This summer residents and visitors in Bolton Landing won’t have to drive out of town to satisfy their taste for Asian food. Danny Chang and his family have opened Mikado Sushi restaurant on Main Street in downtown Bolton Landing.

The Chang family members are not strangers to Korean/Japanese cooking as they have successfully operated the Mikado Restaurant in Glens Falls since 1998.  The Bolton location will feature the family’s sushi and sashimi a la carte menu plus “Creation Dishes” prepared fresh daily by Danny, his sister-in-law Dong Hee Choy and sushi chef Jun Park.

Danny Chang, 41, says his family emigrated from Seoul, South Korea and his father worked as a chef in New Jersey for over 30 years before they moved to the area.  Danny said the decision to open a Korean/Japanese restaurant in Bolton Landing is “because there wasn’t one there.”

Matt Judson, Sorana Nistor, Danny Chang, Jun Park, Mike Howard.

Danny says Korean sushi is distinct in many ways. It is often highly seasoned, including combinations of garlic, ginger, red or black pepper, scallions, soy sauce, sesame seeds, and sesame oil. Blander grain dishes such as rice, barley, or noodles offset the heat of the spices.

Danny made it clear that sushi is not raw fish, but rather vinegary rice that is mixed with other ingredients, which may or may not include raw fish.  “We also offer deep-fried sushi such as our fried oyster roll, a shrimp tempura roll and a chicken tempura roll which is filled with chicken tempura, crab and lettuce,” he said.  Danny said sashimi on their menu is thinly sliced raw meat—usually fish, such as salmon or tuna—that is served without rice.

Mikado’s Bolton Landing bill of fare includes a selection of soups, salads, appetizers and Asian dinners.  “Sushi is our major menu item,” he added.  “We are famous for our hibachi in Glens Falls but we don’t have room enough in this building for a hibachi table,” Danny said.  “We’re offering something relatively new … cooked sushi.  I call it Americanized sushi,” he said with a chuckle.

Danny said customers are given a pad to place their orders.  “They check off what they want, give it to a server and the server brings them their selections,” he explained.  “We’ll have take-out available as well,” he said.  A full-service liquor bar includes selections of hot and cold sake, cocktails, mixed drinks, wine and beer.

Some of the sushi rolls on the menu include the Bolton Landing Roll (shrimp tempura, avocado and white fish on the top w/mozzarella cheese and spicy mayo), the Sagamore Roll (tuna salmon, avocado, mayo tempura crunch w/soybean paper) and the New Yorker Roll (California roll w/apple, crab, crunch and mayo on the top).

Jessica Zimmerman has been a customer of the Mikado in Glens Falls for several years.  “The spicy tuna chip (spicy tuna w/deep fried seaweed) is to die for,” she said.  “And their Dynamite Roll (tuna, yellowtail, salmon, crab, avocado, scallion, mayo w/hot sauce) is my favorite sushi roll.”  Zimmerman had dinner at the new Bolton Landing location on Saturday, May 24.  “It was excellent!” she exclaimed.

The Changs have been working since February to transform the former Café Vero into and Asian-themed facility and adding a 7-seat sushi bar.  “We were able to use most of the equipment in the kitchen,” Danny said.  “But I had to take out the pasta-making machine … we don’t need that,” he said.

Danny said what sets the Mikado apart from other Asian restaurants is that “we give bigger portions at less cost and our sushi is the freshest.  It is delivered every other day direct from New York City.”

Danny said the restaurant will seat 40 people inside “and we have space for 40 more on the outside deck.”  The new restaurant employs eight people and is open seven days a week from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. from Memorial Day Weekend through the Adirondack Nationals Car Show in September.  For more information or to place a take out order call 518-644-2060.