Souzou, the contemporary Asian fusion concept entrepreneur-investor Patrick Marston and restaurateur Mike Harting are behind, announced its opening in St. Petersburg's Uptown neighborhood as Monday, June 22.
Adorned in black and silver, the interior of the 4,500-square-foot, 180-seat restaurant at 435 Fifth Ave. N. will showcase myriad fabrics, art and finishes. Patrons may drink and nosh at its 36-seat bar, which plans to offer craft cocktails, local brews and international wines, as CL reported last month. A lineup of sake will also be on hand.
While sushi chef Viet Vo will handle Souzou's signature sushi creations, the other eats — noodles and rice, hot plates and cold plates — include mashups of classic Asian fare with inventive and fresh ingredients. Dishes like fish yakitori, sticky meatballs and coconut ginger chicken will be featured.
"I have always had an affinity for Asian foods but opening a restaurant had been long been a distant dream until a few years ago when I began to get more serious about the concept," Marston said in a statement. "It was my friendship with Mike Harting that set that dream in motion."
Souzou, defined as both "imagination" and "creation" in Japanese, will operate 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday.
This article appears in Jun 11-17, 2015.