If you head to ARIA or The Bar for dinner this weekend, you’re likely to notice something new to enjoy. Both venues now offer a curated selection of sushi on their menus.
The addition was part of an overall revamp to better accommodate diners, especially those who are stopping in for a meal before a theater performance.
“They have a limited time before they need to go to the show,” says Saint Kate’s Executive Chef Heskeith Flavien. “So this fits. We can make something really beautiful and delicious that still fits their timeline.”
Making it happen
Of course, adding sushi required a few major adjustments.
“We knew that if we added sushi to the menu, it would have to be the best,” says Flavien. “So we sought out Tou Vang, a sushi chef with over 20 years of experience making sushi in cities in both California and Miami, Florida.”
They put the same effort into ensuring that the ingredients they sourced for the new sushi program was as high quality as possible.
“Chef Mark Weber and I are on the same page when it comes to our approach,” notes Flavien. “If we’re going to do something, we’re going to do it the best we possibly can. In this case, we’re using a premium seafood vendor out of Chicago to source top-sushi-grade fish. We pay more, but we’re also assured the best quality.”
On the menu
To start, the menu features five sushi rolls that will be familiar to sushi lovers and accessible to those who’d like to dip their toes into the water. Guests can also add a choice of Nigori or Junmai Ginjo sake to their choice of sushi.
That includes a delicious vegetable roll featuring avocado, pickled daikon radish, cucumber, roasted bell peppers and eggplant purée ($15, 10 pieces).
Meanwhile, a California Roll features crab salad made with a combination of surimi (artificial crab) and fresh crab, cucumber, avocado and an exterior coating of toasted sesame seeds ($16, 8 pieces).
The Spicy Tuna Roll showcases fresh tuna in spicy mayo with cucumber and tempura crunch ($19, 8 pieces).
Meanwhile, the Rainbow Roll is filled with spicy tuna, crab salad and cucumber and topped with fresh tuna, salmon, yellowtail, shrimp and avocado ($24, 8 pieces).
Guests can also try the Fiesta Fire Roll featuring a combination of tuna, yellowtail, shrimp, jalapeno, habanero, cilantro, avocado and spicy mayo ($19, 10 pieces).
And yes, for those who’d simply like to enjoy a few pieces of simple sushi, there is a Nigiri Plate featuring two pieces of salmon, tuna and Hokkaido scallop ($18).
The menu also includes an interactive signature sushi dish that mimics the simplistic style utilized at Nobu restaurants. Guests are equipped with a bowl of prepared spicy tuna, skewers filled with crispy fried rice and slices of avocado and jalapeno, which they can assemble as they choose ($18). It’s delicious.
“We see food as an art here at Saint Kate,” notes Flavien. “And sushi is among the foods that chefs dedicate their careers to mastering. We are happy to have Chef Vang on staff and excited to see this program grow into something great.”
Sushi is available at ARIA during dinner service from 5 to 9 p.m. daily and at The Bar from 4 to 10 p.m. daily.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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