azuki Japanese Restaurant - Minneapolis

My business partner had to run to Minneapolis to pick up tickets for the Minnesota Vikings game this Sunday at the Metrodome. On his way he stopped to pick up lunch for the office. He happened across azuki Japanese Restaurant, a little hole in the wall on the University of Minnesota campus. I'm a huge sushi fan, but always a bit leery of raw fish from somewhere I've never heard of. Well, this may be one of the restaurant finds of the year. The sushi rolls were awesome. The crowd favorite had to be their New Orleans roll which consisted of craw fish, avocado, 'crunchy inside', snow crab, spicy tuna & wasabi tobiko on top. This was one giant sushi roll. All the fish was incredibly fresh. My second favorite was the Crunchy Spicy Tuna roll. We did not try any of the Sushimi or A La Carte sushi, but I have to go back now that I know the quality of fish is so high.

For a tiny little restaurant, azuki has a fairly extensive menu. They offer three different soups daily and five unique salads. You will find most of your favorite Japanese appetizers, including Edamame, Shumai, Gyoza, Negimaki, Tempura, Yakitori & Tuna Tataki, just to name a few. There is also a decent list of Japanese Entrees. The prices seem extremely fair. On average, $4-$6 for appetisers, $8-$12 for special rolls, $3-$6 for regular rolls and a la carte sushi and sashimi, and $10-$15 for entrees.

I noticed on their menu they offer delivery, which I plan on trying in the very near future. Azuki is located at 307 Oak Street SE on the University of Minnesota campus blocks away from Mariucci Arena. It is tucked in between Chipotle and the Oak Street Cinema. They are open Monday - Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday - Saturday 11am-11pm and Sunday 1pm-10pm. The phone number is 612-331-9551.