Mystery Diner in Mokena: Zuki serves up delicious sushi at a reasonable price

Whenever somebody suggests going out for sushi, you can pretty much count on the Mystery Diner to come along.

I’m a big fan of sushi, but the one drawback with sushi is it’s generally pretty expensive, at least for the amount of food you get for your money. And it’s not exactly filling. So when you have an appetite like the Mystery Diner’s, which, not surprisingly, is substantial, you’re faced with somewhat of a dilemma.

The Mystery Diner usually would solve the problem by popping into the White Castle drive-thru on his way home from whatever sushi restaurant he had just dined at to fill up on sliders and fries, which is a much more economical, if not particularly refined, way to stave off hunger.

When a favorite, go-to Japanese eatery closed because of restrictions placed on indoor dining due to the coronavirus pandemic, all of a sudden, I was faced with seeking out a new place to find sushi without going broke in the process.

My search took me to the farthest reaches of Mokena, where we discovered Zuki Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi.

Choosing to forego the steak, Mrs. Mystery Diner and I decided to stick with the sushi. We ordered seven rolls – the rainbow, the Mokena white, Alaska, spicy yellow tail, dynamite, fresh salmon and unagi – and two pieces of spicy salmon nigiri sushi. The whole thing came in at under $50 ($48.59 including tax), and would be enough food to satisfy the two of us.

If your fellow diners aren’t sushi fans, Zuki’s extensive menu also has a tempting array of dishes, from grilled salmon prepared Japanese style with teriyaki sauce to shrimp and vegetable dumplings, noodle dishes, soups and salads.

Also featured are hibachi meals cooked over the special grill, ranging from lobster to filet mignon.

We scheduled a pickup time, and our food was waiting for me when I got there at the appointed hour.

After I got home, we got the assorted dishes set up for photos and then happily settled down to the business of eating.

Mrs. Mystery Diner and I agreed that Zuki really delivered. My favorite was the rainbow roll. The Mrs. was partial to the spicy salmon, but we both enjoyed all of it.

To be fair, I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad experience dining on sushi, except for one time when I grabbed it at a supermarket. But even stacked against other favorable options, Zuki still gets two thumbs up from us. And I never even felt like going to White Castle for an after-dinner dinner.

• The Mystery Diner is an employee at Shaw Media. The diner’s identity is not revealed to restaurant staff when ordering or picking up the food. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a story.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Zuki Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi

WHERE: 11230 Lincoln Highway, Mokena

PHONE: 815-806-1888

INFORMATION: www.zukijapanese.com