Fumio: A Tiny, Tucked-Away Treasure (Restaurant in Livingston, NJ)
Jan 19 '02 (Updated Jan 24 '02)
The Bottom Line In the NYC suburb of Livingston, NJ, there's a little-known yet splendid Japanese dining experience: Fumio. Cozy and intimate, Fumio needs enthusiastic word-of-mouth advertising to compensate for its poor location.
Nothing can be more disastrous for a high-quality restaurant than being located in a low-visibility strip mall, virtually unknown to the bustling traffic outside. This is why I’ll plead with you to visit Fumio in Livingston, for this little treasure is tucked away in the tiniest corner of an often-overlooked Northfield Avenue cluster of shops. Serving Japanese and Asian cuisine, Fumio offers some of the freshest sushi and sashimi selections in the area. With its friendly staff, generous portions, and delicately prepared specialties, Fumio is a dining experience you’ll want to—-have to-—share with friends. Enthusiastic word-of-mouth will have to keep them in business because the poor location will not!
On this Friday afternoon, my friend and I were the only lunch customers in the small, tastefully decorated 12-table restaurant (sushi bar seating available as well). We sat comfortably in high-backed black lacquer chairs, beside a Peter Max painting whose authenticity we playfully debated. Our places were set attractively with cloth napkins and sparkling silver and gold chopsticks. Small, shallow dishes for wasabi and a decanter of low-sodium soy sauce sat on an artfully decorated tray, ensuring our waiter would not forget to bring them with our meal.
Having dined at Fumio for the first time last year, we had thoroughly enjoyed the fresh spring roll, with its mix of crunchy raw julienne vegetables and tangy dipping sauces, but we had deemed the place far too expensive to make it a favored regular hang-out. (Note: I no longer see the fresh spring roll on the menu.) However, new management has recently taken over, and prices are now much more competitive and reasonable. The sashimi lunch, with its nine hearty pieces of salmon, tuna, mackerel, kani (imitation crab stick), fluke, and red clam, is just $9.95, two to three dollars less than other Japanese eateries in the area. Hmmm…now that I’ve recounted, I think they served me 12 pieces of sashimi instead of nine! Moreover, the tuna and the salmon sashimi were truly substantial chunks, a full four bites per piece!
Miso soup was included with my sashimi lunch, and it was extremely tasty, sitting just on the verge of being too salty, but still very flavorful, full of tofu, green onions, and seaweed. My only complaint is that the carved wooden soupspoon was too beautiful to be functional, it’s flat shape made eating the soup a little awkward. But the traditional Japanese manner of eating soup is to drink it from the bowl, so I don’t blame them for having imperfect spoons.
I began my meal with an inexpensive appetizer, the traditional spring rolls, for $3.95. Both rolls were rather sizeable, and the accompanying sweetened dipping broth turned out to be the perfect complement for the savory vegetables. I was pleased that these spring rolls were not as greasy as some others I’ve eaten; in fact, they were very crisp and hot, deliciously warming on a cold afternoon.
My friend ordered the tempura tofu appetizer, again $3.95, and while bland for my tastes, the flavorful tentsuyu dipping sauce turned out to be savior of this dish.
Next she was served the miso eggplant appetizer, also $3.95, and I must report that this was simply the finest seasoned eggplant I have ever tasted, putting my beloved Asian favorite, eggplant in garlic sauce, to shame. The miso imparted a delicately sweet taste to the eggplant that did not overwhelm the vegetable’s flavor, as is often the case with eggplant, as the flesh tends to soak up sauces like a sponge. The miso, however, melded perfectly with the eggplant. My friend said on previous visits to Fumio she has shared this dish with her guests, only to have every person at the entire table order their own miso eggplant appetizer. I almost did the same! Had my sashimi portions not been so generous, I would have happily devoured a dish of the tasty eggplant.
Our waiter was very accommodating and quick to serve throughout the meal, but our presence as the sole customers (for at least half our lunch) was probably the reason for his attentiveness. He kept our green tea hot and water glasses filled. The manager stopped by our table to gauge our satisfaction with the meal and to thank us for dining with them. Our lunch bill was a very reasonable $25.00, considering we ordered three appetizers, an extra soup, and one sashimi lunch which could easily have been a sashimi dinner. (I admit, I was hungry!) As we left Fumio, the manager called after us, “Hope to see you next week!” and I replied, “Yes, you just might!”
Fumio serves dinner as well, with the chef specialties ranging from $10.95 for the vegetarian “Japanese Green” to $27.95 for the “Japanese Surf & Turf.” Some entrees include:
Grand Marnier Jumbo Shrimp, $16.95
Crispy jumbo shrimp placed around sautéed vegetables and soba noodles with Japanese mayonnaise and sweet Grand Marnier sauce.
Seared Tuna, $16.95
Grilled sushi grade tuna steak served with sauteed sweet green onion, fresh mushroom, and broccoli, placed on Chinese mei fun noodles and topped with homemade wasabi sauce.
Seafood Tempura, $20.95
Fried chunks of lobster meat, Alaskan king crab, jumbo shrimp, and sea scallops served with fresh vegetables.
Baby Rib Lamb Chops, $17.95
Marinated baby lamb chops coated in thin breading surrounded with fresh vegetables and udon noodles, topped with a Japanese black mushroom sauce.
Fumio also serves a moderate range of sushi, sashimi, and maki (sushi rolls). While the roll menu is not extensive, I get the impression that their courteous staff will gladly honor requests. Several specials are available daily.
Those who appreciate the attractive presentation of Japanese cuisine will not be disappointed with Fumio’s artistic garnishes. And Fumio’s small, intimate establishment is perfect for a romantic evening or a special gathering with close friends. Speaking of friends, tell one, tell all—-please! So we can keep this wonderful place in business! Fumio is hard to find but oh so worth the effort.
Fumio
Japanese and Asian Cuisine
21 E. Northfield Ave. (near corner of Livingston Ave.)
Livingston, NJ 07039
(973) 740-8585
Hours
Mon-Thurs: 11:30am – 10:30pm
Fri & Sat: 11:30am – 11:00pm
Sun: 12:00pm – 10:30pm
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Epinions.com ID:
tara_dawn
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Location: Somerset County, NJ, USA
Reviews written: 13
Trusted by: 4 members
About Me:
Just returned home from USFSA Adult Nationals, 4/8/02. I will actively return to Epinions soon!
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