Dao Sushi, which opened in Deerfield five months ago, casts a wider net than more traditional sushi restaurants. It will appeal to the sushi snob with its offerings of Japanese-style delicacies. It will also appeal to the more casual sushi lover with Western-style selections. And for those who don’t care for sushi at all, there are classic Oriental entrees such as Mongolian beef and various incarnations of fried rice.
“Dao,” notes General Manager Vladica Zdravkovic, is a word that connotes a balance or harmony between oneself and nature, yin and yang. Dao Sushi, located in Deerfield Square in the space formerly occupied by Wildfish, is a balance of the traditional (as embodied by an impressive Buddha statue that greets diners upon entry) and modern (TVs in the bar area and contemporary music).
Between the main and private dining rooms and sushi bar, the restaurant seats up to 150 people. The interior has been redesigned and remodeled. “It’s a nice environment,” Zdravkovic said, “an easy-going atmosphere, cozy, and great food.”
The difference between Japanese and Western-style sushi, Zdravkovic says, is in part a matter of ingredients. Japanese-style sushi is simpler with smaller bites, usually with just fish or a veggie and rice. The western-style has more ingredients.
Dao Sushi brings a style all its own. In making itself at home on the North Shore and Chicago, the chefs have created signature rolls named after the local sports teams. The Cubs roll is tuna avocado wrapped in soy paper, seared salmon, jalapenos, and ikura on the top, with wasabi mayo ($15).
The Chicago roll is a spicy scallop and avocado on the inside with salmon, tobiko and scallion on the top ($15). And of course, there is the Deerfield roll, which is tuna, salmon, and cucumber wrapped in soy paper with yellow tail and crab stick on the top ($15).
(To add even more local flavor, the restaurant has been featuring live music by local musicians on Friday nights).
Another item one might be hard-pressed to find in other sushi restaurants is a seaweed salad ($5), not to mention a full bar that features international award-winning Japanese whiskeys. “We are proud to have them,” Zdravkovic said.
This is the fourth Dao Sushi location and the first on the North Shore. The other restaurants are in Burr Ridge, Oakbrook Terrace and Orland Park. Why Deerfield? “The location is perfect for this kind of food,” Zdravkovic said. “(The North Shore) is family-oriented and we are promoting healthy food. All of our fish is fresh and cut daily by our chefs. And there are plenty of companies and headquarters based here that we can accommodate with business lunches, dinners, and private functions.”
Pricing: Sushi appetizers from $4 for an oyster shooter to a half dozen fresh oysters for $18. Kitchen appetizers include chicken egg roll for $5, king crab rangoon for $8 and fried calamari for $10. Soup from $2 for miso soup to $5 for hot and sour soup. Salads from $3 for a house salad to $13 for the ahi tuna salad. Nigiri and Sashimi (two pieces per order) from $4 for tai (red snapper) to $14 for Toro. Traditional maki include avocado and cucumber rolls for $4 each to the dragon roll (shrimp tempura inside, eel and avocado on the top) for $14. Beef and seafood entrees are $14 and $16, respectively. Curry entrees range from $12 to $16. Lunch specials including a tempura mix, General Tso’s Chicken and Mongolian Beef are $10 each. A kid’s menu ($10) serves up “Radical Rice” and “Oodles of Noodles.”
Hours: Lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday-Friday. Dinner: 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Friday; noon-10:30 p.m., Saturday; noon-9 p.m., Sunday.
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Dao’s Sushi is at 730 Waukegan Road, Deerfield. Call 224-515-8366 or go to www.daodeerfield.com
Donald Liebenson is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.