Departing West and Venturing East:
Shoki

By Veronique Fessard

Upon my first glance at Shoki, I immediately noticed its Japanese-style rock garden-the only such garden at a restaurant in town. Upon entering the restaurant, I was instantly transported by the serenity of its interior. Although its Asian owner, Sok P. Kim, is not Japanese himself, he has nonetheless clearly embraced Japanese style and culture, with which he has adorned his restaurant. 

Sok P. Kim has had many years of experience supervising different types of restaurants. Though Kim has worked in the restaurant business since the 1980s, when he lived in New York, it was not until he moved to Georgia in the ‘90s that he began working in the Japanese restaurant industry. Since then, he has been extensively involved in setting up three new Japanese restaurants, including the Shoki Japanese Steakhouse in Athens, Georgia, and this Macon establishment located off of Riverside drive, in June of 2003.

Shoki’s head chef, Israel Choi, has fifteen years of experience under his belt as a hibachi and sushi chef. Like the rest of the management staff, he works hard to offer the finest Japanese cuisine experience to patrons. Part of making customers happy lies not only in the quality of the food and service; when diners choose to eat at the hibachi table, entertainment becomes a large part of the presentation. You will find that hibachi chefs at Shoki are not only highly skilled with the knife and spatula, and can perform amazing tricks with food, but they also tell jokes—talking with the patrons to add to their dining pleasure.

Kim has done wonders with the interior of the former Shoney’s building. In fact, not only do you forget it was once home to the Big Boy, you might forget what country you are in, as the restaurant’s décor is influenced by Japanese sensibilities. In the main dining room, delicate black-and white paneled paper screens are used in lieu of windows. Large, black-lacquered wood beams cross over the ceiling’s big, square, black and white panels. The pale, golden-hued tables and wainscoting create a clean decor. A painting of a Japanese woman, demurely peeking beyond the sleeve of her kimono, adorns one wall. Another open-air wall allows for a view of the sushi bar. The restaurant is home to several hibachi tables, and at the entrance to one of the hibachi rooms, there are some impressively large Bonsai trees, each more than five feet tall. 

Upon entering the restaurant, patrons are presented with a choice of where to eat. If you want hibachi-prepared food, you will choose one of the hibachi rooms. Otherwise, you have the option of the sushi bar or the main dining room. If it is privacy you are after, you would be happiest in the dining room, where a kimono-clad waitress will serve you, and you will not be seated right next to total strangers like at the bar or hibachi.

Shoki’s menu offers an extensive selection of appetizers, salads, vegetables, and entrees. Traditional dishes like Yakatori and Tempura make for great appetizers, even though they are not listed under the appetizer section. I ordered Edamame, which I must confess I’m addicted to. Perhaps it’s akin to eating potato chip after potato chip, coupled with the knowledge that, healthwise, it’s nothing like the potato chip. Edamame are steamed green soybeans that have been lightly sprinkled with salt. You just pop bean after bean out of its pod for a nutritious treat. 

For my second appetizer, I ordered Shrimp Tempura, which consisted of three large shrimp and an assortment of vegetables in crisp batter with tempura sauce (a slightly sweetened soy-based sauce). Tempura is always a great way to go for the less adventurous, as I’ve never encountered anyone who didn’t adore both its texture and taste. 

For my entrée, I opted for a selection of both sushi and sashimi. I ordered my sashimi by the piece and my sushi by the roll, but the restaurant also offers several specials, in which you choose the quantity, and the chef chooses what he will prepare. I loved the fresh, crisp, and delicate flavors and texture of my Yellow Tail, White Tuna, and Salmon Sashimi. 

I’m a firm believer in the adage "don’t knock it till you try it," but if you’re not into eating raw things, sushi can still be a good way to go. Sushi, needless to say, is not defined by being raw, but rather by the special process involved in preparing the vinegared rice. 

I am a crab lover and ordered two different types of rolls with crab. I ordered the Spider Roll, a sushi made up of deep-fried, soft-shell crab, mayo crabmeat, avocado, cucumber, radish sprout, and masago (caviar). For my second roll, I ordered the Spicy Crab Salad Roll. This is a highly-palatable sushi, and I suspect it was created with the American in mind. It consists of crab salad, avocado, cucumber, masago, and spicy mayo sauce, and it is, of course, rolled in rice. Sushi always looks like a work of art to me, but the restaurant’s vegetable flowers added that extra special touch to the conclusion of this delicious meal.

The available menu’s entrees offer a wide variety of other options, including Teriyaki, Noodles, Katsu, and Bento dishes—none of which I have had an opportunity to try. The hibachi-prepared entrees also make an excellent choice and can please seafood, beef, and chicken lovers with its tastily-grilled and stunningly-prepared selections.

If you have never tried Japanese food, I highly recommend Shoki’s as a place to start, as its authentic Japanese atmosphere and food is sure to please even the most delicate of palates.