THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 15, 1995 TAG: 9501170446
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Restaurant review
SOURCE: BY DONNA REISS, RESTAURANT CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
SMILES AND Japanese greetings from the sushi chef and staff welcome patrons to Ginza restaurant.
Sushi chef Hirofumi Tsuji and kitchen chef Tomoe Asuncion are both formerly of Kyushu restaurant, which now specializes in takeout cuisine.
At Ginza, patrons can sit western-style on rattan chairs, or curl up on flat cushions in the tatami section. The illusion of privacy is effective, especially at the far end of one elevated area, where an indention lets the feet hang comfortably beneath a platform, and where cushions have backs.
The mood is serene - neutral walls, pale colors, white tablecloths and soft light from paper-shielded lamps - but not stuffy.
Japanese food continues to grow in popularity locally; last year two Japanese restaurants opened in Virginia Beach.
Uncooked fresh fish carefully cut and stored, served alone as sashimi or with rice as sushi, gained devotees. From military personnel once stationed in Asia to locals who've never left the United States, many diners have come to appreciate the simplicity, artistry and nutrition of Japanese cuisine.
Miso soup, for example, has a light soy-based stock. The soup usually is served with a little tofu and a few slender seaweed leaves. Tempura items are delicately battered and fried so quickly that the batter absorbs little fat.
At Ginza, the vegetable tempura is crisp and light. Seaweed salad is the all-green version rather than the more interesting multicolored, multitextured salads served elsewhere.
A hearty starter is slim slices of beef rolled around scallion greens and bathed in a brown sauce. Gyoza, our favorite from the appetizer list, brought half-moon-shaped, pork-filled dumplings crisply browned outside and soft and moist within.
Certain to become a favorite with customers at Ginza, sushi and sashimi specials are served in black arc-like vessels. Along with our sushi-sashimi combination - a generous assortment that includes several pieces of each type of fish and some tuna rolls wrapped in seaweed - we ordered several rolls by the piece. Spicy tuna roll is especially good with its peppery aftertaste; eel roll contains cooked fish seasoned with soy, a good choice for people who eschew raw fish.
On a previous visit we had an excellent eel hand roll, a cone of paper-thin seaweed encasing the fish and rice. Some in our party preferred California roll with its avocado and sea-leg filling. Vegetable-filled rice rolls are available as well.
From the cooked offerings, nabeyaki udon, or noodle soup with shrimp and vegetables, come in an attractive and enormous ceramic crock. Thick wheaty noodles absorbed the flavors of the substantial soy-scented stock. A poached egg and several pieces of fish add interest. We wished, however, that the huge shrimp were not tempura-battered; the coating had become soggy. We also would prefer a more straightforward fish than the large battered sea leg. But the soup itself is excellent.
Noodles are the highlight of beef sukiyaki; thick translucent noodles are tinted brown by the flavorful beef stock, which also features an abundance of meat and crisp vegetables along with one large shiitake mushroom.
Another kitchen item, tonkatsu, is a large piece of tender pork with a crumbly breading and good flavor. The accompaniment of white rice and stir-fried vegetables would make an excellent vegetarian meal.
Portions of everything are generous. Both lunch specials and dinners at Ginza come with miso soup and rice; most dinners also include a crisp iceberg lettuce salad with ginger dressing.
Service on a busy Saturday night was graciously offered by a kimono-clad waitress or a hostess dressed in fashionable western attire. Sake was not quite hot enough; sapporo in big cans was properly chilled. Ginza offers a limited selection of Oriental and domestic beers and wines.
Typically, the only desserts are green tea ice cream, surprisingly refreshing, and oranges artfully sliced into little boats of orange peel. MEMO: Reviews are based on a single, unannounced visit by a party of four,
unless otherwise noted. The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star pay for
the reviewer's meal and those of the guests. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
BILL OF FARE
Ginza Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar, 3972 Holland Road,
Virginia Beach, 431-8000.
Cuisine: Japanese cooked meals and extensive selection of sushi,
sashimi and maki.
Atmosphere: Traditional Japanese restaurant serenity with neutral
walls, pale wood tatami section, white tablecloths and parchment and
paper lanterns.
Prices: Lunch specials from $4.50 to $7.25; dinner starters from
$2.50 to $5.25; main courses from $7.25 to $15; sushi and maki by
the piece, from $1.50 to $7.
Hours: Lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through
Saturday; dinner from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; from 5
to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Reservations: recommended.
Smoking: none. by CNB