Growing up with her mother’s sushi, kimchi and other South Korean dishes, Bella Na knew it was a recipe for success.
Her mom, Ellen “Aelan” Pyung, has opened restaurants in New Zealand, Winnipeg and later Windsor. With her husband now working in Sudbury’s mining sector, the Nickel City is latest community where Pyung can ply her culinary skills.
“I knew I would not be able to sit still for very long,” Pyung said. “I decided to start something here in my new city.”
The “something” Pyung and Bella Na opened is Tokyo Sushi, located on Cedar Street in the downtown core in a storefront most recently occupied by Raven’s Rising chocolate shop.
Having worked together at their restaurant in Windsor, Pyung and Na said the menu of the family’s Japanese and South Korean favourites, from appetizers and soups, to salads, rolls and noodle dishes.
Na lives in Michigan and travels back and forth when she can, so she is in charge of the social media feeds and approves of everything served on the menu, especially the colours of the Mango Paradise Roll.
The creator of this fusion roll, Na said it features everything she loves, including avocado and cream cheese with a whip of cream on top for added presentation and style.
With the cooler weather arriving, foods like the Yaki Udon with stir fried udon noodles have really taken off as it's pan fried and packed with vegetables and/or protein like chicken or beef.
Pyung says she does a lot of pan frying as opposed to deep fried dishes, including for the gyoza.
As for the sushi, she said Tokyo Sushi has so much to offer.
“The rolls are bigger. They are fresh. Sushi is a lot of work and I want mine to stand out,” Pyung said. “I want people here to come to my kitchen and leave satisfied.”
A lot of attention to detail goes into every dish’s taste and presentation.
Fan favourites so far have been the Co Co Geisha. Rolled in a soy bean paper, this roll includes cooked shrimp, crab meat, mixed veggies, fried egg Tamago and a cream cheese sauce.
Rolls can be purchased a la carte or in combination trays.
As well, check out the haru maki, or vegetable spring rolls, and the japchae, a traditional Korean stir-fried glass noodle that is mixed with vegetables.
There’s another hot commodity flying off the shelves in the back refrigerator and that’s Pyung’s kimchi. Made in small batches with love, customers can buy jars to eat at the restaurant or take it for home consumption. The fermented cabbage and vegetable dish is spiced with gochugaru, Korean chilli flakes.
“My grandmother and mother would be proud. All their recipes form the foundation for our menu a world away in Sudbury,” Pyung said.
Tokyo Sushi is located at 66 Cedar Street in downtown Sudbury. For more information, visit the restaurant on Facebook or Instagram.
Anastasia Rioux is a writer in Greater Sudbury. Let’s Eat! is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.