Good Japanese food in South Bend

Have you ever craved your favorite food so much that you would do anything and whatever it takes to get it? That’s what happened to me. As an avid fan of Japanese food, I spent most of my freshman year searching for the perfect Japanese restaurant in town; the result was the discovery of Soho Japanese Bistro, which is located in Heritage Square in Granger. Fast forward three years later, and I am still a loyal customer who goes to Soho at least once a semester. What I love most about Soho is its atmosphere; it’s a mixture of east and west. Western style dining with Japanese decorations placed almost everywhere. As you walk in, you will notice that the place has a peaceful mood with its artificial waterfall on one side of the wall as well as the “star-like” sparkly ceiling alongside the dim lights. You will have two options when you enter the restaurant, to sit in the normal dining room or the Japanese style grill room, where the “teppanyaki” style is demonstrated, chefs that cook and prepare the food in front of you. The dining room is the choice if you are simply going to be there either by yourself, with a friend or with your date. The grill area is designed for multiple guests and it makes a fun experience for  friends and family. For this review, I decided to go with the dining room. Having lived in Asia myself as well as visited the holy land of sushi, Japan, my taste buds know exactly what they’re looking for. When the word “Japanese restaurant” pops up, one may think of just sushi, but Soho offers not only that, but other varieties of Japanese food as well as traditional western food such as steak. If you’re a fan of Asian food, primarily Japanese, Soho is the perfect place to be.From its wide variety of sushi rolls, sashimi sets, udon and yaki soba noodles, fried tempuras to the basic fried rice; Soho offers satisfaction to every Japanese cuisine craving you need.For those who are still curious of what Japanese food is all about, there are a few “fusion” choices, which are a combination of Ameircan and Japanese that Soho offers. Those include the “California roll” and even a local invention, the “Indiana roll”. For sushi and sashimi lovers, this is the place for you. Their wide selection of fresh sushi and sashimi is of quality and I will have to say that Soho hit the spotlight on this one; they truly offer Michiana’s best sushi selection – they kept the flavor and style authentic. The benefits of Soho Japanese Bistro is that guests would be ableto eat fancy and not have to be worried about the common health concerns. Japanese food, mainly sushi is known to be very low on fat and have good source of omega-3, carbohydrates and protein. There is a downside to this restaurant and that would be the price. Being a fancy restaurant with quality food and preparation, one would probably know that he or she would have to be prepared to spend a little more than the usual.For lovers of Japanese food, they may understand why the price is absurdly high, that’s because sushi requires extensive care for it to be of quality that is good enough to be served to your dining table, and after all, you are eating raw fish. For example, my order of 18 piece sashimi set is $35. I find this to be reasonable, because even in Asia, when my father and I had a sushi dinner, we spent almost $100 together, and it was smaller in portion (An 18 piece sashimi would be $45 there). A cheaper alternative would be a single bowl of sushi rice with a sushi roll set that comes with two sides of salad and miso soup, which would all be approximately  $15. In addition, a single piece sashimi is not that big at all, it’s approximately a thumb’s length and an inch or two wide. It’s safe to say that it’s uncommon for a dinner for two to have the bill at $50; hence I would only recommend Soho Japanese Bistro to either lovers of Japanese food or those who seek to adventure in their dining experience and would like to experience something new that is not offered anywhere else in town. Verdict: Taste: A+ - The best Japanese taste you can get in town. Price: C - You’ll have to spend above the college student budget in this place. Prepare to pay at least $15-20 per person, however, in my own personal opinion; you truly get what you pay for – quality food. Quality: A - One of the best quality food you can find in town, everything is prepared fresh. Place: B – A good atmosphere, not too loud and gives a comfortable restaurant experience, but sometimes you have to wait. Overall: B+ - Recommended