At the very least, Swordfish – contemporary sushi – is a feather in Batavia’s restaurant hat. But that statement is somewhat misleading, since Batavia’s restaurant hat is, at least at this point, relatively featherless… And the statement does absolutely no justice to what both Lauren and I believe to be a simply marvelous sushi dining experience.
Expert Chefs — Masterful Presentation
We have eaten at a total of seven different sushi venues in 4 different states in the past four years, and I personally thought that perhaps we had seen some of the best. But I was very, very wrong. Let me first state that Swordfish is very different from any of the other sushi restaurants at which we have had the pleasure of dining. The slogan that accompanies Swordfish is “contemporary sushi”, but even that is insufficient to accurately describe the place.
I can perhaps best portray the restaurant as something of a Sushi-302, because it seems almost like a fusion of sushi with one of my favorite restaurants in Geneva. The reason for this comes not only from the feel or the ambience one experiences upon entering – the walls are a mixture of bright, yet calming colors and the music is something of a new age, light jazz – it comes as much or more from the expert chefs behind the sushi bar and certainly from the incredible and masterful presentation of the plates that are placed before you. They seem almost too aesthetic and eye appealing to consume.
From the Sushi Bar
Swordfish has been open for several months and I have been yearning to give it a try. So, on a cool and cloudy October night, the time seemed just right to stop in. It was another Tuesday night and the parking lot was virtually empty. This, as we have seen before, is often a red flag. Upon entering, we found ourselves to be the only two in the place; although I must admit that we were bordering on being classed as “early diners” (it was only 6:30). There were two chefs (later that number increased to three) behind the sushi bar, which is where we decided to sit; a waitress immediately approached us, presented us with drink and dinner menus, and asked if we would like something from the bar.
Lauren asked for a large, hot sake and I requested a “box” of cold, Namahage (a “rich, complex flavor, extremely dry” sake). It actually came in a small square box! As we sipped our respective sake beverages, we tried to decide what to order. The numerous choices and descriptions on the menu made that part difficult, but we ultimately settled on two items from the sushi bar: Dynamite ($9) consisted of “sushi rice wrapped with fresh salmon and topped with seasoned spicy scallop”, and Assorted Tuna Sashimi ($15) – which was “a taste of all different tuna available.” We also decided to try something called Crunch ($12) – a maki (sushi roll) that consisted of pieces of shrimp tempura with asparagus.
Delicate Textures and Flavors
As I recall, the Dynamite came out first and I can only remember thinking that it was way too beautiful to eat… but eat it we did. There were three exquisitely prepared pieces of salmon surrounding the sushi rice, with just a touch of heat – which I assumed to be the “spicy scallop.” There was also a roll of Japanese radish wrapped around a neat little bundle of greens that were ever-so-tasty morsels. I had been watching one of the chefs preparing a marvelous plate of sashimi, complete with a fan of Fuji apples, a carrot sculpted into the shape of a butterfly and a huge pile of “spaghetti” that was really Japanese radishes in long strands.
As it turned out, the plate was for us – our Assorted Tuna Sashimi – and it came with a small candle to illuminate the entire affair. There were three different types of tuna: white, tuna, yellowtail tuna and Ahi tuna. All three had their own delicate textures and flavors and all three were excellent. Our finishing piece that evening was the Crunch and it too was expertly prepared and presented.
Looking to Dial It Up a Notch?
Lauren and I were both very impressed, not just by the presentations, but by the quality and the flavors of the fish as well. And the sauces… well, they were simply to die for. It was slow in the restaurant that night (hard to believe…), and the waitress hovered a bit more than we would have liked. But the overall experience was definitely one that I will want to repeat. Besides, there are another 40-50 items on the menu that we still want to try! If you are looking to “dial it up a notch” and are not afraid of the higher prices that swordfish charges, I’m betting that you will really enjoy this – pardon the pun – Dynamite bit of sushi heaven found in Batavia. I give Swordfish Four Zins and definitely recommend that you put it at the top of your list of places to try!
Your Table is Waiting…
Ralph Pancetta
Swordfish Contemporary Sushi is located at 207 N. Randall Rd in Batavia, IL.
