Nestled into a cozy corner at 511 Main Street, Kuni’s JapaneseRestaurant inconspicuously peeks out from under a nondescriptawning. Inside the bulky glass door, head chef and owner Yuji Kuniicreates tantalizing dishes in an enormous wok that dominates oneentire wall of the restaurant.
Unfortunately Kuni’s out-of-the-way location makes it difficultfor some Northwestern students without a car to come in and try thesteaming teriyaki chicken or the restaurant’s signature dish, sushitempura.
Although it may be lacking in undergraduates, Kuni’s customerbase is composed of a healthy number of graduate students andprofessors, says Yuji’s wife, manager Christine Kunii.
The majority of patrons, however, are loyal Evanston residentswho frequently dine at Kuni’s.
“We’ve been open for 16 years,” Christine Kunii said. “Oncepeople try the sushi here, they always come back.”
Even repeat customers can experience new flavors at Kuni’s.Kellogg School of Management student Rob Nelson said he had nevertried sushi, but then he sampled some halibut sushi at Kuni’s andwas surprised that he enjoyed it.
“It’s the best Japanese food in Chicago,” said Nelson, who saidhe stops in for a meal at least twice a month.
Even though Kuni’s operates and flourishes three miles fromcampus, students can and do find other Asian fare a little closerto NU. Downtown Evanston is peppered with a variety of Thai, Koreanand pan-Asian establishments, some just a step away from SouthCampus.
Despite the glut of Thai and pan-Asian restaurants, however,some students believe the downtown area suffers from a lack ofquality Japanese and Chinese eateries.
“It sucks. I don’t really have a favorite Chinese restaurant inEvanston,” said McCormick senior Al Wong. “They’re all backhome.”
Although Wong and others are critical of the dearth of Chineseand Japanese dining, downtown Evanston does offer some palatablealternatives.
Purists might dismiss pan-Asian restaurants such as Joy Yee’sNoodle Kitchen, 519 Davis St., as Americanized, but others say thefare is more than adequate.
And passing through downtown on a Friday or Saturday night, thelines at Joy Yee’s and Thai Sookdee, 1016 Church St., extend outthe doors.
“Even though Joy Yee’s is pan-Asian, it reminds me of home,”said Weinberg sophomore Paul Maa. “My parents went there, and theyliked it. Besides, it’s really close.”
To find more specialized Asian dining, many NU students agreethat they must venture further from home than usual. Like Kuni’sPine Yard, 1033 Davis, is relatively unknown.
“Pine Yard? Is that in Lincolnshire?” responded Weinbergfreshman Stanley Wong when asked about the restaurant.
Specializing in Chinese cuisine, Pine Yard serves a variety ofdishes ranging from fresh scallops to its most popular chickendish, a Szechewan spicy delicacy.
Though often overlooked amid the more standard restaurantchoices in the downtown area, Pine Yard’s reputation still hasattracted attention from some NU students. The hearty aroma ofgarlic that spills out onto the street doesn’t hurt in attractingnew customers either.
Education sophomore Sara Feinstein said she particularly enjoyedthe scallops when she ate at Pine Yard last month.
“I was just looking around, saw it, and ate there one day, “Feinstein said. “The food and service were great.”
