Kansai in Clarksville* looks like a run-of-the-mill strip mall Japanese restaurant. On the outside, it is totally unassuming. However, when you enter the front doors, the warm orange wall paint is a precursor to the deep, rich flavor of sushi that awaits you.
The Experience
Kansai is a treasure mashed together in the urban sprawl that has become Veterans Parkway in Clarksville, Indiana. However, once you make it into the establishment, dark cherry wood and the warm orange wall color sets the tone for an intimate, relaxing meal. And, with a lack of windows and a strategically placed half-wall, within minutes a guest will forget the calamity of the outside world and find it more than easy to focus on the pleasurable surroundings and fully complex menu of offerings.
Hibachi tables are isolated to one side of the spacious dining area, while the other side is strictly table seating. In the back of the open room, a colorful sushi bar stretches one-half the length of the restaurant, and the elevated floor behind the bar allows the diner to watch the sushi masters work at perfecting sumptuous, artfully considered, delicate sushi arrangements.
The Food
Guests are presented with a paper sushi menu and pencil, as well as a standard menu of other offerings that include chicken dishes, soups, and rice, as well as other hibachi-inspired meals. The sushi menu is impressive with well over 30 choices of cooked and raw fair, as well as sashimi, Nigiri, roe preparations, and several other combinations of rolls and per-piece parings.
Sushi prices range from $5 and $15, with traditional menu items ranging from $5 for some appetizers to $20 and above, depending on how complex the dish is or the grade of the cut of meat. Hibachi service can be ordered from a standard dining table for those who do not enjoy eating with strangers during their meal.
The Service
The wait staff at Kansai is pleasant and knowledgeable about menu items. However, a language barrier sometimes exists beyond simple food service questions. Some of the wait staff use queue cards to help in their tableside ordering interactions, while other servers are rather fluent and are happy to help when those who speak less than perfect English need assistance in answering a patron's question.
Review
Truly good sushi is hard to find. There are several places in the Kentuckiana area to get so-so sushi. However, when one finds a place that serves even above-average sushi, it is to be coveted, especially if sushi is your thing. Kansai provides the Southern Indiana equivalent of Raw Sushi Lounge on 4th Street in Louisville. The flavors are deep and complex, the presentation is beautifully arranged, and the quality of the ingredients as a whole is top shelf. I have eaten at Kansai three times in the past 2 months and all I have to say is that each experience is different, but equally satisfying.
Both miso soup and a simple salad with ginger dressing are standard starters at any Japanese restaurant. Kansai's versions are unremarkable, but easily ready the palate for the main course to follow. The Boston Roll is a standout favorite, mixing what seems to e three different kinds of raw sushi into one very large roll.
Any roll made with soft shell crab at Kansai is worth ordering. This type of roll is served warm with a light sauce. For the adventurous, two generous pieces of salmon roe are poured into a thick round of seaweed and taste both salty and slightly sweet. Finally, for those who balk at eating raw fish, Kansai has several cooked tuna rolls that can help ease you into maybe trying the alternative variety some day.
Recommendations
- Miso Soup
- Boston Roll
- California Cream Roll
- Yum Yum Roll
Pros
- Rivals Louisville's best sushi restaurant
- Atmosphere adds to the ability to focus on food flavors by limiting distractions
- Extensive menu
Cons
- Price -- Although it is worth the splurge, 2 people can easily run up a $50 bill.
- Location -- Veterans Parkways is one of the more difficult areas to navigate in Clarksville, and the location of Kansai's building does not help matters. I recommend visiting the restaurant during the week for this reason.
*Kansai is located at 1370 Veterans Parkway in Clarksville, Indiana. At the time of this review, the restaurant did not have a website. Contact the restaurant by phone at (812) 218-9238 with questions.
