This is the best sushi place in town. Â We have taken my son to the hibachi and he loved it. Â The place is hip, modern, and a great date place. Â Is it as good as bid city sushi places? Â No, but it's pretty darn close. Â We always enjoy dinner here. Â The sushi selection is pretty solid. Â You can find the usual. Â But they need something to set it apart from other places.
Review Source:Alright, so generally sushi in the area sucks. It's bofo Indiana. It's 2 days away from the ocean. I get it. It's not gonna be phenomenal, especially since I've experienced sushi from the Bay Area, Miami, and SoCal. Soho is solid, though. I've tried a variety of their rolls and some sashimi to test out the freshness of their fish (which is actually probably a horrible way to figure it out considering I might have died from parasites living in non-fresh fish; I swear this is a real thing, I saw it on Animal Planet once).
Anyway, yeah, Soho's raw fish is relatively fresh and tasty, so don't worry about all that (sorry). I like ordering rainbow rolls and tekka salmon/tekka tuna. These all have significant amounts of raw fish in them. Nice, light flavor-- as rolls featuring raw fish should taste. Poor execution though. I like my rolls not to fall apart the second I pick them up with my chopsticks. I don't know, maybe if you like a semi-deconstructed roll, you'll like Soho rolls. Also, the rice was still super warm, which was unfortunate because warm raw fish is pretty weird.
For those who are not as adventurous or just starting to get into sushi eating, definitely try the dragon roll. Those are my favorite, and Soho actually does a pretty good job with theirs, though the eel sauce needs to be eased up a bit. I'm also a fan of their caterpillar rolls. I think I just might really really like avocado, though (both have lots of avocado, mmm).
The rolls in general are average priced and on the small side. They've got a lot of creative "Americanized" options, which I suppose is fitting for the area, but their more traditional/purist options are also there. Overall, it's pretty average food. At least the intimate atmosphere is nice though!
When I was looking for a nice Japanese restaurant in South Bend area where diversity of cuisine is limited, I was happy to find Soho Bistro. (the other is Zing fusion in Mishawaka)
Situated in Heritage Square Mall, location is very accessible with plenty of parking.
I'll break it down by 3 key points (Food, Decor, Ambiance):
1. Food - We ordered ginger salad, kid's terriyaki chicken, Angry dragon roll, spicy salmon roll, and Filet Mignon steak. Â Dessert: Mango mochi
-Ginger salad - (3/5) Was expecting the orangish, light ginger dressing filled with carrot shavings (that's what gives its color if it's 100% natural) but got a creamy 1000 Island looking dressing. It was def. heavier than original while tasted decent. Greens were nice and fresh, and at $3, it was nice portion.
-Kids' chicken terriyaki - (1/5) this was disappointing. too salty and sauce didn't really add anything to the chicken, and chicken was just meh. fried rice that came with it was very disappointing - tasted like they just tried to put soy sauce and call it a day.
-Angry dragon roll- (3.5/5) This was the best among what we ordered. Good portion of eel and salmon. Freshness OK. A bit too much sauce masked the flavor. (Very American... which I dislike for Japanese foods which is supposed to be overall mild in spice and seasoning)
-Spicy Salmon roll-(1/5) I always order spicy salmon roll or spicy salmon temaki when I go to sushi house because it's one of my favorite rolls and because it readily tells me how good or bad the restaurant is. This was total disappointment: they mixed in a lot of tempura flakes with minced salmon that u could hardly taste the fish. It was like tempura flake with spicy sauce. Most disappointing dish.
-Filet Mignon steak - (3/5) Generous two 6~8oz portion, cooked perfect medium, steak was juicy. Again, they overdid the seasoning so it was salty, and asparagus, onion, and peppers were strewn on the bottom which wasn't too appealing. They were tasty though. Overall, it was OK and nothing to write home about.
-They served 2 green tea with a pot when I asked for one, but server initially said "all tea pots are broken" and she happened to have found the only one intact. This puzzled me... if you're a Japanese restaurant touted in being "serious" contender, how can you NOT have ocha tea pots available? This tells me that management is perhaps too American and not aware of Japanese details and culture.
2. Decor - Overall nice and cozy. Table decors were a bit off, and massive wooden beams encasing the dining area where we sat, while it worked, space would've been utilized better with more open plan (minimalist). Teppanyaki rooms were on one side and they looked like lecture halls... bright light, big room full with diners staring at each other across the cooking show... I thought it was hilarious... I have high standards coming from NYC area where Asian restaurant competition is high... and almost always teppanyaki rooms should be dimmed in order to focus the attention on the cooking.
3. Ambiance - they were playing chill lounge music, as a fusion asian restaurant in the village would. Cozy and romantic. I saw many couples. Place was packed after 630ish with large groups waiting for teppanyaki. I'd say mostly American diners. Please understand that I'm not knocking american diners here.. just saying they do not know well about authentic japanese food, and thus would love the food here. I'm Korean-American living in the US for 20 years so that makes me more American as well, but being Asian, I'd pass Soho for something more subtle, more authentic next time. Food-wise, Zing fusion in Mishawaka overall trumped Soho.
Overall the experience was pleasant, with food being too American (over-sauced, over-seasoned). But perhaps this would work greatly since we're in Indiana where comparisons are rare. So take your pick!
Why did they not have this stuff when I was growing up in the area?! We came here or a family dinner one night and had a great time! We ordered a variety of the rolls and sashimi and all were super fresh and really delicious! Someone ordered something that came with miso soup and a ginger salad and the waiter ended up bringing all 6 of us one. I thought that was a great touch! He was pretty funny and super attentive to us our entire stay. If you're looking for great sushi in the area definitely check out Soho!
Review Source:Probably the best sushi in the South Bend area. I live in Chicago, and most places here blow this place away in terms of quality, but when I'm back in town this is the only decent place to go. Some of the specialty rolls are pretty good. Reasonable-ish prices and good environment, decor, & service.
Review Source:This place is the only one I have found in the surrounding area that actually makes decent sushi. They have some creative rolls, the service is always quick, and the food is tasty.
The decor is a bit dark so it could be a bit awkward if you aren't on a date...but otherwise very pleasant. I've eaten here many times and always had a good experience.
Love the rolls (Green Hornet is my favorite) and must say the service was awesome given we were a large group. Â Our waitress was helpful but not intrusive and we were not scooted out the door when we were done.
(We even had a couple kiddos at the table and they really liked their dinners.) Â
They have a great variety of rolls so I rarely get to try the other dishes but one of my guests had the veggie/tofu stir-fry and it looked so delicious!
(You can tell they have new management from when they first opened because the service has never been better!)
Excellent food. Very good sushi. Few places around here to get the Japanese food favorites besides this one. Â When you have a craving it hits the spot.
Try the spicy rolls. Interesting variety. Fish always solid fresh quality.
Don't expect the staff to understand or care if you order omakase. Â Just pick something out you may like, as anything will be satisfactory. Â
Interesting assortment of beers and sakes, too.
This my favorite sushi place in the area. Â Service is professional, helpful, and friendly. Â I've never had to wait long for a table. Â Large selection of Japanese beers/wines. Â AMAZING sushi. Â The ginger dressing on the salads is finger-licking. Â I haven't been seated on the hibachi side (not my style) but you have the option to eat at a table, at the grill, or at the sushi bar. Â It is a little pricey but well worth the cash for a pleasant dining experience.
Review Source:We ventured out this past week to try to find a good Japanese restaurant in the area. Â We were rather impressed by the wall of craft beers right as you walk in and the atmosphere of the formal dining room, which is where we sat for dinner. Â And our aw did not stop there, the sushi was superb, probably the best I have ever had outside of a large city and very very fresh tasting. Â
Sadly those were the highlights and the only reason they receive two stars was the sushi. Â If I would have just had sushi they would have easily been 4 stars. Â The beer selection was nice, not too priciest I have seen some of these beers go for, but also not the cheapest. Â As far as the actual dinner goes it killed it for my wife and I, bland came out of our mouths multiple times and under-cooked a few times. Â I got the grilled snapper, with a mushroom in beef broth soup and a house ginger salad, I would give that an overall 2 stars, the fish was cooked perfectly, but the veggies were under-cooked, the red sauce lacked any flavor, the salad was a salad I could make at home, and the soup really tasted like hot water with a dash of salt more than anything. My wife went for a chicken dish, she said it lacked any of the flavors she would have expected after reading the description, she said she had better miso soup at Chinese takeout places, and she also figured she could have made a salad better than the one she had, overall she said she would give her meal 1 star.
Really I think because of the sushi and the beer selection this place deserves 4 stars, but I just can't give them 4 stars because of that dinner and at the prices they were asking for our entree's I expected much much better.
About as fresh as you'll get with Midwestern sushi. Â Spider roll and Bunker Shot roll are fantastic. Â Some advice for sea urchin lovers: the Uni comes in fresh every Wednesday.
As an added bonus, Soho has one of the best bottled beer selections in the area. Â American craft brews, exotic imports, fine Belgian, Lambics, and even Asian selections. Â
Did not try the steak, or anything non-sushi except for the calamari, which was crusted in panko and totally fire.
I have nothing but good things to say about Soho. I have been there many times and every time I have had a solid experience. From the service to the food, it is always good all the way.
The weekly lunch sushi special for $9 is amazing. And the spicy salmon is my absolute favorite. I haven't tried the tepanyaki yet mainly because the sushi is so delicious. The ambiance is great too. Its very calming and sophisticated and I love the large beer and wine selection they offer.
Just all in all the best place to go if you are a sushi lover and/or want to have a nice dinner.
Definitely the best Japanese in South Bend.
The decor is beautiful - it definitely has an upscale appearance. Our server was very friendly and attentive.
You have a few options when dining here. You can eat at the sushi bar, you can eat in the dining room or you can eat at the teppan grill. I can only give feedback about the sushi and the grill.
The sushi was delicious, the best I have had in this area. Our party sampled the BBQ Eel, Spicy Tuna, and California Rolls and they were all fantastic. We will definitely be back to sit at the sushi bar as there are plenty of chef special rolls that sound fantastic!
We will not be back for the teppan grill. First, I will admit we are Hanayori devotees but it's not the prettiest looking place so as your typical 20 something, I wanted to try the "cool" place instead. The teppan chefs are not particularly interactive. The one that we had may have just been inexperienced but he sprayed me first with the fluid they use to light the grill and then with soy sauce. He also dropped my egg yolk sauce on the table twice and had to remake it (my plate was pushed up to the grill). The vegetables and seasoning were underwhelming compared to what I was used to. I did enjoy the ginger salad though - their dressing was delicious.
The tables are also very, very tall. I suppose this is for safety but it was an uncomfortable experience, even when I used an extra cushion (and I'm 5'8)
It wasn't a terrible meal but it isn't something I'm willing to spend the money on again. I was with a large group and all of us agreed that for the teppan grill experience, we'll stick with Hanayori and their 1980's interior!
I walked in for a lunch with someone I never met. She was running late which was great because then I could use the restroom and then wait for her. I let the hostess know I'm just waiting for someone. But she was one of those 17 year old types that just confused b/c you were talking to her.... like, "I see your lips moving... do you want me to do something for you?" No, I just want you to keep sitting on your stool and I'll you know when I want to be seated. Next time I won't talk to you unless I do need something. But it would have been cool if you offered me a menu as I have never been here before but nevermind.
While waiting you can tell you're in a pseudo small town with Notre Dame'rs. EVERYone knew someone guy when they walked past his table. My guess is he was a coach or something. Ah the collegiate life.
When my new friend arrived, we were sat right away. Bonus. Plus the server was really attentive, patient and efficient. I went with one of the lunch specials which was two sushi rolls and soup or salad (ha, not the Olive Garden type). The salad was just the right size. And the sushi was good - I got the spicy tuna and some crunchy tuna roll with avocado. The crunchy one was especially good since I have never had it before. I want to say it was $8.99 which I guess is about standard when you think about getting sushi to go even at Whole Foods.
But it's delightful to have a Japanese restaurant in this area. No need to rush to return though.
We were hungry for sushi and remembered seeing a nice looking sushi / teppan grill place right by our grocery store (Martin's), so we strolled into Soho and my first impression was WOW.
It's flagstone brick walls, dark wood work, twinkling ceiling, craft beer display, elegant teppan rooms and sword flanked sushi bar make this space both sexy and upscale.
We opted for a table under the twinkling faux night sky and awaited our server. Unfortunately we waited a long time (at least 5 minutes) for her to even acknowledge us and it goes downhill from there. We'd ordered a cold sake, an unfiltered one and she looked at us like we we're speaking another language. I further clarified by saying the name and the price ($13) and again the look of utter confusion on her face was apparent.
Roughly 10 minutes later we received our sake. So far... not impressed.
She dropped off our sake and walked away... about 5 minutes later she returned and we'd both decided to order the sashimi lunch. Â She then asked us what kind of sushi we'd like, we had to pick... which was in complete contrast from the menu. The sushi lunch you could pick, but we'd ordered the sashimi, which was "chef's choice"... she rolled her eyes at her own mistake and walked away. The whole experience so far... was strange.
Nearly 40 minutes later... we finally received our sashimi (10 pieces each of ahi tuna, yellowtail, salmon & albacore. The sushi... was excellent and truly the ONLY reason I gave the restaurant 4 stars. Our service hovered around a 1-2, which is sad.
I cannot stress enough how high quality their fish is... served cold, displayed nicely and with reasonable prices. Our sashimi lunches we're $11 each and included a miso soup or salad as well.
We will go back to Soho... and hopefully have better service the next time around. I'd like to try their teppan grill and without question will enjoy their sushi once again.
Soho cleverly is separated into different sections, allowing the restaurant to handle patrons wanting tepanyaki entertainment, sushi bar directness, family-style dining or a romantic dinner.
The selection of specialty rolls, each priced around $12-$18, is solid. The rolls aren't too big or too battered, a complaint I have with many other sushi restaurants.
My favorites are the Green Hornet and Hurricane. The former makes creative use of sliced jalepeno and egg; the latter masterfully uses spicy mayonnaise and tempura flakes.
For drinks, treat yourself to some flavored saki. I recommend the lychee flavor. If youre a beer drinker, Soho has an outstanding selection, including Delirium Tremens, several Three Floyds brews, Bells brews, Mishawaka beers and many Japanese beers.
A word of caution: The "Sapporo draught" isn't really from the keg. It's just the name of the beer. Also, the restaurant generally stays open until 11 p.m., but if business is slow, the kitchen will close. I was denied a second round of sushi because the chefs already had called it a night.
Been to Soho three time to eat teppan. Always were sat in the back room which was empty. At least the main dinning area and sushi bar had some atmosphere and life in it. I service each time was poor. On two visits ordered a few pieces of sushi at the table for an appetizer and it arrived after our cook at the table teppan food had been served. The waitress offered an excuse that she had a bad day and her car was just broken into. All the other times
I ordered tea and had to go walking around to find sweetener because I couldn't find the server. When I did get my sushi I found it to be just OK... nothing worth eating again. The meats cooked on the teppan the first visit were good. Portions were smaller than you would get an Hana Yori, our areas other Japanese teppan steakhouse. The next time some one in our group ordered teppan Salmon. They cooked on the same grill as all the other dinners and I found my steak to taste very fishy like the salmon. It was really bad. The salmon may be great but I don't want my steak to taste like it! So in all, I like the decor of the front room. Sushi taste was not terrible but far from others decent places. Steak and other meat was good just not when cooked at the same table with someone ordering salmon. Service, definitely lacking! For Teppan I still chose Hana Yori for taste and service and for Sushi my pick is Toyo.
I ate here twice on a recent visit to SB. Â Had sushi lunch, which was the standard tuna/salmon/whitefish combo--but it was fresh and well presented. Â The second time six of us ate at the grill table. Â My niece loved it. Â The food was good, a little on the oily side. Â The restaurant is well designed, but the interior spaces are very dark, and the kitchen entryway is visible from the dining room, which is a pet peeve of mine. Â But I would go back.
Review Source:I went here on recommendation of a local, and boy was I surprised. The decor is 5 star for sure, a very well appointed top notch environment. Full wine list, and Sake list (I don't drink but I appreciate the list).
I started with Wakame (seaweed salad) and it was nice, followed with a dragon roll (nicely rolled, and good quality fish), and something they called a Green Hornet. The Green Hornet was Egg, Eel, and Avocado with white tuna and a jalapen on top, they then seer the roll with a torch to give it a smokey flavor. Both rolls were well executed and of fine quality.
I finished with Negimaki ( basically beef rolls, imagine beef instead of seaweed on the outside of a roll).
All dishes were great, the atmosphere is more than clean its immaculate. What an amazing sushi place this was.
Soho Bistro was highly recommended to me as quality sushi finally coming to the South Bend area. Having avoided trying out any of the other sushi restaurants in SB, I can't knowledgeably comment on the lack of quality sushi in the area - but unfortunately I wound up being very disappointed at Soho Bistro.
I've visited twice; the first time, our group ordered the sushi boat, which comes omakase-style and includes most of the "typical" sushi offerings. We also individually ordered entrees (I got the chicken teriyaki, which was good). On the second visit I tried their uni, amaebi, and salmon nigiri, and our table shared a few rolls including a futomaki, caterpillar, and spider roll.
While the sushi isn't terrible per se, it also isn't that fresh or high quality. For example, the salmon on the omakase boat was almost tasteless, and I purposefully ordered it again on my second visit, hoping that the first time was just a fluke, but it didn't taste much better. The uni and amaebi were particularly disappointing; the uni was mushy and watery and the amaebi was super rubbery. Also, they didn't ask if we wanted the amaebi heads; I had to ask about them after they didn't come out with the sushi and then the waitress had to ask the chef about it. I know people don't always eat them, but at least we should be asked if we want them.
The waitstaff was friendly and attentive; on both visits, the food came quickly and the servers were quick to keep all our drinks filled. The only criticism (other than the amaebi issue) is that on our first visit, some appetizers that others in my party ordered never arrived. But otherwise, service was pretty good.
A few others in my party also weren't that impressed with the sushi, and so it leaves me wondering what all the fuss is about. I suppose for those unwilling to make the run to Chicago just for sushi, Soho Bistro could serve as a fix. Unfortunately, Soho Bistro is also very pricy, with individual nigiri in the same ballpark as quality Chicago sushi spots. I mean obviously, places like Katsu are way more expensive, but even say Kaze is barely more per equivalent nigiri. I don't factor price much if at all into my ratings, but it's one reason I personally will be avoiding Soho Bistro.
Soho is a great asset to Michiana. We've needed a good Japanese restaurant that serves fresh sushi for a long time. Although I've only frequented their dining room, and not their Teppanyaki Grill, I'm sure that's great as well. I was impressed with the Chicken Teriyaki but it wasn't bad at all. Their ginger salad and Miso soup is what you'd expect. It's the sushi that keeps us coming back. It's fresh and it's always presented beautifully. In my regional travels to larger cities like Chicago or Milwaukee, I haven't found better sushi. Try the Angry Dragon, Happy Dragon, and Shrimp Tempura rolls.
Review Source:This place is a wonderful treat that I was able to stumble upon on a Friday night. They are open until 11PM which is a major plus. They offer teppanyaki  (when they cook and entertain you while cooking), sushi bar, and normal table service. They do have an extensive wine and beer list, but they do not offer any alcohol aside from that. The food is reasonably priced, and you get a large plateful of food when sitting at their teppanyaki dining. It was not the best quality which is why they only get four instead of five. I will return on try other items that they have to offer.
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