NEW JESRSEY – Lefkes Estiatorio talks all things sushi ahead of International Sushi Day.
When it comes to picking the perfect sushi spot, often our minds go to high-end Japanese or Asian-fusion restaurants. But what if we told you that there’s a way to have both Japanese food and Greek food, in the one place?
To celebrate International Sushi Day on Wednesday 18 June, The National Herald spoke with Lefkes Estiatorio, at 495 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs in NJ, to talk to them about their unique offering of sushi.
Lefkes Estiatorio was opened back in 2018 by its Greek owner, Georgia Doumas, and has since become a hit for Greeks wanting high quality Greek food in New Jersey.
Simon NG, the restaurant’s manager said it wasn’t until four years after it opened that they introduced sushi to their mix of meats, seafood, and authentic Greek dishes.
He described what the restaurant was best known for. “We have a very, very good selection of a Greek food and we also have sushi,” Simon told TNH. “We have a very good ambient vibe in the restaurant, and we have live entertainment on the weekend too.”
When asked how the idea of offering sushi at a Greek restaurant came about, Simon said he believed the Greek restaurant was catching on to a trend. “Every restaurant right now across the country, they all have sushi. Sushi has become a lot more popular,” he said.
The owner of Lefkes Estiatorio, Georgia Doumas said the inspiration to introduce sushi stemmed from a demand for it. “The Greek community and our customers love the idea and our sushi,” she said.
“The Greek community’s response was great, that they’re able to have sushi in Greek restaurants.”
Simon, who’s been in the sushi business for the last 20 years, said although the sushi menu at Lefkes Estiatorio is small, it’s well-received and popular amongst Greeks, as well as the overall multicultural community in New Jersey.
“Our sushi menu is very limited, and it only has about 20 items,” he told TNH. “We don’t like to overwhelm, because it’s still a Greek restaurant and we don’t want to overshadow the Greek cuisine.
“Our customers really love it. They always come through because they know it’s always fresh. Sushi is simple, but it’s all about the freshness and the quality of it.”
Some of the sushi items on the menu include the Poseidon’s Platter and Neptune’s Boat sushi platters, the Blue Fin Toro, the Kani salad, the spicy tuna-filled or crab salad-filled avocado, and the signature hand rolls which contain seafood fillings such as lobster, shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, spicy crab, eel, salmon, scallop and more.
Although nothing has been formally planned to celebrate World Sushi Day at Lefkes Estiatorio, Simon said they may add a sushi special to the menu in the evening.
