Not Hip Enough for Fune Sushi

Bert Weiss of Q100 fame recently listed Fune Sushi as one of the best things about living in Atlanta. Bert Weiss also didn’t think a free promotion to Six Flags during Spring Break would be too popular. Maybe the pollen has gotten to his senses. To get right to it, Fune Sushi should be avoided by anyone over the age of 30.

Fune Sushi, located in the Spire building in Midtown is following the all-too-popular theme of nightclub/sushi bar. Club music beats on and on in this place, where neon lights constantly rotate on the arching walls and ceiling. The sushi bar sits in the middle, with two conveyor belts rotating around the chairs and tables that surround the bar. Let’s talk about the conveyor belt for a minute. I’ve seen several of these kinds of places in LA, and the places that have them are more about the gimmick than good sushi. Unlike those places though, at Fune, only rolls are served on the conveyor belt. From our vantage point, it was impossible to tell what kinds of rolls they were and you had no idea how long they had been on the belt. So, since you had to do the majority of your ordering from the waiter anyway, the belt seemed completely useless. I didn’t really see anyone adventurous enough to take anything off of it.

Speaking of the waiter, ours was so bad, it was somewhat comical. He ignored us for at least the first 15 minutes, with the exception to ask if we were still waiting on people. He brings the sushi out without plates. And he forgets part of the sushi order. Then there is the thing about the table décor. Each place setting has a small dish, about the same size as a wasabi dish, with a white tablet in it. I was about to pour soy sauce in it, but figured I would first ask why the wasabi was white. The waiter says, “Hold on a minute and I’ll show you what that is.” He comes back with a pitcher of water, pours it in the dish, and low and behold, the white tablet begins to rise and turns into a hot towel. I can’t make this stuff up. WHY NOT JUST GIVE ME A HOT TOWEL AND BE DONE WITH IT??? He did bring us free shots, so I’ll give him some props for that.

As for food, there were actually a couple of winners here. The Hamachi was outstanding, and the Kamekaze Roll with spicy hamachi was a great call. The salmon nigiri was very smooth, although cut a little too big. The maguro, unagi, tai and spicy tuna rolls were good, although not spectacular. The prices are fairly standard for sushi bars these days- $5 for two pieces of nigiri, $10-$12 for specialty rolls.

Someone suggested I’m just not hip enough for the place, and I’m not going to deny it. The bar area was buzzing when we left, so maybe it’ll become more nightclub than sushi bar, and for those looking for that kind of scene, I suppose it will suffice. But to call this one of the best things about Atlanta? Hardly.

Steakhead Recommends: No
Cost : $$-$$$