Build-out has already begun on a 3,000-square-foot restaurant space on Detroit Avenue, adjacent to Dan Deagan’s Humble Wine Bar. When it opens in early June, Voodoo Tuna Sushi Bar & Lounge will bring Asian Fusion to Lakewood.
“The interior will be very modern, somewhat Asian-inspired, with bold colors,” says partner Mike Longo, who has no relation to the operator of Harvest Kitchen in Solon.
The contemporary dining room will accommodate approximately 100 guests at tables, a sushi bar and a large wet bar. A front patio will provide seating for more diners.
Partner Joe Koskovics, who has spent the last six years preparing sushi at restaurants like Ballantine and Lure Bistro in Willoughby, will be running the food side of the operation. He’ll be joined by executive chef Andrew Jackson and GM Dave Socha, also both from Ballantine.
“We’re going to take classic Asian dishes and put an Americanized spin on them,” Koskovics explains. “We’ll take sushi dishes and blend them with elements from the kitchen.”
The other main menu categories include noodle bowls, steamed buns and entrees. As with the sushi, the items will be a blend of modern and traditional. Ramen, soba and udon noodle bowls will join barbecue eel and Asian slaw-filled steamed buns. Entrees like grilled steak will be topped with tempura-fried asparagus and served with an Asian-inspired sauce.
Beer, wine and sake-based cocktails like the Tokyo Mule, a blend of sake, ginger beer and lime, will originate from the large bar. On weekends, management will clear out some of the tables from the dining room to transform the space into a lounge. A limited food menu will be served late.
The team is hoping to open soon after Memorial Day.
“We're really excited to go to Lakewood,” says Longo. “All of our neighbors have been really supportive.”
