J. Maru Sushi: A Visit to Japan without leaving town

The summer is upon us and the Boulevard has become a pleasant place to walk around.

Many new eating establishments have opened along our renovated Boulevard and
among them is J. Maru Sushi, bringing an exotic array of Japanese cuisine to
our town. Once you walk in, you are greeted to the sights and smells of sushi
making to that of the final presentation.

J. Maru Sushi menu is the creation of its owner, Mr. Chan S. Park, who recently took over the ownership of the restaurant. Chan was born and raised in South Korea and immigrated to the United States in 1996.

“I had visited the United States in the past when I had been in the military in South Korea and had travelled around the world. After leaving the forces, I was attending college in Korea and one of my cousins who is living here said that I should look into moving to the U.S. I immigrated here in the late 90’s as this was the land of opportunities.”

Chan currently lives in Palisades Park with his wife who works in New York and their son. Chan recently welcomed an addition to family in August with the birth of his baby daughter.

Chan has been working in the restaurant industry since coming to the U.S. “I have been in the restaurant industry for over ten years, specializing in Japanese cuisine,” Chan explained. “I love Japanese cuisine. I started in an upscale Japanese restaurant in Scarsdale, New York and worked around New York State in various Japanese restaurants, honing my cooking skills. My last job before buying J. Maru Sushi was working as a manager in a big Wall Street deli buffet restaurant. This gave me exposure to a lot of different cuisines. I learned how to make Italian specialties like Panini’s. It was interesting how the business could mix different cuisines.”

“I came to know of Hasbrouck Heights by passing the town on my way around Bergen County and heard it was a nice town. I came to know of Maru Sushi when one of the people at my church, who were friends with the previous owner, told me that the business was up for sale. I thought that this was a good fit with all my
experience in Japanese cookery,” Chan said.

“I have three cooks on staff to assist me, who are also Korean, with strong experience in Japanese cooking. My lead chef has been cooking Japanese food for over 25 years and they assist me in producing high-quality dishes for the restaurant. Japanese food is very different from Chinese as there is a lot more fresh fish and vegetables in the dishes with less frying. Some of the dishes are much lighter. Some dishes are similar to other Asian cuisines, but the style of
cooking and the flavors are different. It’s good to come in and let us help you
order. There are lots of new items we want customers to try,” Chan said.

The restaurant’s menu is extensive for both lunch and dinner. The appetizer menu is filled with traditional favorites the include Spring Rolls, Vegetable and Shrimp Tempura, Soft Shell Crab (in Season), Chicken Teriyaki and assorted Sushi. An array of soups and salads can also start the meal as well. Main dishes include a huge selection of Sushi and Sashimi, which include an assortment of exotic ingredients like Fluke, Red Snapper, Eel, Octopus, Sweet Shrimp and Sea Urchin. The Hand Rolls include Spicy California Rolls, Tuna Avocado and Crabmeat Salad.

For a hearty meal, there is a selection of noodles and stews including a Dumpling & Rice Cake soup that is a combination of beef dumplings and rice cake with beef broth and scallions and a Shrimp Tempura Udon, which is a Japanese Noodle Soup with fish cake and deep fried Shrimp. Tonkatsu, chicken and fish Katsu bring a combination of sweet and crisp to the palate fried in panko breading to a light golden brown served with a sweet and pungent Katsu sauce. One of the best ways to try an assortment of dishes is to try one the Combination dinner boxes for lunch or dinner, which feature an entrée like Chicken Teriyaki, Shrimp Tempura or Chicken Katsu served with a green salad, two fried dumplings, a California roll, white rice and miso soup. A perfect meal to tease the palate.

“We also plan on making some changes to the menu,” Chan continued, “we will be
introducing some Korean dishes to the menu such as adding traditional Korean Barbecue to our selection. I want my customers to try something new. I like hearing suggestions from customers of what they want to see on the menu. My goal is to make our customers happy. We try hard to please our customers. In one instance, I personally went to a customer’s house when they said that their delivery arrived cold and replaced it with new order. I work hard to their experience memorable. I want to be sure that the people coming to our restaurant get the best possible experience.”

J. Maru Sushi Japanese Restaurant
205 Boulevard
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
201-373-0330

www.jmarusushi.com