58-81_Guide_sum08.qxp
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7:14 PM
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KANSAI JAP ANESE STEAKHOUSE 1370 V eterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 218-9238. T raditional Japanese dishes and sushi ar e available her e, but like most Japanese Steakhouses, choose the grill tables with their slice-and-dice Japanese chef show for maximum entertainment. $$$ p ✿ KOBE STEAK HOUSE 301 S. Indiana Ave., Jeffersonville IN, 280-8500. Southern Indiana’s first serious Japanese r estaurant is drawing cr owds with its exceptional sushi bar, with skilled and friendly chefs who can be r elied on to fashion fr esh and tasty bites that are just about certain to please. $$$ p ✿ MAIDO ESSENTIAL JAPANESE 1758 Frankfort Ave., 894-8775. Not just another sushi bar , cool and stylish Maido is Louisville’s first and only “izakaya”style r estaurant in the style of Kansai, the r egion surrounding Japan’s second city, Osaka. It’ s also a sake bar, pouring a good variety of ar tisanal rice wine. $$ f ✿ OISHII SUSHI 2245 Bardstown Rd., 618-2829. This small, attractive Highlands spot, operated by sushi chefs who’ve put in time at the popular Sappor o, has been attracting raves from neighborhood sushi lovers. $$ ✿ OSAKA SUSHI BAR 2039 Frankfort Ave., 894-9501. This bright and cheer y Japanese r estaurant and sushi bar is named after Japan’s second largest city. Local sushi aficionados say it’s lost a step since the departure of founding chef James Lae, but it’s still a decent neighborhood Japanese spot. $$ ✿ RAW SUSHI LOUNGE 520 S. Four th St., 585-5880. Raw makes good use of hip quar ters in a glitzy renovation of the old Marmaduke Building (next to the Seelbach). Diners may choose fr om a br oad selection of competent sushi and Japanese fair, plus fine international seafood dishes at dinner , in a sophisticated lounge atmosphere. $$$ p f e h ✿
SAKE BLUE JAP ANESE BISTRO 9326 Cedar Center Way, 708-1500. Just opened in June, this new addition to the Fern Cr eek dining scene offers the “full-ser vice” Japanese r estaurant experience of hibachi grill tables and sushi bar , along with a traditional dining r oom and cocktail bar. $$ p f h ✿
KOREANA II 5009 Preston Hwy., 968-9686. One of the city’ s few r estaurants devoted entir ely to authentic Korean fare, Koreana is wor th a special trip for this ethnic cuisine that offers a hearty, spicy alternative to the more familiar Chinese. $$ ✿
SAKURA BLUE 4600 Shelbyville Rd., 897-3600. Located in elegant, upscale quar ters in a St. Matthews shopping center , Sakura Blue — dir ect descendant of the old, popular Bonsai — ranks among the city’s top sushi bars. $$ ✿
LEE’S KOREAN REST AURANT 1941 Bishop Ln., 456-9714. This little spot has been a secr et since the ’70s, and it just keeps on going. Walk into what looks like a diner in an of fice building, but push past the counter to the back r oom, wher e you’ll find gener ous heaps of r eally authentic Kor ean food for next to nothing. $$ ✿
SAPPORO JAP ANESE GRILL & SUSHI 1706 Bardstown Rd., 479-5550. Trendy, even glitzy, with hard-edged industrial decor — and most important, excellent food — Sappor o ranks in my ratings as the city’s No. 1 spot for sushi and Japanese far e. $$$ p h ✿
PINK DOOR NOODLES & TEA LOUNGE 2222 Dundee Rd., 295-2441. This popular Highlands spot boasts an edgy, high-tech Japanese style, complete with a live video wall. Look for lighter Asian far e, noodle dishes and sushi, along with a wide variety of teas, sakes and techno-Japanese cocktails. $ p ✿
SHOGUN JAPANESE STEAK HOUSE 9026 Taylorsville Rd., 499-5700, 4110 Hampton Lake W ay, 3940123. Shogun’s decor is attractive, and quality food and ser vice make it a pleasant dining destination. It’s unthreatening enough to appeal to those who find exotic cuisine “challenging,” but good enough to satisfy just about anyone who craves a Japanese dinner or a bite of sushi. $$$ p ✿ TOKYO JAPANESE RESTAURANT 2415C Lime Kiln Ln., 339-7171. It’ s appealing, pleasant in atmosphere and friendly in ser vice, and most impor tant, this East End sushi bar ser ves excellent Japanese treats, pr epared with car e and flair fr om highquality, impeccably fresh ingredients. $$ ✿
ARIRANG 12567 Shelbyville Rd., 244-9838. This Middletown-area neighbor hood spot of fers a fine selection of Korean dishes, plus sushi. $ p ✿
MAI’S THAI REST AURANT 1411 E. T enth St., Jeffersonville, IN, 282-0198. With a broad range of well-prepared and authentic Thai dishes, Mai’ s is the eater y to beat among the metr o ar ea’s Thai restaurants. For both authenticity and quality , it’s right up there with the top Thai places I’ve enjoyed in New York, San Francisco and Seattle. $ ✿ SIMPLY THAI 318 W allace A ve., 899-9670. Owner Mahn Saing is Burmese; his wife, a classically trained chef, is Thai. They’ve beautifully made over this little St. Matthews spot, of fering a small menu of traditional Thai dishes, well-made sushi and a few upscale Thai-style “fusion” dinner items. $ f ✿ THAI CAFÉ 2226 Holiday Manor, 425-4815. You’ll find this small café tucked into a corner of the “Holiday Manor W alk.” Owner Chavantee Snow and her family of fer a small but well-pr epared selection of authentic Thai dishes at very reasonable prices. $ ✿ THAI ORCHIDS 9114 Taylorsville Rd. (Stony Br ook Shopping Center), 493-3944. THAI SIAM 3002 Bardstown Rd., 458-6871. Louisville’s first Thai r estaurant, this Gar diner Lane spot has built a loyal audience over the years, per haps responding to its r egular visitors’ pr eferences with food that’s a bit on the tame side for Thai. $$ ✿ THAI SMILE 5 5800 Pr eston Hwy., 961-9018. The “5” r epresents the number of r estaurants in this Frankfort-based mini-chain, which has r estaurants in Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana. The “Smile” represents my r eaction to its simple but ver y well prepared Thai far e. Don’ t ask for the five-chilepepper heat unless you really mean it! $ ✿ THAI TASTE 1977 Br ownsboro Rd., 897-7682. The owner-host of this friendly, casual spot in Crescent Hill had a r estaurant in Bangkok befor e moving to Louisville, and his experience shows. The warmth of his welcome — and the quality of the food — make Thai Taste special. $ ✿
ANNIE CAFÉ 308 W. W oodlawn, 363-4847. Annie Café ranks not just as one of my favorite Vietnamese r estaurants, but one the city’ s best of any variety, par ticularly when value and price ar e taken into account. Authentic V ietnamese food is made with care and served with pride. $ ✿ CAFÉ MIMOSA 1216 Bar dstown Rd., 458-2233. Dating back to the ’80s as the city’ s first serious restaurant in the Fr ench-Vietnamese tradition, its current management still offers a short selection of good Vietnamese food plus Chinese-American fare, as well as one of the city’ s more interesting sushi bars. $ p ✿ CAFÉ THUY V AN 5600 National T urnpike, 3666959. A bit of f the beaten track, this South End spot is true, authentic Vietnamese. Friendly service 76 Summer 2008 www.foodanddine.com
RED = ADVERTISER
p = FULL BAR
f = OUTDOOR DINING
e = LIVE MUSIC