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GET YOUR SUSHI ON
Roll Wid It: Even if you've just seen Shokitini
(251 W. Clayton St., in the Gameday Building,
706-353-7933), the new swankier restaurant by
the owners of Shoki Japanese Steak House and
Sushi Bar, from the outside late at night, you
can probably tell that it's trying to work a suave
Atlanta vibe, and that's confirmed by the inte
rior. It’s nice when people spend a little cash to
make their seats puffy and comfortable and their
lighting attractive, and while I didn't see the up
stairs karaoke rooms, embarrassing yourself in a
more private venue certainly has its attractions.
So the important thing to mention first and most
prominently is that it might be the best sushi
in town. It's certainly a lovely atmosphere, es
pecially if you want to go on a date, and fellas
of Athens, get ready to be dragged there. I.ittle
touches make some of the dishes especially good,
like the vegetable tempura, which transcends
mere fried asparagus with a beautiful, light bat
ter, and even the standard miso soup, wnich has
a better, subtler flavor than the usual from-a-mix
bowl that's often plunked in front of you. The
edamame and the seaweed salads are equally
good, particularly when it comes to texture (both
have a good bite to them). But, much as I wish
I could squelch the sushi snob who lives within
me, I cannot.
The best way to convey this is to tell you
that I ordered the chefs choice of 12 pieces of
sushi, figuring the dudes behind the bar would
know best what was freshest and most interest
ing. I also both wrote on my order sheet and told
the waitress that they should “be adventurous."
Look. Tuna, salmon, smoked salmon, another
kind of tuna, yellowtail, a cooked shrmp, a
couple of kinds of eel (barbecue and non), an
other kind of tuna, octopus and mackerel does
not add up to adventurous. Or maybe it does in
Athens, and that's the problem. Nothing was bad,
and everything was fairly fresh, but nigiri sushi,
being almost sashimi, will show the weaknesses
of a piece of fish almost every time. It’s not that
I wouldn't recommend the fish, but, readers, I
want you to know what you're getting into, and
do not expect the staff to know what is what on
the plate. If you ask, having allowed the chefs to
choose your rolls, you will be met with a blank-
ish stare that translates to "Bunch of raw fish?"
The veggie rolls, however, are more than
worth your time, even if you, like me, always
go for the fish first. Each combines flavors and
textures interestingly, showing real thought in
the process; they're even superior visually. The
California roll, while still a California roll and by
definition not tremendously exciting, is well ex
ecuted. The drinks list—the "tini" in Shokitini—
is extensive and includes several sakes, both hot
and cold, but if you use a mix to make some of
your adult beverages, perhaps you shouldn't say
so in the list of ingredients. All criticisms aside,
the restaurant should do well, and while it may
not go out on a limb as much as I'd like, if it
were crafted to suit me and the five other people
in town who would happily eat raw weirdness,
it would be out of business within a month.
Shok ; tini is open for dinner and cocktails, and
takes credit cards.
Currying Favor: Thai Cafe recently did a little
redecorating and menu tweaking, necessitat
ing a new name—Thai Spoon (149 N. Lumpkin
St., 706-548-9222)—and a visit. Unfortunately,
the number of new dishes is large, too large to
sample thoroughly without a really, really large
party, so I didn't get to try the papaya salad
with spicy lime juice, the jungle curry, the grilled
lamb or the pineapple fried rice with cashews,
all of which sounded interesting and tasty. As far
as appetizers are concerned, there is at least the
Thai Spoon Sampler, which allows one to have a
bit of this and a bit of that: shrimp cakes, spring
rolls, corn cakes, kha-nom-jeeb (steamed ground
pork dumplings; possibly the highlight), kiew
tod (a morsel of chicken twisted in something
resembling a won-ton skin and deep-fried) and
deep-fried tofu (tofu can be delicious, but this
was watery and spongy), all served with a couple
of dipping sauces. Thai Spoon's version of pad
thai is still pretty tasty, and white the curries
can be a bit too peanutty (especially the yellow
one), they mellow with time into a softer, less
aggressive flavor. The lunch is also still one of
the better deals in town, with frequent specials
including good soup available for under $6. The
restaurant is open for both lunch and dinner and
takes credit cards.
What Up?: Uncommon Grounds a new coffee
shop featuring wi-fi and local art, is open from
6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily at 758 Cobb St., at the
corner of King Avenue, across from ARMC.
Hillary Brown
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