When the opening of Cuddlefish in downtown Decatur was announced, the team behind it said the focus of the new omakase-style restaurant would be “purely sushi, no fluff.”
Since replacing Brush Sushi Izakaya with Cuddlefish, chef Jason Liang and co-owner John Chen have stuck closely to that axiom. The result is dazzling sushi, but it comes with service that isn’t quite what diners probably expect when they’re spending big bucks on dinner.
On the plus side, the focused menu holds some of the highest-caliber Japanese food in town. Liang’s temaki and nigiri offer the delicate precision, tasteful restraint and reverence for ingredients that characterize the best of the cuisine.
Credit: Henri Hollis
Credit: Henri Hollis
However, those less appreciative of the gorgeous, sometimes revelatory sushi served at Cuddlefish likely will miss a bit of the fluff. Dinner can take more than two hours, whether or not you order one of the omakase-style “chef sets” — the prix fixe menus recommended by the restaurant. The wait time between courses is unpredictable, and the pacing of a meal can be awkward.
The best way to experience Liang’s fabulous sushi is to make a reservation for the Signature Plus Chef Set, the restaurant’s full omakase experience. Try for seats at the sushi bar, which are limited and available only to those with reservations. (Fortunately, they don’t add any extra cost to the $99 price.)
We didn’t get those coveted spots, and it was hard not to cast jealous glances at the ringside seats, where there are fewer opportunities for service hiccups.
The Signature Plus Chef Set is 12 courses, which include nearly all of the menu’s high points. It’s a value, any way you slice it — assembling a similar meal from the a la carte menu would cost quite a bit more than $99, and there isn’t another omakase option in the metro area that can approach this quality of sushi at that price point.
Credit: Henri Hollis
Credit: Henri Hollis
Each chef set starts with tasty, if unremarkable, black pepper edamame, followed by a tuna poke plate, which is simple and clean, hinting at the excellent fish to come.
The second course is where the wows begin: A narrow plate holds three pieces of nigiri — one of hirame (or Japanese flounder) and two of steelhead. The perfect slices of fish, one white and two red, gleam like crystal. The warm, lightly flavored sushi rice has the barely-held-together texture that seems impossible to achieve. The hirame is light and bright, with a touch of sweetness from a dab of ponzu. The steelhead is meatier, dressed with garlic and shallot, which maximize the natural umami of the fish.
The courses alternate between plates of nigiri and temaki, or hand rolls, served in cute wooden blocks. Other highlights include the sea bream with salt and lemon — genius in its simplicity — and kanpachi, also known as amberjack, which was like butter. The peak of the meal probably was the Hokkaido uni temaki, which was as rich as foie gras and as light as champagne. But, an argument could be made for the aged yellowtail, which was the seasonal special fish; or the velveteen fatty tuna.
Credit: Henri Hollis
Credit: Henri Hollis
Vegetarians have options away from the chef sets, and the veggie temaki set is worth ordering on its own. The chile avocado temaki stands out, but the tomato temaki is the star of the hand roll section. It layers tomato pesto beneath roasted and raw tomatoes, highlighting every sweet and tart facet of the fruit’s flavor.
While it might be tempting to order a la carte, the restaurant seems to struggle when diners go off-script. When one diner tried to order a boulevardier, a classic cocktail that swaps out bourbon for the gin found in a Negroni, our waiter said that wouldn’t be possible (without even checking with the bar).
Other cocktails, such as the smooth gold-fashioned (featuring Japanese whiskey), were solid. The bar menu also includes a lovingly curated sake list and multiple Japanese craft beers. You can get a lightly sparkling Momokawa sake on draft, and no one would fault you for sticking with the bright, crisp rice wine all night.
Credit: Henri Hollis
Credit: Henri Hollis
On both of our visits, our drinks arrived well after our first two courses, contributing to the feeling that service dragged. The wait often is understandable — Liang and one or two other chefs must prepare every course for every table, and one expects the 12-course meal to be a two-hour experience. But, selecting our own temaki and nigiri resulted in an even longer-lasting dinner.
It’s still early days, though, so there is time for service issues to be ironed out. And, Liang’s talent — highlighted by the tightly focused menu — makes this restaurant special.
CUDDLEFISH
Food: sushi
Service: painfully slow at times, but friendly and conversational
Best dishes: Hokkaido uni temaki, hirame, kanpachi, sea bream, steelhead trout, tomato temaki, chile avocado temaki
Vegetarian dishes: shiso plum temaki, tomato temaki, sweet shiitake temaki, chile avocado temaki, ikura cucumber temaki, tamago brulee nigiri
Alcohol: full bar
Price range: $$-$$$$$
Hours: 4:30-9:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays and Sundays, 4:30-10:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays
Parking: paid street parking and paid lots nearby
MARTA station: Decatur
Reservations: yes
Outdoor dining: no
Takeout: yes
Address, phone: 316 Church St., Decatur; 678-949-9412
Website: cuddlefishatl.com
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