Last summer, theatergoers were crushed to learn that Sung's House was closing its doors in Playhouse Square after a decade in business. Sandwiched between the Ohio and Allen theaters, the restaurant had cultivated an enthusiastic following for its well-crafted Japanese and Korean cuisine, which it served in a reliably efficient and consistent manner.
Less than six months later, however, Sushi En opened in the same spot. It was a near-seamless transition that presented diners with a similar menu of Japanese and Korean dishes served in a reliably efficient and consistent manner. Downtown Cleveland became location number three for Sushi En, which launched in Columbus nearly 20 years ago. In 2021, owner Jihyoung Hwang opened a Twinsburg location and later this year he will unveil Gogi En, a Korean barbecue restaurant in Solon.
Presently obscured by scaffolding, Sushi En is a shotgun space with almost zero street presence. But like its predecessor, it is worth seeking out when looking for a casual, enjoyable lunch or dinner option. As is the case at many Playhouse Square spots, the restaurant ebbs and flows depending on the hour and the day. We enjoyed a leisurely midweek lunch when the dining room was approximately one-third full. On a recent Friday evening, when the musical Six was being performed in the Palace Theatre, we snagged one of the last available tables. By the time we were digging into our appetizers, there was only a handful of stragglers remaining in the entire restaurant.
Such are the pros and cons of being a “theater restaurant,” says manager Mark Chun.
“Anytime there is a show night, we can guarantee that customers will be walking through the door and we’ll have a pretty decent dinner rush,” he explains. “The only problem with that is everyone will come within an hour, hour-and-a-half time period. It’s a little hard to maintain a good energy level when there’s a big wave and then nothing, a big wave and then nothing.”
Despite such challenging logistics, Sushi En manages to exceed expectations with respect to food and service. There aren’t many places downtown where a diner can enjoy a sit-down lunch in under an hour while still being waited on by a human being and eating off non-disposable tableware. Even during the peak of a theater-night dinner rush, we never felt ignored or rushed.
At both lunch and dinner, Sushi En delivers an excellent selection of high-quality raw and cooked sushi. From straightforward sashimi and nigiri on up to wildly colorful and creative rolls, the sushi bar offers something for all comfort levels. We skipped the nigiri combo platters in favor of designing our own with pieces of yellowtail ($3.75), mackerel ($2.75), shrimp ($3.00), king salmon ($4.50) and salmon roe ($5.50). Rolls can be as unfussy as the slender hamachi and scallion ($6.50) or as intricate as the Kinky Eel ($13.45), an inside-out roll stuffed with eel, smoked salmon, crispy salmon skin and cucumber and drizzled with eel sauce. There are literally dozens more rolls from which to choose.
If you do find yourself crunched for time on a theater night, you’ll likely dine quicker if you sidestep the sushi bar for something from the kitchen. Sushi En fries up exceptional shrimp tempura ($8.95), which is paired with sweet potato slices and broccoli florets. The pork gyoza ($6.95) is flash fried rather than pan fried, leaving it crispy all around. I’ve had better, crispier takoyaki ($7.50), but these are appropriately sweet, savory, saucy and studded with bits of octopus.
Because Sushi En blends Korean and Japanese cuisines, diners can elect between dishes like bibimbap ($15.95) and ramen ($14.95). The former, served in screaming-hot crock, is a comforting medley of rice, tofu, vegetables and a fried egg. A squeeze bottle of spicy gochujang-based bibimbap sauce is on the table for topping. By the time the ramen landed on our table, the seafood – shrimp and squid – was hopelessly overcooked but the bouncy egg noodles in spicy broth still hit the spot. Fans of Korean BBQ can savor the flavor, if not the sizzle and sear, of bulgogi ($24.95) thanks to the kitchen-prepared version offered here. Most entrees include the standard miso soup and ginger-dressed iceberg salad combo.
Sushi En offers a decent selection of sake, including warm, dry and unfiltered varieties. The drinks menu also has domestic and Japanese beers, house cocktails, and a handful of red, white and sparkling wines by the glass and bottle.
Sushi En
1507 Euclid Ave., Cleveland
216-716-8654
sushiendowntown.com
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