SuZu Restaurant

*CLOSING END OF SEPTEMBER 2014* was what the waiter told us… so sad! We are from Boston and have been to many 4 – 5 star restaurants. This restaurant was right on par with what we’ve had in Boston. Had the Caesar salad, and half chicken. Others had the salmon, the top sirloin, sea bass. All cooked to perfection, sides complimented well. Dessert of mango crème brûlée was outstanding. Churros were excellent as well. Hopefully the chef will land somewhere else so EP can continue to enjoy his great creations!

Great new approach to fusion Mexican and Asian! We enjoyed our meal and the waiter was very professional during dinner. He gave us our space but very friendly and attentive.

Great ambience. Read a lot about the place, kind of a hidden gem in a strip mall. If you’re not looking for it you won’t find it. There were only a few people in the restaurant on a Saturday night but we wanted to try it anyway.
While ordering they gave us some tacos to try which was a pleasant surprise! We ordered a salad, and salmon and catfish for entrees. Everything was very delicious!
I was also excited about them having Hendricks gin. I was recently introduced to this gin and I requested it with cucumber. The waiter and the manager thought I made a mistake about the cucumber but they read the bottle and saw it was recommended that way. They were very friendly and promised me they would try it sometime so I hope the next time I go in they’ll be able to relate to this wonderful drink!
I’ll be returning again! Great staff, great food, great ambience!

Live jazz on the weekends. The dinner service was good, the food was very good, but the drinks were even better. GREAT bartender.
It’s an upscale ambience, so nix the casual wear. Pricey by El Paso standards, so come prepared. It’s easy to drop $ 80 per person dining here. The restaurant was surprisingly kid friendly, if you have well behaved, worldly kids… they’ll be fine here.

Great food, great atmosphere. I usually try to find some pros and cons to places I go, but i can’t find a con here. My wife and I went for our anniversary we had the ribeye, which were cooked perfectly.

What can I say? The food is amazing. The ambiance sleek sophisticated and romantic. The update menus kitschy and cool. Best part it’s a great date night place. Can’t wait to head back. Had the lamb chops OMG so tender and juicy.

Bookmarked for awhile, I conned my in-​laws into treating my husband and I for dinner at SuZu the night before he was to run the El Paso Marathon this weekend. I figured we could get our fill of carbs and protein with a unique twist.
The restaurant itself is very nicely decorated, with a cool ambiance (including iPad menus, wine bottles underneath clear lit floors, a lit bar). The one thing that intrigued me was that no women work here — the entire staff is male. My husband and I got hot green tea (mighty leaf!) with our own little extra hot water carafes, a nice touch. I am someone who likes to try lots of appetizers rather than entrees at restaurants, so for the table we ended up getting 5 apps and then Eric R. and his parents got entrees. I just ate off of everyone else :)
The apps:
1. Hamachi tartare with quail egg yolk, avocado slices, kaiware sprouts, and wonton crisps: the hamachi was not the best — it was the dark sliver of fish that is usually discarded for sushi preparation, so it was tough, chewy, and not very delicate, pink, or raw tasting. The least favorite of the night.
2. Salmon tartare — on the menu this was advertised as served with yuzu-​orange vinaigrette and sriracha with salmon skin. It came without salmon skin but with more wonton crisps. My mother-​in-​law loved it. I like anything with yuzu so the flavor was there but I think the salmon may have sat in the citrus too long and was too much like ceviche in texture compared to tartare. We still enjoyed it, but had to ask for the salmon skin when we saw it was missing (there was a picture on the iPad menu for comparison, and the server told us the ingredients change at the chef’s discretion which is annoying) — eventually after we ate most of the apps, a small bowl of non-​greasy salmon skin was brought to the table which was nice of the chef, and I got to eat it.
3. Shrimp al pastor tacos — cute little tortillas with a huge marinated shrimp and a sliver of pineapple — 5 in the order and very tasty. My husband had 2 of these. This was the closest to Mexican of anything we ordered… otherwise everything leaned toward Asian.
4. Lamb dumplings — these were my favorite of the night. Pan-​fried skinny dumplings stuffed with lamb, cumin… more of a curry Asian flavor than the other dishes. I had 2 of these.
5. Duck confit steamed buns — instead of the traditional foldover buns, these were bun sandwiches so to speak. They were served in a double layer bamboo steamer, 4 per order. Great presentation! The buns had duck, picked cucumber, carrot, and a slice of jalapeño. I gave one to my husband but otherwise had the rest to myself!
The serveware was really cool — dark flat blank slate-​like plates. The entrees included scallops for my m-​i-​l (delicious), a ribeye with shiitakes and bok choy for my f-​i-​l (so flavorful, recommended by the server), and the duck mole with fried rice and runny fried egg for Eric R. Everyone was happy with the food and we left stuffed and satisfied. This is very unique for the palate and worth it for a nice date for celebration!

A lot of times people assume I’ve eaten at every single restaurant in El Paso, had a drink at every bar, and shopped at every store. I may have been quite a few places, but there are so many options here, I don’t think I’ve even seen a ¼ of what EP has to offer (and I’ve lived here on and off for a total of about 10ish years). Whenever possibly, I try not to go into a place blind so I check Unilocal regularly. I read a bunch of reviews, look at a large amount of pictures and go through as many tips as I can find. This gives me a heads up when places do something different like having the menu on an iPad or making you place your order before being seated. No surprises… that way the outing has a fair chance of being enjoyable.
So in we go for a late lunch. Let’s say, hypothetically, there wasn’t any seating available inside, the outdoor seating is pretty nice too and there are a couple of outdoor heaters so even on a kinda cold night you can still take a seat outside. The only thing is the outdoor seating is in front of SuZu in the shopping center… not a great view of anything, but it’s not always about having a view, people. Back to the story. In my small party of two goes and we’re immediately greeted by a host/​waiter and seated near the windows. He took our drink orders and gave us a few minutes with the iPad menus (which yes, is just taken directly from their website, but I’m not really mad at it). I scrolled through the menu and a couple things jumped out at me and I love that you can actually see a picture of everything before you order it. I settled on the Apple & Fig Salad with Blackened Salmon and my dining companion chose the Oink Oink with the Macaroni & Cheese.
I can’t say for sure how long the wait for the food was, but it seemed acceptable considering the fact that everything was being made fresh. I will say I did have about 3 glasses of Iced Tea before the food came, but that might be on the account of me being extremely thirsty and there being way too much ice in the iced tea. They server the water and the iced tea in a copper bottle? (for lack of better word) and I think they need to reconsider the amount of ice they put in it because the waiter, who seemed experienced, actually spilled iced tea on the table because of the ridiculous amount of ice trying to escape.
Miniscule disaster aside, I loved the food. The salad was balanced and the salmon was cooked perfectly. I stole a few bites of the macaroni which had red chili flakes on it (similar to what’s used in kimchee). A different flavor, but I liked it. And I loved the cheese sauce it was in. During my Asian-​Mexican feast, my cup runeth low. It did take the waiter a while before it was refilled, but it eventually happened. I should’ve asked for no ice though. I was only able to take a quick bite of the Oink Oink. Bacon and pork belly on a pattie… best burger I’ve taken a bite of in El Paso.
We finished our plates and asked for the bill. The price is acceptable considering the quality of food you get and the portion. Make a trip or two, you won’t be sorry.

This restaurant is wonderful! It has amazing food, great ambience and outstanding service. This is exactly what El Paso was lacking. I went there with my family and tried different things. Everything we ordered was very good but my favorite was the Striped bass. The lobster tacos were also delicious and the Panna Cotta was awesome. I definitely recommend this place.

Been here twice — food and service both times have been excellent — bartenders friendly and lively. Steaks are worth the price, and both times excellently cooked to proper temperature! Some appetizers are small, but very good tasting. Overall, we will be back weekly

I had heard about SuZu from other hotel patrons while in El Paso, so taking the plunge I drove the 30 minutes (via Scenic Drive,) to try it out.
When I arrived there was only one other patron there. I found a modern take on Japanese décor that I enjoyed quite a bit. The outdoor seating area looked fun, despite it’s proximity to parking lot traffic, but I didn’t get to try it because the sun was a bit warm for my pale Oregon skin.
The menu is on an iPad. Very cool, very trendy. Problem is that it was a bit hard to navigate at first. Working with UI designers before I would have set it up slightly differently. Especially since the menu was just the mobile version of their website.
Pork belly steam buns — tasty, pork belly was reminiscent of tuna in texture. The jalapeños added just enough spice to take these from mediocre to great.
Ceviche tostadas. Good, but missing a little something that I can’t quite put my finger on. The soy sauce should have been more equally applied across everything instead of the middle. Otherwise the crevice itself was in the OK range — but only compared to fresh versions.
Ham pizza, fairly decent but if you’re not used stone ground mustard it could be overwhelming. The muatard tends to over power the other ingredients.
Elegant yet comfortable atmosphere that subtlety promises good food and service. Both of which were delivered satisfactorily. Definitely will be back next time I am in town.

Amazing atmosphere. The food was delicious. Cocktails were perfect. Waiter was attentive. The only thing we didn’t like were the iPad menus. Maybe we’re just weird. Altogether great place and wonderful for dates!

The Oink Oink Burger is without doubt THE best burger I have had this year… and being a restaurant consultant, I eat a lot of burgers. The food is creative and well flavored. This would be a great restaurant in LA, it is an exceptional dining experience in El Paso!

One of the nicest restaurants in El Paso. The setting is nice, the food is great, and the service is great. Really loved the rack of lamb and tomahawk pork chop. Two things hold me back from rating five stars. I haven’t come close to trying everything on the menu, but a couple dishes really didn’t impress me. The hamachi pizza and blackened tuna salad both offered nothing I would like again. Also, I believe the appetizers are a bit too small, quite a few are barely a couple bites.

After spending the afternoon at the blacksmith demostration at the El Paso Museum of History, we decided to go to SuZu for dinner. Very nice upscale atmosphere with service that is superb. We started our dinner with a appetizer of Lobster Tacos — Delicious. Then we shared a Citrus Rice Salad which was very good. For our entrees, My wife had the scallops with potato croquettes and I had the duck mole with rice and a fried egg. Both of the entrees were excellent. If their prices were not a issue, would definitely return.

Suzu is a really cool concept — Asian-​Mexican fusion. They have really created a really cool looking interior inside this otherwise nonchalant strip mall.
The service was very good. The manager followed up with bus several times to ensure we were satisfied. I would say he was almost a little too much, as its nice not to be interrupted every 5 minutes during dinner.
We tried several dishes. Our favorites were the pork belly steamed buns and the scallop entrée. The lobster tacos were also very good but they are bite-​sized tacos. The calamari and lamb dumplings were decent. The cactus ravioli wasn’t good — reminded me of a frozen burrito taste. The pana cotta dessert was really tasty and an awesome touch with the flavored smoke coming under the dish.
This place has a really cool vibe and is a great date night or business dinner joint. It’s too pricey for anything else. I think they still need to expand and work on their menu. Great ideas, great presentation, but the flavors aren’t all there yet. Looking forward to trying it again during a special occasion to see what’s new!

The atmosphere in this place was pretty cool. I sat outside to enjoy the breeze and ordered the KJ Brand Reserve merlot which was a very delicious and robust wine. For the appetizer ordered the Hamachi Tartar which was pretty darn good. They used the right amount of acidity and the crackers that accompanied it gave it a nice little crunch. The fish tasted fresh and the glimpses of sweetness they drizzled on the plate gave it a nice touch.
For an entrée I got the Duck Mole. The duck was perfectly perfectly I mean perfectly cooked. The flavors of the duck and mole worked together with the rice and friend quail egg. Great dish SUZU!
I noticed that someone had posted a picture of the Lobster Tacos so I ordered them too and they where tiny and delicious. It was the right amount of lobster I needed after that meal. I recommend everyone get Lobster Tacos, just watch out for the accompanying red sauce, talk about SPICYYYY. Overall my experience here was great.

I’ve been anxious to try the recently opened Asian/​Mexican fusion restaurant «Suzu,» which after poking my head inside and perusing their menu, I decided could potentially be our new date night spot. Alex and I finally had a chance to go last Friday night and, well, «Suzu,» you really, really let us down. Yes, you’re décor is refined and menu intriguing, but let me make it clear — you blew it. Even with a reservation and open tables in sight, we waited almost 30 minutes to be seated. I tried to order a glass of wine to pass the time but my first 6 selections were «out of stock.» The manager came by once to update us on the wait, but called us «fellas» (gee, thanks alot!) and said our table would be ready in «less than one second» (we waited 15 more minutes). Once finally seated, we viewed the electronic menu on an iPad, which was a snazzy feature, but failed to offer much redemption. We then waited almost 40 minutes for our blackened tuna salad starter (we actually watched a confused bus boy wander lost for 5 minutes carrying the salad around aimlessly before passing it off to our waitress who then toted it along while she finalized other guests’ tabs for another 5). It took two requests to get a glass of water which came lukewarm and sans ice, and another request to get a straw 10 minutes later. Our entrees finally arrived more than 90 minutes into the meal, but were so aggressively salted they bordered inedible. For $ 23 I got a mere 4 scallops served with nothing but a face-​puckeringly salty Chilpachole type sauce. The menu advertised the dish coming with «Uni» and «Nori» but there was nothing even closely resembling either on the plate. Alex tackled a sizable hunk of poorly prepared Kurobuta pork belly that was more like a large salty block of spongy raw bacon rather than the crispy slabs of porky richness we had envisioned. We washed our dinners down with the warm water, laughed about how our waitress kept calling Alex «ma’am,» and called it a night. Well, «Suzu,» I’ll leave you with this — you’re pretty — but that surface deep beauty only temporarily masks your painful customer service and disappointing fare… no more date nights for you.
FOR COMPLETE BLOG POST ON SUZU VISIT:

Updating and upgrading this place based on the tuna tostadas… they were amazing. Warm, crunchy, with the right amount of avocado, beans and sauce. Tuna was seared to perfection on the outside. Amazing flavor combinations, and now I can’t wait to go back for dinner and drinks. The salmon salad continues to be delicious with an unusual combination of dried and fresh fruit, plus a lemon vinaigrette dressing. The bar is nice and swanky looking, and the waiter said they are getting packed in the weekends, so make a reservation!

Great food !! They use iPad for your menu ! Great service as well. Lobster Tacos !