Restaurants -- Newsday.com

Kohaku
2089 New York Ave.
Huntington Station, NY 11746-3238
631-351-9888

Hours: Lunch, Monday to Friday dinner nightly.

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Huge and delectable sushi rolls are the draw at this Japanese eatery where the ambience is casual. Plastic strips at the doorway keep the cold out in winter and an array of signs announce the specials of the day.

The "Mindy roll" is a must. Made of chopped salmon, fluke, spicy mayonnaise and tempura flakes, it's topped with a delicious mix of chopped spiced raw fish. A simple but delicious spicy tuna roll is grand.

So is cooked food, such as the burnished una don (barbecue-style eel) over rice and the tender glazed chicken teriyaki. Vegetarians can dine well on a tofu steak dinner, topped with a ginger-infused sauce and served with plenty of fresh vegetables. You'll find comfort in a big bowl of nabeyaki udon (order the shrimp tempura on the side to avoid sogginess), a savory broth afloat with vegetables and a poached egg.

Service can be rushed at times, laid-back at others. Over the years, this has held up as one of the more consistent refuges for fine, fresh Japanese fare.

Joan Reminick