Naples Fuji Sushi Bar & Asian Bisto Review

Fuji Sushi Bar & Asian Bistro is perfectly situated for shopping at places near Costco and Best Buy, and perfect for a bite before, or a snack after a movie at Naples' Hollywood 20.

Upon entering, you are quickly and warmly greeted by Co-Owner On or a friendly server, and escorted across the tan tile floor to a cushy booth or comfortable chair. The side open patio can seat several dozen people among its foliage. The sushi bar, in the back has tall wicker chairs for comfortable seating. There’s ample seating, inside and out. The sushi is truly fresh! Appetizers include crispy fried vegetable spring rolls with plum sauce ($4), summer rolls with crab, shrimp and cucumber wrapped in rice paper, and served with plum sauce (5), chicken satay with coconut milk and yellow curry, with peanut sauce and plum sauce (7), crab rangoon (4) filled with cream cheese, crab and scallions (4), and seared sesame tuna steak, 4 oz, with special sauce and wasabi cream (6.50).

There’s Tom yum soup with chicken, lemongrass broth lime juice and roasted chili paste ($4), or my favorite; tom kha soup’s shrimp, mushrooms scallions, coconut milk and lemongrass (5).

We enjoyed the luscious taste of the crispy salmon rolls (5.50) with scallions and cream cheese (5.50), in a spring roll skin, lightly fried, and served with plum sauce. It’s a tasty generous portion, and great at this price.

We went on two separate occasions, and really like the lettuce wrap appetizer (7)-a laarb style chicken sautéed with shiitake mushrooms, onions, water chestnuts, on a bed of crisp white rice noodles, garnished with white and black sesame seeds. It’s topped with cool green onion strips, and red bell pepper. Fresh iceberg lettuce, on another plate, serves as as the wrap. Wonderful! The combination of tastes and textures is a delight. Highly recommended.

The ceviche (8) is a lightly tossed generous portion of mixed seafood, with shrimp, salmon, other fish, fresh conch, octopus, with red onions and cilantro in a lime based broth. Ceviche, once Peru’s specialty, fits nicely in an Asian setting which respects truly fresh seafood. Tops!

Our shrimp tempura (9) is a crisp tempura batter, enclosing shrimp, sweet potato, broccoli and othe seasonal vegetables. Good.

When I visit a Japanese restaurant, I first try the BBQ style eel (2.50) to see the quality of the eel and its sauce. If this is just ok, I pay my tab and leave. If very good, I’m in for a great meal, as a sushi chef is often "graded" on his BBQ eel quality. The eel here is plump, tender, appropriately sweet, and the eel sauce rich and full of umami. Thumbs up!

To sample the Japanese offerings, our Tuna Loco roll (12.50) has eight tuna, and scallion filled rice sections on end as 4 towers, topped with mixed chopped fresh high quality spiced tuna and avocado, drizzled with a mildly spiced sauce, and and flecked with white and black sesame seeds, with wasabi and pickled ginger on the side. It is a fresh, generous portion for the price. It looks and tastes great, and thus did not last long on the plate! Recommended.

There’s a long list of entrees. There really is something for everyone, be they vegetarian, want a New York Strip Steak, or just a straight meal of Thai, Japanese, or even Korean delights. Thai items are Thai basil, red curry, each with choice of chicken, beef, tofu, shrimp, scallop or mixed seafood Owners John and On Augsondthung. hail from Thailand, and I can vouch for the authenticity. They are gutsy to open a new restaurant in this area, in this economy. John, the chef excels at the Asian Cuisines he offers. Why not, he was the main chef at Naples Sushi-Thai! Also, Uncle Chai and other members of the family are here, so this is a Mom and Pop, and Cousins place, too!

Fong, Fon, Chai, On and John
Our Thai red curry’s (13) superb quality astounded my dining partner, a Thai cook, who visits Thailand each year! She flipped over the freshness of the shrimp, green and red bell peppers, onions, coconut milk, curry paste, and lightly fried Thai basil leaves. This large portion arrived hot and spiced at our requested, moderate level. The rice is light, served just in Chiang Mai. Highly recommended!

My companions, on each visit, smiled ear to ear with the freshness and the beauty of the authentic great tasting food.

For dessert, we went for the Thai donuts, (4) four piping hot feshly made Thai style, with a dipping choice of traditional condensed milk and peanuts and/or chocolate syrup. Others enjoyed the Anna Banana –crisply fried wrapped banana rolls served with a scoop of ice cream. The Cheesecake Tempura (5) with blueberry sauce looked nice, as it went to another table.

Fuji is easy on the wallet, wonderfully refreshing on the palate, picture perfectly served, and all is fresh! Great for date night, or for the family. It's a welcoming bistro. I’ll be back.

Open Mon-Thursday 11am -10 pm,; Friday and Saturday 11-11 pm, and Sunday noon till 9 pm. The even deliver, call for details.

6355 Naples Blvd, 593-5550