Sushi Tango

Rating:

The torch of sushi has been passed to a new generation. Sushi Tango, on the second level of Calhoun Square in Uptown Minneapolis, is the newest sushi bar in the Twin Cities. As such, it faces a challenge in trying to set itself apart from all the rest.

The tough part about being trendy is that trendy has a short shelf life. Yesterday, sushi was cutting edge. Eating raw fish was bold, daring, living on the edge. Today, you can find sushi in supermarkets. Tomorrow, I wouldn't be surprised to find it at SuperAmerica.

Not only is sushi becoming more common, but it tends to be a generic product. When it comes to the basic varieties of nigiri sushi (the kind with rice on the bottom, seafood on top), the sushi is pretty much the same wherever you go. Most sushi restaurants cook their rice the same way and get their seafood from the same suppliers.

So how can the newest entry in the sushi sweepstakes differentiate itself?

Sushi Tango takes dead aim at the MTV generation. The restaurant logo looks like a Japanese manga comic book cartoon character -- cross-eyed and electrified. The soundtrack is more like VH1 -- old hits from the likes of the B52s. On a Saturday night, the amps were cranked way up, and sushi chefs and customers shouted to be heard. On a Monday night, the soundtrack was much lower and at lunch, it was unobtrusive.

Read Full Review »