Little Rock, at least for the moment, is swimming in a sea of solid, no-frills sushi restaurants. Sky Modern Japanese, located in the Pleasant Ridge Town Center, deserves to be mentioned alongside some of our other
The inside of the restaurant is modern and clean, with high ceilings and glossy concrete floors. The music is turned very low. A few booths dot the walls, but there’s little else in the way of privacy. We opted for the patio, a great choice
You can do a lot worse than the Sky Peartini ($9), a mix of ginger liqueur, pear vodka and lime juice. It comes in an electric blue glass and zaps the palate with a warming fruity buzz. It was a nice pairing for the Seared Albacore Roll ($12). A roll of bright red spicy tuna, scallion, cilantro and avocado is topped with thin slices of seared and sesame-speckled albacore tuna. The overall effect is fresh and light. Sliced scallions add texture and a visual pop.
The Japanese eggplant is another great starter ($7.59). Sliced eggplant is sauteed with a honey sesame miso glaze and topped with a smattering of flash-fried microgreens. The eggplant was cooked until soft, the glaze was pasty, sticky and gave the dish a warm,
A note about ordering sushi. In
Take the Spicy Spider Roll ($14). It’s described on the menu as “Inside: tempura soft-shell crab, green onion,
If sushi isn’t your thing, try a hibachi dinner. We opted for chicken ($15.99). You can choose between soup or salad as a starter, and we recommend the ginger dressing if you order the salad. The tender white meat chicken was served with hibachi vegetables, three grilled shrimp, rice (we upgraded from steamed to fried for $3.29), and two dipping sauces.
In our experience, hibachi dinners are laden with soy sauce and oil. That’s not the case at Sky. In fact, all the components of the hibachi dinner were flavorful but not overly seasoned, including the sauteed vegetables — zucchini, carrots, onions and mushrooms. The ginger- and mustard-based dipping sauces are not an afterthought but lend flashes of
With its friendly service, a creative and user-friendly sushi menu, and generous portions, Sky has the potential to become your new go-to place for sushi.
Sky Modern Japanese
11525 Cantrell Road
224-4300
Skylittlerock.com
QUICK BITE
The Firecracker Roll ($12.50) is great, though a bit difficult to eat. It’s filled with spicy crab and avocado and topped with a cracker-sized piece of fried wonton, a slice of fresh tuna, mango salsa and a drizzle of hot sauce. Everything tastes spot on; it’s just a little more than a mouthful. It’s almost two dishes: the roll itself and the ceviche-like topping.
HOURS
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, to 9:30 p.m. Friday; 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, to 9 p.m. Sunday.
OTHER INFO
Full bar, CC accepted.