Fumio Sushi & Steakhouse Features Traditional Japanese and American Cuisines

Fumio Sushi and Steakhouse, 21 E. Northfield Road, Livingston is small but welcoming, specializing in a combination of traditional American and Japanese cuisines.

Fumio is Glatt kosher. This means the product is kosher without question, according to the Orthodox Union Web site. It is also supervised by officials of VAAD of Metrowest.

The “L”-shaped dining room features many tables and a sushi bar. Throughout the evening, tables gradually filled with couples and families of all ages.

Daily chef specials included additional appetizers and entreés not featured on the regular dinner menu. The specials menu featured appetizers, including beef negamaki ($16), pieces of beef served in a balsamic reduction with scallions served over sautéed spinach and onions, breaded eggplant ($14) served with Greek eggplant salad and a bean soup among other items.

Although the appetizers were all appealing, everyone at our table decided to skip them and move on to salads – which was a good choice because we were able to save enough room for our huge entreés.

My dining companion and I shared the Mandarin Salad ($9), a mixture of field greens, Mandarin oranges, tomatoes, crispy strips and sesame soy dressing. The menu said the salad also included toasted almonds, but much to our dismay, neither of us found any almonds in the salad.

Our other dining companions enjoyed an Arugula Salad ($9), a mixture of roasted mushrooms, red onion confit, candied nuts and peanut dressing and a field greens salad ($9) featuring mixed field greens, cranberries, pecans, tomatoes and grilled portabella mushrooms with a balsamic honey Dijon dressing, respectively.

After a brief respite, our entrées arrived. My dining companion and I shared what the menu described as a small platter ($69), which we immediately found to be a misnomer.

The platter featured seven different types of rolls served on a small wooden bridge. The sushi included mixtures of salmon, avocado, yellowtail tuna, tuna, imitation crab, cucumber and rice and went by names like Fantasy rolls, Green Dragon rolls, and Rainbow rolls among others. In hindsight, we were considering ordering the medium platter ($109), but were relieved we didn’t because the size of the small platter overwhelmed us.

One of our guests went the more traditional route and ordered the Rib-Eye Steak special  ($43) cooked medium. The steak arrived juicy and hot. The dish included mashed potatoes and spinach. Our guest commented how the prices at Fumio were not as pricey as kosher steakhouses in New York City.

Our other guest selected the fresh sea bass, a meal that included a crispy potato cake and vegetables. Asked to describe her meal, she said the fish was delicious and wanted to share her portion with everyone at the table.

Our meal was completed with three desserts – a fruit platter, a Apple Cobbler and a pecan pie. Both pie desserts were accompanied with a scoop of vanilla soy frozen dessert and special a special message from the chef.

Fumio describes their dining experience as giving special attention to color, aroma, room temperature, light and noise level as well providing delectable cuisine and service. It’s not hard to see why they say this about their establishment.

The restaurant also boasts both on- and off-site catering menus for birthdays, anniversaries, bar and bat mitzvahs, engagement parties and other occasions.

Other items of note for the restaurant:

• There is an on-site parking lot.

• The restaurant does not open to the public on Friday night or Saturday because they observe the Jewish Sabbath. Regular business hours are Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Hours vary Saturday night and Sunday until 4 p.m. as Fumio uses that time for private parties and affairs. Fumio opens Sunday evenings from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for public dining.

• The restaurant features both men’s and women’s handicapped accessible restrooms.

• Be aware that Fumio adds an automatic gratuity to your bill.

• The restaurant is BYOB.

Fumio Sushi and Steakhouse
21 E. Northfield Road
Livingston, New Jersey

(973) 994-2344

Cusine: Japanese and American

BYOB

Handicap accessible restrooms

Hours: Sunday, 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
               Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
               Friday closed
               Saturday closed (open for private parties only)
               Sunday morning (open for private parties only)