayonnaise and eel sauce ($7).

The miso soup is distinct in that it's made with shiromiso (white miso), offering a creamy delicate texture, especially when combined with soft tofu. The seaweed is sweet, present, flavorful, but not overpowering.

The Miso soup and salad are included with the meal when Japanese Traditional Entrees, Specialties, Sushi Entrees, and lunch specials are ordered, and comes with a thick miso dressing that's sweet and tangy. Prepared with care, the salad included dry lettuce, which is important to keep the dish from becoming watered down.

Despite the use of the same palate of ingredients (nori, sushi rice, chilies, avocado, etc), the distinct flavors in different menu items truly were impressive. We ordered several maki rolls: spicy white tuna ($6), spicy tuna ($6), shrimp tempura ($7) and a salmon skin ($5).

Among other standouts, be sure to check out the shrimp tempura roll, which won our feature last week. The roll was made to order, maintaining the crispness and warmth of the shrimp tempura while the avocado provided contrast with a  nice, creamy texture. The chef also created a palate-cleanser with the use of cucumber matchsticks inside the roll. These sorts of eloquent ways in which the ingredients are handled help make the delicious food memorable.
 
Michelle Liu, the owner's sister and manager, highly recommends the Honk Kong Chow Mein.

"Many people serve Hong Kong Chow Mein, (but) ours is how they really make it in Hong Kong", Liu said. This unique version features egg noodles mixed with vegetables in a classic light, Hong Kong-style soy sauce with your choice of chicken, shrimp or beef.

Liu is familiar with all of her competitors and providers in the area, she said, and knows who serves fresh fish and who serves frozen, though she won't reveal any trade secrets. She does, however, take pride in the freshness and quality of all of the ingredients used at Kabuki Sushi and Fusion.