STATEN ISLAND, NY — Calvin Yum and Sophie Tan hooked a fresh way of packaging Japanese fusion when they opened Cucumber a few months ago.
The young entrepreneurs passed on constructing another high-end clubby operation (a la the tri-borough Fushimi empire) and shied away from becoming an all-you-can-eat neighborhood joint (i.e. any buffet on your block).
Instead, their five-month-old Princes Bay eatery is a hybrid of those concepts with a sushi “salad bar,” minimalist decor, affordable combo meals and a slight injection of “healthy” fare.
Good quality, pearlescent brown rice and soy paper abound at Cucumber. Couple both with items like tuna-topped pizzas alongside fresh guacamole and rolls by the names of “O.M.G.” and “Madness,” and you have yourself a shiny new restaurant that epitomizes millennial dining.
It’s a perfect fit for a youthful crowd on the deep South Shore but should appeal to a wide range of sushi lovers.
Cucumber is a small restaurant with a prominent linear theme — a brown-stripe pattern runs through angular seats, a Venetian blind-like treatment on one wall and under the sushi bar, paired with a seating bench made of wooden slats. The clean design highlights red vinyl buttons affixed to a yellow wall (a detail that could be likened to suspended couch cushions), and spherical pendants encapsulating LED lights with hundreds of metal strips bent into paper clip shapes.
Rattan placemats decorate tables in lieu of cloths, which can be a bit acoustically harsh: Echoey surfaces magnify clamor and clinks from dishware and the sushiyas. Still, overall the modern decor is simple, pleasantly juvenile.
But here’s what’s most important: Cucumber’s food is consistent.
Miso soup sports tofu cubes and tender enoki mushrooms. Sashimi samplers include fresh white tuna, nicely marbled salmon and fluke rolled around bunches of delicate julienne of cucumber.
“The Japanese Salad Bar” section of the menu translates to a big plate of chopped romaine leaves, grape tomatoes and diced jicama with assorted toppings made by the chef (as opposed to do-it-yourself).
Depending on the selection, “Salad Bar” dishes can be surrounded by spicy tuna rolled into marble-sized balls or several large fried rings of “wild calamari” dusted with fine panko bread crumbs. Other toppings include an excellent hoisin and five-spice-seasoned duck sliced into tiny strips paired with bits of tasty skin, and ripe avocados carved into ribbon-thin slices.
Five-course lunch specials are served in four different styles: Teriyaki, Tempura, Thai Coconut Curry, Fresh Mango Spiced and a big bowl of hot and spicy noodles. This deal at $7 includes a small appetizer, miso soup, ginger salad and a dessert such as ice cream with chocolate syrup.
The best offerings are sushi rolls — nicely bound, substantial and not too complicated where one cannot taste individual flavor components in the rolls. A particularly good one was the aforementioned O.M.G. — spicy kani and rock shrimp wrapped with eel and buttery avocado.
Appetizers — a.k.a. “Dim Sum and Then Some” — are another strong suit, with Tuna or Salmon Pizza over a fried tortilla smeared with fresh smashed avocado and with spicy mayo/eel sauces squirted over the top. Asian Spiced Edamame is a popular pick, although messy with its heavy application of spicy mayo (and no hand towels to help clean up afterward).
Any semblance of salubrious fare ends there: From Twinkies A La Mode and a tempura-battered, deep-fried Oreo to the substantial triangle of fried ice cream garnished with canned whipped cream, the dessert menu is filled with heavy-hitters.The bottom line: Cucumber presents a slightly new spin on Japanese fusion, a cuisine that tends to be homogenous on Staten Island. In the end, this new restaurant stands out with its efficient service and owners who are at the top of their game in making guests feel valued and welcome.