The Dinner Belle

A Meal With a View IN THE RAW VU

BY LINDSAY MORRIS

“We really enjoyed all three rolls. The Spider Roll was particularly memorable (it had me at deep-fried)."

One of the hippest new places with an enviable view is In the Raw Vu, located inside the Vast Bank building in downtown Tulsa. It has a spectacular view of downtown, and the outdoor patio overlooks ONEOK Field, giving you a bird’s eye view of Tulsa Drillers and FC Tulsa games while eating sushi. The restaurant is furnished with ultra-modern lighting and seating. On the outdoor patio, you will find plush outdoor couches, high-top tables with stools and a cozy fire pit. A few words to the wise: In the Raw Vu can be extremely hard to get into for dinner on a weekend. To book a reservation, you must text (918) 6004290 with the date and time requested, your name and the number of people in your party. I tried three times to make a weekend dinner reservation, and they were already booked each time. On a whim, my husband and I both happened to be free on a Thursday at lunchtime, so we wandered downtown and walked into In the Raw Vu around noon. They had immediate availability, and we got a high-top table inside right by the windows overlooking downtown. There were only about five other tables occupied at that time. If the weather had been nice the day we visited, we would have opted to eat on the outdoor patio, but it was in the 90s on a muggy July day, so enjoying the view from indoors seemed to be the optimal choice. We shared three sushi entrees – the Keaton Roll (shrimp, cream cheese, avocado and spicy sauce in soy paper); the Cody 2 Roll (crispy soft-shell crab, smoked salmon, cream cheese, avocado and jalapeno, topped with eel, eel sauce, spicy sauce, sesame seeds and scallions) and the Spider Roll (deep-fried soft-shell crab, cucumber and avocado). We really enjoyed all three rolls. The Spider Roll was particularly memorable (it had me at “deep-fried”). While In the Raw is known for its exceptional sushi, there are several other delectable options available, including salads (the ITR Salad with roasted chicken, lettuce, crispy noodles, toasted almonds and scallions is my favorite), entrees like blackened salmon and the legendary Gene’s Pepper Filet, and the classic Cabo Tacos with your choice of blackened chicken, tempura shrimp, blackened halibut or cornmeal-encrusted halibut.

If you happen to have room for dessert, several tantalizing options are on the menu – cheesecake, crème brulee, tempura bananas, euphoria cake (a moist double chocolate cake with raspberry chocolate ganache) and more. In addition to the wide range of food options, In the Raw offers a full bar menu with enticing libations such as a blood orange margarita, ocean water and “eelectric” strawberry lemonade (actual spelling). It appears no eels were harmed in the making of this drink. You might choose to pair your sushi with some Japanese sake. Options range from the house sake ($6) up to Black & Gold ($40). A full wine and beer menu is also available.

Greg Hughes is the founder and owner of all four metro In the Raw locations. The first restaurant opened in 1999 on Brookside, and in 2002, he expanded to south Tulsa. Since that time, he has added locations in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma City, and of course, the newest downtown location. From my experience, you will need a reservation if you try to dine at In the Raw Vu in the evening – especially if it’s a weekend. Bar seating is usually available. Finding the restaurant can be a bit challenging unless you’re familiar with the east side of downtown. In the Raw Vu is on the sixth floor of the Vast Bank building, just west of ONEOK Field. Parking in that area of downtown during business hours will require that you use the ParkMobile app, which connects to a credit card for payment. If you don’t want to fight the traffic or deal with potential parking issues that you might face downtown, another In the Raw option that has a great view is In the Raw on the Hill at 61st and Sheridan. You’ll find the same excellent menu with a view of the south Tulsa scene. Both locations are great spots to watch the gorgeous Oklahoma sunset.

IN THE RAW VU

110 N. Elgin • Tulsa, OK Monday – Thursday • 4 – 10 p.m. Friday • 4 p.m. – 2 a.m. Saturday • 11 a.m – 2 a.m. Bar Opens at 3 p.m. Monday – Friday www.intherawsushi/itr-vu