By Jacob Harden ‘24

Tucked away in a line of Polish stores lies a small yet unassuming restaurant named Fuji Japanese Steakhouse. Located in the heart of the southwest suburbs, Fuji is a family owned restaurant that always prides itself on great food, and even better customer service. This beautiful restaurant was opened in 1986, and has been owned and operated by Lisa Jung for over 35 years!

Entering the establishment, you are first met with beautiful Japanese artwork and the friendly faces of the staff. With Mark being the front of house manager, his excellent customer service skills truly earn this place the reputation as one of, if not the, most friendly atmospheres around. It is rare to go to a restaurant and have that same friendly atmosphere that this impressive restaurant seems to be beaming with.

When you first sit down at a table, you are met with a wide array of cucumber, squid, and mushrooms all marinated in ponzu sauce to make for a delicious appetizer. With the massive selection of both sushi and other Asian cuisine, it puts modern restaurants to shame. Some of these items are incredibly hard to find in America including frozen treats like “Samanco”, an Asian fish shaped ice cream with red bean paste.

Yong, commonly known as ‘Yang’, is the head sushi chef at Fuji’s and excels at his job, making amazing sushi and making customers smile. Always smiling and beaming with joy, he surpasses expectations with his impeccable sushi making skills and techniques. Working quickly and efficiently, he is an expert sushi chef and proves time and time again he has decades of experience under his belt. His beautifully crafted sushi rolls put many chefs in larger restaurants to shame.

Of course, we could never downplay their amazing experience when it comes to Hibachi. The chefs produce a work of art that creates a memorable experience for the customer. The chefs never fail to amaze when creating their beautifully delicious dishes.

I’m not the only one that feels this way, Yelper Peter D. says it best: “Fuji does it again.  Food is always great even in take-out which is what we did tonight.  Phone staff was pleasant and accurate.  Our order was ready on time.  Love Fuji for 30+ years!!!”.

I have never been to a place with such wonderful customer service, a group of people so nice, and such a wonderful atmosphere. Customers end the night with a delicious complimentary orange perfectly cut so everyone could have a piece. This is definitely a place I will visit time and time again.