Welcome Kyo Sushi

Scarsdale and the surrounding towns are well known for their Asian food, given the area’s high Japanese, Chinese and Korean populations. Let’s face it: much of it is really good. So, I had very high expectations when I went to review Kyo Sushi (pronounced “kee-yo”) in nearby Hartsdale on East Hartsdale Avenue very close to Central Park Avenue. To review the restaurant, I brought along one of my friends and on another occasion, my husband. On both visits, Kyo Sushi surpassed our expectations on many levels. It is a restaurant that you want to frequent, tell your friends about, and do everything you can to help it thrive. Don’t be put off by the parking situation (there is no parking in front of the restaurant and no back lot). There is, however, metered parking across the street and on Wilson Street. Once inside the cozy restaurant, we were greeted by brothers Darryl and Derek Wu, who manage the front of the house and their father, who runs the kitchen. To ensure the freshest fish, the family goes every day to Japanese fish markets in Queens and hand picks only the best.

For starters, Kyo Sushi has several notable salads including the salmon skin salad (shredded lettuce, cucumber topped with crispy salmon skin and tobiko [flying fish roe]) that are worth ordering. Skip the miso soup (unremarkable) and try the spicy tofu soup, which features tofu and seaweed in a house special spicy broth. Worth ordering are the gyoza (pan fried dumplings stuffed with ground vegetables and pork), which were lightly pan fried, crunchy and delicious, according to my husband. (He really wanted to order another plate of them he liked them so much, but I told him no.) I really enjoyed the gluten-free version of the sweet potato roll that Darryl prepared for me using boiled sweet potato instead of the tempura preparation.

Kyo Sushi runs a bento box lunch special from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm that includes favorites such as curry chicken, tonkatsu (breaded and deep fried pork cutlet), salmon teriyaki and unagi don (eel). On the lighter side, the restaurant runs a sushi roll lunch special: 2 rolls @ $7.95 and 3 rolls @ $10.95, which is a good value. Knowing the challenge customers face eating gluten free at Japanese restaurants, Kyo Sushi stocks gluten-free soy sauce and seaweed and soon will be carrying a gluten-free tempura batter, allowing them to make most menu items gluten free. Brown rice is always available. Kyo Sushi has a long list of signature rolls including the tiger roll (crabmeat, avocado, tobiko inside and shrimp tempura outside with a spicy mayo sauce) and just in time for Valentine’s Day, the valentine roll (heart shaped roll served with crab salad and avocado inside, tuna on top). According to Darryl, the tiger roll is the restaurant’s most popular. My friend ordered it and not only was it a true work of art (we wanted to take a picture), it was delicious. On another visit, my husband tried the inferno roll (smoked salmon, shrimp, crabmeat, apple, tempura crumbs and tobiko topped with their spicy sweet sauce) and would have finished the whole plate had I not encouraged him to take some home for the next day. The beef teriyaki, which is both marinated and broiled in teriyaki sauce, was flavorful, but needed some vegetables to round out the plate. The Kyo fried rice was delicious and well seasoned, with large pieces of chicken, shrimp and vegetables. Be forewarned: portions are large and you’ll want to share. Next time and diet permitting we plan to try the cheesecake tempura and the Japanese ice cream (ginger sound intriguing) and sample the various sakes offerings.

As an aside, Kyo Sushi provides Japanese lunches for Greenacres Elementary School in Scarsdale and as a good neighbor, participates in fundraising events to give back to the community. Follow Kyo Sushi on Facebook (www.facebook.com/kyotown) for specials and promotions. For busy commuters, Kyo Sushi will deliver your order curbside, so no need to park your car. Kyo Sushi 17 East Hartsdale Avenue Hartsdale, NY 10530 (914) 682-6688. Free delivery (min $15) Kyosushitown.com . Beer and wine license. Metered parking across the street and on Wilson.