Hiroshi's Pub on Facebook and Twitter

A quick update - I am helping out at Hiroshi's Pub (website is of course here) which is a lot of fun and I am seeing a bunch of people who I haven't seen in a while.  We have revised the menu slightly, mainly to make it easier to read and we have put more of the emphasis on smoked items coming out of the state of the art in house smoker, concentrated on pub fare and kept the sushi. We have added a kids menu with 5 meals for $5 each and have some great happy hour specials weekdays 3:00-7:00pm, including $7 Martinis and top shelf cocktails, $1 off all beers and some great food specials.  

In addition we have revised the website and started the twitter feed back up at @HiroshisPub so check it out as its a great place to get specials and information about what is going on at the Pub.


We have also have started an official facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hiroshis-Pub/150028361733356 I wanted to ask all of my readers a favor and ask you to go to the facebook page and hit "Like"; we need to get to 25 people liking the page in order to get a shorter name, so if you appreciate this blog, I would be very grateful if you would help us out.


Finally, I would invite you all to stop in and check out the menu and the food, we are working hard to make Hiroshi's Pub a great place to come and get a great meal at a reasonable price.  Here your chance to let me know if I have any actual restaurant cred, so give it a try and let me know what you think.

Hiroshi’s Pub–Sunday Brunch

You should all know how much I love Hiroshi’s Pub, as it offers a unique blend of comfort food and sushi in what I consider one of the coolest places in town, well they have made some changes to keep things moving along.  First they have simplified the menu, while it is still big, it is now readable; they have kept most of the favorites and it still covers a pretty wide swatch. 
Second, Hiroshi’s is now open for Sunday Brunch from 11:00am to 4:00pm every Sunday.  They have designed a really nice menu of hearty breakfast and lunch faves (go see the

whole menu here) that includes such delicious items as Apple Cinnamon French Toast, Lemon Blueberry Pancakes, Corned Beef Hatch made with their in-house smoked Corned Beef, big Omelets and a Lox and Bagel plate.  What I like about the menu is that it falls in that nice middle, where you can have a leisurely brunch of food prepared to your order in a relaxed atmosphere without all of the aggravation of the diners and deli breakfasts or the high cost and mediocre food of the buffet brunches.  Big portions of well prepared food with bold flavors always sound good to me. 
Hiroshi’s Pub is located at 3355 Richmond Road, Beachwood, OH Building B, across the parking lot from Moxie. 

Flemings Steakhouse–East Side Class

I have to say I was surprised to receive an offer of a $50 gift card from Flemings in the mail.  I am always a little skeptical about these type of offers, but after a careful review this was on the up and up.  It did require going to the Flemings website and registering, but other then making a reservation there were no other strings attached.  Now a high end steakhouse is not my usual hangout, I prefer the more casual and affordable eateries, and since I haven’t eaten meat since 1978, steak is not high on the list; but this was free food and Flemings has plenty of fish and seafood on the menu.

Located at 28869 Chagrin Boulevard, Woodmere, OH 44122 in the Eaton Square shopping center, Flemings is easy to miss as its fairly nondescript building is next door to the flashier Bravo.  Once inside you find a classic atmosphere, the dining room is a large high ceiling room with lots of wood, with most of the accents coming from high end wine bottles arranged around the room.  The tables are set in a simple high end manner.  The overall atmosphere is upscale and timeless.  Pretty much what a high end steakhouse should be. 

Service is also high end, with my server and the rest of the staff, being friendly and knowledgeable, yet extremely professional.  This is what service should  be and makes dinner at Flemings an truly enjoyable experience. 

With $50 to play with and my own dietary restrictions, I decided to go with 3 appetizers and a side.  You can see the menu (without prices) at Flemings Menu.  Prices are not cheap, especially when you consider entrees come ala carte, but the food quality is top notch.  

I started with the Sweet Chile Calamari ($11.50), which was a generous portion of nicely fried squid with a Asian flavored sweet chile sauce.   The squid was perfect with nice chewy pieces of the mild rings and tentacles having a nice tender chewiness and a mild flavor, the sauce was good, but I thought it lacked a bit of a punch, to my taste concentrating the flavor and adding a bit more heat would have taken this up to the level I would have expected from a upper tier restaurant.

Next up were my other two appetizers, the Lobster Tempura and BBQ Shrimp Appetizers.  The Lobster Tempura ($18.95) was a nice portion, with 4 potions of half a lobster tail split out of the shell, but still attached lightly battered and fried along with a variety of tempura vegetables.  While both the lobster and vegetables were very nice, unfortunately the nice thin batter came out overly greasy; I don’t know if the oil wasn’t hot enough of if the tempura wasn’t properly drained, but this was  bit of a disappointment, especially after the nice fry job that had been done on the calamari.

The BBQ Shrimp ($12.95) appetizers was the biggest disappointment of the meal.  Four medium large shrimp were baked in a casserole with a sauce that contained none of the spiciness, sweetness or smoke I would expect from BBQ sauce.  I was a bit taken aback with the portion size, especially compared to the generous portions on the other items I got.  The sauce and preparation did nothing to elevate the shrimp and may have even taken their quality down a little.  This is not only an item I would  not recommend, but unless Flemings makes some major changes, this shouldn’t be on their menu.  I usually say your tastes may vary, but I have a hard time thinking anyone would enjoy this dish, especially at this price.

Finally I ordered the Chipotle Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese Side ($7.95) which was a more then generous bowl of beautifully flavored comfort food goodness.  This was the clear highlight of the meal, and with most of this nestled in my refrigerator for another meal I look forward to eating it again.  The perfectly cooked pasta was smothered with a rich cheddar cheese sauce with a subtle hint of chipotle heat to keep it interesting.  I have a feeling this is more representative of most of the Flemings menu, classic American fare made with high quality ingredients and with a classic flavor profile.  

Flemings impressed me with their ambiance, service and the Mac and Cheese, among the other food, the Calamari and Lobster Tempura were both good, but fell a little short of greatness.  The BBQ Shrimp was a true disappointment.  At the price points Flemings charges, this should not be happening.  Of course, I am not the target audience that Flemings is going for, their overall reputation is that they have some of the better steaks available in the area, so your visit may be quite different.

Hiroshi's Pub - the review

One of the hard things about writing a blog like this is if you want to like new local places, especially if they are owned and run by friends, luckily Hiroshi's Pub more then lives up to the advance billing. I have given you a couple of previews of the Pub, but after attending the opening party and stopping by for dinner I can report that the food and service more then live up to expectations.  Located at 3365 Richmond Road, Building B, Suite 130 (map is here) across the parking lot from Moxie and Red, Hiroshi's is the place to be.

As I have previously described, the decor is a mix of a modern upscale pub with some Asian touches, that all comes together in a great feeling, especially when filled up with people.  The Pub seems to have already found a growing audience, as we stopped in at 6:30 on a Wednesday and it was almost full, by the time we left there was a full house.  Despite this, sound levels were reasonable and service was good.

We started with a couple of draft beers, I tried the Goose Island Honker Ale, which was a well balanced full bodied ale; the taste was smooth and made a nice compliment to the food.

The menu at Hiroshi's is huge, with a long list of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers, sushi, BBQ and entrees.  The sushi bar turns out a list of tasty items ranging from the usual sushi to complex rolls, cervices and fusion futomakis.  Some of the most impressive looking plates that went by were the sushi plates.  The BBQ side produces ribs, briskets and other meats that come in a wide variety of forms.  It may take you a while to get through the menu, but you should be able to find something for almost every taste.

I was pleased to hear that the soup of the day was a Tortilla Soup that could be either vegetarian or have chicken added; a very nice idea to allow vegies to have the option.  Even better the large bowl of soup was very good, with a very a good mix of vegetables in a soup with a very nice level of spiciness.  The tortillias had already merged into the soup by the time it got to me, but still added a nice crispness and a little sweetness.  An excellent bowl of soup which is always a great way to start a meal (excuse the mess around the bowl, the waiter bobbled at the table and I didn't want to wait while he went back and got a new bowl).

For my main course I had the Calamari appetizer, which was one of the better versions I have had in Cleveland.  Fresh squid is lightly floured and quickly fried and then served over a light garlic butter with homemade tarter sauce and marinara.  The squid was tender with just a hint of chewiness, the garlic butter was a perfect compliment.  With big flavors, both the tarter and marinara were a bit much for the delicate squid, but overall a very good dish.

My friend Dan had the Smoked Brisket dinner with baked beans and coleslaw.  He thought the brisket was very good, tender with a slight smoke flavor.  I tried a little of the BBQ sauce and it was very good with a nice balance of hickory and sweet, although I could of gone for a bit more hot spice.  Dan also liked the sides and all of the food on the table quickly disappeared.

As you can see, food presentation is very well thought out and portions are good sized.  Service was good and the staff seems to be coming together well.  Despite having a full restaurant, food came out at a good pace, which is nice to see as often newer restaurants will have issues with getting food out, not so for the Pub.

Hiroshi's Pub is a great place to get some excellent and diverse food in a really nice environment.  The food is presented in a very modern and upscale manner; flavors are big and bold, this is a place where taste counts.  Service is good and the bar is already becoming a great place to hang out and relax.

Give Hirsoshi's Pub a try, and you will find that their motto of "Casual Dining with Seriously Good Food" is true.  An easy place to give a high recommendation.

Hirioshi's Pub - Update & Photos

Update 7/12/2010 - The Pub is open for business.  The opening party was Saturday night and the place was jumping.  A large crowd of friends and family showed up to check the place out and to enjoy some incredible food.  The menu is huge, with appetizers, sandwiches, sushi, cerviches, salads and lots of BBQ.  The sushi was great and everyone was raving about the  BBQ.  The bar was already hopping and I expect it to be one of the hot places to hang for quite a while.

Congratulations and the best of luck to Hiroshi, Sonya, Mike, Shuhei and all of the staff.  Go and check them out.

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Last week I told you about Hiroshi's Pub (see previous post here), well I have news and pictures.  Having seen the nearly completed restaurant, I can tell you that Hiroshi's looks awesome and that it will be opened to the public starting July 12, 2010.  The tag line is Casual Atmosphere - Serious Food, and they seem well on the way.  The menu is coming together and the staff is hired and being trained.  So mark your calendars and plan on checking it out.

The sign to look for and the new patio that will be one of the best on the East Side.

The Patio will be a great place to enjoy the hotter weather and get some seriously good food.

Two traditional Foo Dogs guard the entrance and protect all patrons.

The main dining room and the kitchen line show the mix of influences.

The smoker will be turning out some serious BBQ with some Texas flavor

The Sushi Bar will feature non traditional and fusion items.




Each dining area has unique art and atmosphere

The back room with TVs and more cool art.

The lounge area with comfy couches and chairs.  This will also be used as a stage for bands and other performers.


Cool are and a great bar will be a happening place and a center of activity.

Premium beers on tap and a great atmosphere in the bar area.
 

Hiroshi's Pub - Coming Soon To Beachwood

 For those of us who used to hang around the Cedar Lee area in the late 80's and early 90's, Hiroshi's Pub was a favorite hangout with a comfortable atmosphere, good affordable food and some great people.  Well its been quite a while, but a new version of Hiroshi's is coming to Beachwood in the next month or so.  Located at 3365 Richmond Road, Building B, Suite 130 (map is here) across the parking lot from Moxie and Red, Hiroshi's has taken over a former Japanese restaurant and is in the process of converting it into what should be one of the areas most interesting spots.

As with the original spot the people in charge are the same, Hiroshi and Sonya from Shuhei are the owners and the vision behind everything and Mike will be running things day to day.  They bring a wealth of experience and success in the Cleveland restaurant and bar scene. 

I stopped by recently to see how things were coming along and the place is starting to really come together.  They have kept quite a few Japanese elements from the previous place, but the overall feeling is going to be a lot different.  To start, they are laying down a large patio out front that will provide some very nice outside dining, the patio was just being finished and the high quality outdoor furniture was being assembled. 

Once through the double doors and the large Foo Dogs on either side, you will see a large bar to the left and the small sushi bar to the right.   A number of smaller rooms will be set up, one with couches, another with traditional Japanese seating.  They had a ways to go, but it looks like there will be flat screen TVs throughout.  The overall look is warm browns and oranges, with high industrial ceilings.  I get the feeling this is going to be a real eye catching place.  When they get further along I will try to get you some photos.

The huge kitchen is in the middle, with the massive smoker and grill area facing the bar.   The menu sounds like it is going to hit some of the current food trends.  There will be the American classics, made with high quality ingredients, some serious long smoked BBQ, and an eclectic sushi bar with some cervices' flavors and even some meat based sushi.  It looks like the menu will be large and diverse, which should be very interesting.

Hiroshi's will be hitting an area that Beachwood has been missing, a neighborhood tavern with good food and casual atmosphere.  I will fill you in with more as the process moves along.  If you are looking for work, Hiroshi's is hiring, you can get more information at hiroshispub.com.

Shuhei Update - Beachwood Star

You may have read my previous review of Shuhei Restaurant (review is here), but it has been a while since I have had a full meal there; luckily with some family in town for my Niece's Bat Mitvah, we ended up there after quite a bit of discussion. So I wanted to update my previous review and mention some new things. Based on the discussions, many people have strange ideas of what is served at a Japanese restaurant. While Shuhei has the best Sushi Bar in town, the rest of the menu is even more extensive and has something for everyone. Japanese food is generally lighter and simpler then Chinese or other Asian foods. The Japanese like to take high quality ingredients and prepare them in ways that accent their flavors and then compliment those with simple flavor combinations. Even though I was told that "we don't eat Japanese", everyone found a number of things that they could have, and the meals that we had were all exceptional. The prices at Shuhei are actually fairly moderate; sure you can spend a lot if you want, especially if you order Sushi al la carte, but most of the meals on the menu are priced under $20 and that includes, soup, salad, rice, vegetables and tea. Considering the portions are generous and the food is excellent, this is what you call value. So Mom had the Kogani Age (Soft Shell Crab) dinner, her long time favorite. The tasty little critters are lightly floured and then quickly fried to a delicious state. Served over fried rice with sprouts, carrots and green beans, a very wonderful meal. The crabs are perfectly prepared and sided with a simple rice vinegar sauce for dipping. Aunt Helen had the Shrimp Tempura dinner, and if you haven't tasty tempura at Shuhei, you are missing something special. The shrimp and vegetables come wrapped in a perfecly light and crispy tempura batter that is fried to perfection. The crust is a light golden with the insides cooked perfectly. Save the fried banana as a special little treat for the end. Mort has the Kushiyaki, skewers of shrimp, scallops, salmon and vegetables covered in Shuhei's home made teriyaki sauce. A great and classic combination, expertly prepared and cooked. I had the Chirashi Sushi dinner; Chirashi is gathered sushi, with a large bowl of the sushi rice topped with slices of some of the freshest seafood you can find. The fish was impecible, fresh and clean tasting. The tuna was especially good, with each slice just melting in my mouth. Shuhei remains one of the finest restaurants you will find. The decor is excellent, the atmosphere both sophisticated and relaxed. The food is truly outstanding. The servers are friendly and knowlegable, willing to guide you through any questions you may have. Plus you get a lot for you money. What more could you ask for? Give them a try.

Happy Buddah Cafe - University Heights Chinese

Happy Buddha Cafe is easy to miss nestled into a small strip mall at the intersection of Green and Cedar Roads. And yes, Happy Buddha is in University Heights, since as Green jogs West, Beachwood gives way for this corner (see the map here). Cleveland has many small Chinese take out places scattered about, and with some notable exceptions, they are unexceptional, well Happy Buddha is certainly different and better. You can get an idea just by looking at their website here; the fact that they even have a website is different, but this one is well done and reflects the care that has been taken with this small restaurant. Connected to Bo Loong by the owners, Happy Buddha has worked to elevate the small takeout restaurant. Since the Lius have taken this spot over they have redecorated to give the small dining area a much better look, the walls have been textured and painted a warm golden color and that are accented by the high gloss pictures of selected dishes. Although much of the business is takeout, they welcome you to eat there and provide table service. The menu is impressive for this type of restaurant, while providing the regular items you would expect, it also has dishes usually found at the larger downtown restaurants, including squid, panfried noodles and salt baked items. The food here is good and among the items that I would recomend are the Singapore style Mei Fun, the Shrip Pan Fried Noodles and the Salt Baked Squid. The food is fresh, well prepared and seasoned and while not the cheapest place in town, the prices are affordable and a good value for what you get. While not as exotic as a trip down to Asiatown, Happy Buddha offers a suprising variety of very good Chinese food at good prices in an attractive if somewhat small setting. If you are in the Eastern Suburbs and want some good Chinese stop by and check it out or take some home.

Shuhei - Best Restaurant Ever

I have been promising for some time to give my review of Shuhei Japanese Cuisine and Sushi Bar, well here it is. I do think that I have to start off with a bit of a disclaimer, Hiroshi and Sonja who own Shuhei are very close personal friends and I worked at Shuhei and Shijuro (its predecessor) while putting myself through law school. I will try to give a objective view, but at least I am upfront about any bias. Shuhei is located at 23360 Chagrin Blvd, close to Green Road in Beachwood. The restaurant is in the back of a set of a small colonial style office building. There is a small sign out front and plenty of parking in the back. The entrance is under the awning Once you enter the restaurant it is a different story. Tan walls with ash wood accents set off Shuhei's impressive collection of prints and other art. Among the highlights is the display case in the waiting area which shows off a beautiful and highly detailed wedding kimono. The overall feeling is of classic Japanese style. The dark tables and chairs present a nice background for the simple table settings and the wonderful food. The servers wear traditional Japanese clothing, with the waitresses in kimonos and the men in "happy jackets". Shuhei has an experienced and knowledgeable wait staff that do a great job of taking care of their customers. The food, well that is hard to beat. Having spent a lot of time in the kitchen here I can tell you that the vast majority of sauces and dressings are made fresh from scratch. The ingredients are of incredibly high quality and are carefully prepared. What would shock most people is the amount of prep time that goes in a Shuhei, they work hard all day to be ready to make the best food possible. For the most part food preparation and presentation stays close to the traditional Japanese style, which is a good thing when it is done as expertly as this. Lets start at the sushi bar where the highly skilled sushi chefs combine the freshest fish and seafood with rice, seaweed and other vegetables to make the best sushi in the area. Whether you order a simple maki roll up to the large assorted sushi and sashimi platters, presentation is carefully considered and the plates are works of art. One of the tests of a good sushi bar is how they do on the simple straight forward nigiri sushi, where the fish is presented on top of a rice pellet. At Shuhei the freshness of the fish along with the skill of the chef shines through, the fish melts in your mouth with a nice contrast from the vinegared rice and the wasabi. Some of my favorites and suggestions to try are the scallop sushi, large fresh scallops served raw allow you to experience the slightly sweet taste and the wonderful texture; the spider roll, taking a perfectly fried soft shell crab and rolling it with lettuce and slightly spicey mayo for a great flavor combination; and the Nippon Kai Salad, an assortment of raw fish and seafood cut up into smaller pieces and served over a light vegetable salad with special miso flavored dressing that allows you to try a wide variety in an appetizer. You cannot go wrong with any of the sushi dinners, but if you want something a bit different try the Chirashi dinner. Instead of individual pieces of sushi, you will get a very nice assortment of fish and seafood on top of a bed of the sushi rice. The rest of the menu is perfectly prepared Japanese food presented simply, but elegantly. Japanese cooking tends to emphasize simple flavors using the freshest foods available. It is hard to go wrong with anything on the menu, but once again some of my favorites. The tempura at Shuhei is how I think tempura should be. Shrimp and vegetables are battered and then deep fried in such a way as to result in an incredibly light and flavorful, but cruchy outside with the inside being perfectly cooked; you cannot go wrong with any of the tempura items. The fish dishes are all incredibly fresh and perfectly cooked and then mated with an appropriate sauce. The hot pot meals come out in a large iron pot steaming hot and loaded to the brim with goodness. The salad entrees and noodle dishes are outstanding, especially as a lunch. If your idea of Ramen is the little packets you buy at the Supermarket, you should try Shuhei's version. A bowl of noodle with a slightly spicy broth is topped with shrimp or beef and stir fried vegetables. If something on the menu sounds good, give it a try since it should exceed your expectations. Shuhei is certainly not the cheapest restaurant and with the number of Japanese restaurants that continue to open in the area there are a lot of choices, but Shuhei shows that value comes from excellent food expertly prepared and served in a well designed restaurant. The food, service and ambience are all top notch and there is a reason that Shuhei has remained one of Cleveland's top restaurants.