Niu Sushi

Niu Sushi is in River North, and a decent joint for interesting maki rolls. It's a tad pricey, but it turns out because their rolls have twice as many pieces as any self-respecting sushi joint should rightly serve. I'll forgive them for their faults though because at least they have interesting menu items.

One wouldn't think it would be good as there are the typical warning signs of other Asian dishes on the menu, such as Tom Yum soup. Generally, if you see Pad Thai or wonton soup on the menu of an establishment that purports to serve sushi, one should find a way to extricate oneself from what is likely to be a disappointing experience.

And even so, despite the fact that I've forgiven Niu for its faults, one still needs to tread carefully. We started with a soft shell crab spring roll that was a messy experience. My fried crab got soggy in the dressing and mayonnaise in the roll, and it isn't something that I'd order again. It was a large roll and difficult to get all the flavors together in one bite.

We got suckered into ordering a new roll, which does not yet have a name, that has fried oyster. The Pesky Pescatarian and I love the fried oyster roll at the now defunct Ota-Ya and in the still going strong Tenzan. Niu's roll had too little fried oyster per bite, and the flavor of some broiled eel, seaweed salad, and cream cheese overwhelmed the experience.

There was a roll with uni and ikura that was crazy good, and for that roll alone I remain fond of the joint.

Niu Sushi, 332 East Illinois St., Chicago, IL