Uncle Sang Sushi & Kitchen — Restaurant in Solon

I have never been here before, but after seeing all the amazing photos of the food and restaurant on Facebook, we had to give it a try, and wow!! I don’t think I’ve ever had such amazing sushi in the entire state of Iowa (I’ve been to at least two dozen spots scattered across the state), and our server (“Sabrina” written on the check but she introduced herself to us as “Bri”) made some incredible recommendations and was so welcoming. Nothing beats a smiling face and humorous personality. She was so down to earth and took the time to explain the different parts of the menu despite the fact that she must’ve been juggling like five other tables.

Bri recommended a fresh sea urchin special fresh from Japan and some unique specialty rolls. I have never had sea urchin before and now I am so sad it’s not on their permanent menu because yum!!

I highly recommend the Matsuzaka and Uncle Sang specialty rolls. They were our favorite out of the four we tried. The raw nigiri was all fresh-tasting and not “fishy” at all. My husband’s pho was sooooo flavorful, and I normally hate soup. They have a thorough beer, wine, sake, and cocktail list. Prices were really reasonable, especially given the quality and service. Everyone was very friendly and even the sushi chefs said bye and thank you on our way out.

It was completely packed on a Saturday night, and now I see why. I can’t think of anything negative other than a bit of a wait on the sushi because they were so busy. We’ll have to stop back in on a Monday for the Happy Hour sushi deals! Thank you Uncle Sang (whoever you are) and Bri! You don’t see service and food like this...

Two stars right off the bat for opening a pan-Asian place in Solon. Sorely needed! But maybe they bit off more than they could chew? I took my Vietnamese mom here for dinner last week: pho ga & bo luc lac, plus agedashi tofu & a couple tamago nigiri to round things off. The tofu was fine, though drowned in a soy broth much heavier than expected. The pho broth was spot on, steaming hot & the chicken slices tender & well-seasoned. The beef dish however, came out lukewarm and, perhaps most unforgivable for we Asians, the rice was also barely warm and getting dry. ☹️ Kitchen timing needs work, but please keep trying!

Update - went back for sushi/bento lunch. Atmosphere was much more chill, with only one man working (the owner?). My partner got a chicken bento that was nicely done. I got some nigiri - fish was fresh & rice was well-seasoned. I ordered hirame, but they were out & recommended a kanpachi that turned out very tasty! One more...

This is the newest, and probably the best sushi restaurant in the Iowa City/Solon/North Liberty area. We find ourselves driving past all the other sushi places just to come here. The people who run it have many years of culinary experience and it shows. The food is delicious and beautifully presented. Emmett (the man in the picture) is their manager/bartender and he can make you an awesome smoky old fashioned or just about anything else. He can also give you some great food recommendations if you are new to sushi and aren't sure what to get. They also have several big tables that can seat 8-10 for group events. Besides sushi, they also have pho soup, poke bowls, and warm foods such as teriyaki, etc. Whether it's raw fish or cooked classics, there's something for everyone here. Pictured is the sushi/unagi boat with a smoky old fashioned and chicken teriyaki meal with...