Since opening in July 2012, the owner of Fuji Sushi & Hibachi Steakhouse has made it her mission to introduce Muncie to Japanese-style food.
“When everyone hears sushi, they are like, ‘Oh, no, I don’t like raw fish,’” owner Abbie Chen said. “That is the first thing they will say. But actually, sushi is not only raw fish. Sushi is kind of like an appetizer, bite size of not only [raw] meat, but cooked fish or vegetables or other things.”
Chen said she focuses on having high quality fish for sushi rolls to keep food fresh.
Sophomore architecture major Christine Mitchell said she usually doesn’t like raw fish, but Fuji’s sushi surprised her.
“The food was delicious,” Mitchell said. “I tried my friend’s [sushi] and even that was good.”
Chen said she and her husband had the idea for Fuji when they lived in New York, where there were many different kinds of restaurants, including Japanese-style.
After moving to Muncie, she said they noticed the town didn’t have a lot of sushi or hibachi places, and no place with both options.
“[Japanese style restaurants] are pretty successful [in New York], but not all states have this kind of restaurant,” Chen said. “It is still pretty new for small towns. The cities like Muncie, I hope that it would surprise them to have this kind of restaurant because I hope to be successful, too.”
Chen said so far the restaurant has seen success, with its busiest times being Friday through Sunday 6 to 9 p.m. She said she is grateful to the regular customers who have helped with the restaurant’s develop.
“We do have many regular customers,” Chen said. “I am so appreciative. I am so glad they like it here. We just want to try to do the best to try to keep them here, to surprise them with new food.”
The most popular items on the menu are the sushi rolls and hibachi chicken, Chen said. She said they offer both so they can appeal to a wider audience and allow them to eat two different kinds of foods in one sitting.
The restaurant also offers two atmospheres. Chen said the hibachi bar is more upbeat seating, while the booth area is a quieter space.
Mitchell went to Fuji for the first time March 23 for a girl’s night out.
“It was fancier and more upscale than I had expected from the outside,” Mitchell said. “ Plus it wasn’t too noisy even on a weekend, which was super nice. All in all, no complaints.”
