Described as offering the "precision of an authentic sushi experience combined with a cheeky, on-the-go atmosphere," Sukoshi Atlanta opened in late September at Colony Square in Midtown.
One of the newest projects from the Indigo Road hospitality group (O-Ku, Colletta, Donetto, Tiny Lou's, Oak Steakhouse) follows the original Sukoshi in Uptown Charlotte, which opened in December 2018.
Both restaurants are spinoffs from O-Ku, Indigo Road’s more formal sushi concept, with locations in Atlanta, Charleston, Charlotte, D.C., Raleigh and Nashville.
In Atlanta, the 2,000-square-foot counter service space was designed by Powell Architects, with communal tables and banquettes inside, and four-top tables outside facing Peachtree Street.
Signature elements include white subway tile, blond wood, and Sukoshi’s purple and pink wallpaper designs with waving “Lucky Cats” and other whimsical figures.
The “sushi on the go” logo helps describe the menu, which features sushi bar staples, including nigiri and sashimi, shiso miso and seaweed salad, and maki and specialty sushi rolls.
But while the setup is primed for fast dining in the “fine-casual” restaurant, and takeaway from cooler shelves filled with pre-prepared food and drinks, there are more substantial offerings, too.
First come first served at the sushi bar, you can do 30-minute, $30 omakase for lunch and dinner, presented with all the chef-selected courses served together on a wooden board.
Bigger bites from the sushi bar, including the Sake to Me, with Scottish salmon, truffle chive, avocado cream, tobiko, wonton crunch, ponzu, cucumber, and volcano salt, can be ordered as a “mega maki” roll or in a bowl with rice or spring mix.
From the kitchen, the Royal “Sir-Loin,” with thin-sliced steak, fried onion, mushrooms, green onion, and wasabi aioli, also can be ordered in a bowl with rice or a spring mix.
Drinks range from canned and bottled sake, wine and beer to iced tea, and Maine Root fountain sodas. Slushies come in two flavors — nonalcoholic Yuzu Lemonade, and the Sugar ’n Spice cocktail made famous at O-Ku, whirled up with with habanero vodka and passionfruit.
For dessert, the must-try is the miso caramel soft-serve ice cream created for Sukoshi by Atlanta’s High Road Craft Ice Cream.
One afternoon last week, Sukoshi brand manager Zach Girgenti sat down at one of the communal tables to talk about the concept and the menu.
“I started out working for Indigo Road in Charlotte,” Girgenti said. “I worked at O-Ku, and helped open Oak Steakhouse there, and then they asked me to open up Sukoshi as a manager, and things progressed from there.
“O-Ku taught me everything I know about sushi. It’s a very sashimi- and nigiri-forward menu, so I got to know a lot about fish and fish quality, and understanding where the fish comes from, and how it can wind up being this beautiful and delicious dish.”
Going from O-Ku to Sukoshi, Girgenti explained the similarities and differences between the two restaurants.
“Sukoshi is sushi on the go, and that’s what we strive to be,” he said. “It’s fast-casual but with the taste of a fine dining atmosphere in a way. As for the design, it’s upbeat, cheeky and hip, and I think that’s what you see here. The pinks, the purples, the nice clean look with the white tiles and lighter color wood. At night, we like to lower the lights, and set the ambiance. During the day, we like to be quick, so people can come in and get right back to work, if they need to.
“We have the grab-and-go cooler for that reason, and you can order from the mobile app, and come pick it up at the app stand. We just started doing catering a week ago, and we have a menu with sushi platters, sashimi and nigiri platters, fried rice, egg rolls, and things for large parties.”
Talking about the menu, Girgenti said it was definitely inspired by O-Ku, especially when it comes to the ingredients.
“Everything comes from the same distributor,” he said. “We use the same salmon, the same tuna, the same yellowtail. In terms of the ingredients that matter the most, like the fish and the proteins, we definitely source the highest quality we can get. But if you don’t like fish, we have big bites from the kitchen, with steak, chicken, shrimp and tofu, all served in different styles. So there’s really something for everyone here.”
1201 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. 404-400-1160, sukoshi.com/atlanta.
Scroll down for more images from a First Look at at Sukoshi in Midtown
RELATED:
Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitterand @ajcdining on Instagram.
