Ah, sushi. For some, it’s delicious. For others, it’s just raw fish. Ru San’s caters to both of those kinds of people. Ru San’s sells Japanese cuisine. Not just mediocre Japanese cuisine that you’d order as take out, either- but real good Japanese food. I mean, really good. It’s probably not genuine, authentic, 100%, but it’s probably as close to it as you’re going to find in this area. With so many choices of sushi, it can be dizzying. I’m partial to the spicy tuna rolls, myself- both because it’s only a dollar for three pieces and because they’re simple and familiar. I’ve seen sushi rolls at Ru San’s that made my head spin. I’m not adventurous enough to try many of them…
However, their non-sushi dishes are much more approachable. Ramen noodle soup (not the kind you get for 88 cents at Kroger, either), yakisoba, udon, miso… you name it, they’ve got it. They even have a kind of pesto pasta thing that’s a bit too weird for my humble tongue to describe. Japanese style noodles with pesto… That’s weird. Cool, but weird. On the other side of the spectrum are fried rice dishes- simple and familiar. So whatever your tastes, you will find something.
The atmosphere is generally dark and loud. Blaring hip-hop pipes through the speakers every night and most nights Ru San’s is packed. When the weather is nice, you can enjoy the outdoor seating, which is usually less crowded and doesn’t get any of the music, so there’s peace and comparative quiet for those who don’t like modern music. Located in the Beechwood shopping center at the end of Baxter St., Ru San’s is both easy to locate and next to a theater and lots of shopping. Parking might be a bit of a trouble, since the parking lot is shared by about six shops and the theater, but if you circle the lot a few times, you’ll find something.
Either way, Ru San’s is an affordable alternative to Chinese food, and I highly recommend it. Enjoy!
