BY KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer
KATHY CHANG Head chef Gao with co-owners Jean Chen and Chun Lu at Megumi Restaurant. METUCHEN – John Daley had already worked in a four-star sushi restaurant in New York City the day he first set foot in Megumi Restaurant.
He decided to give the new restaurant his standard test.
“My mom told me that the restaurant was opening up here and I told her before she went there, I wanted to walk through the back of the kitchen,” he said. “That’s the way you can tell if a place is good or bad.”
The restaurant got his approval. Daley is now training to be a sushi chef at Megumi.
The restaurant, located at 12 Center St., features a wide variety of Chinese and Japanese cuisine. If you’re looking for steamed custard paste buns, crab Rangoon or zara soba, they’ve got it, along with a sushi menu.
“We’re doing good so far,” said owner Jean Chen. “It’s been mostly word of mouth.”
Chen, Baby Noble, and Chun Lu co-own Megumi, which opened in December.
“The previous owner had a bakery here,” said Chen. “She happened to come to our restaurant in Englewood, and induced us to come here. So we liked the area and came.”
The trio is not new to the restaurant business. They opened Hanami in Englewood seven years ago.
The three owners are at the restaurant every day, along with their three chefs.
“Chun Lu makes the sauces by scratch,” Chen said. “He has his own recipes,” said Chen.
Freshness is a priority, Daley said.
“They [chefs] travel to New York in the morning to pick up the fish,” said Daley. “There is the best food here, fresh food.”
Their team is diverse, Chen said.
“We have everyone from all walks of life,” she said. “We are building a big strong team, a good team.”
Patrons can also rent out Megumi for parties.
“We have a disc jockey system and a dance floor,” said Chen. “So the DJ just has to come.”
There is also a sushi bar, where customers can order and also sit and eat, said Chen.
Megumi accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Card. They offer dine-in, take-out, and delivery Monday through Thursday: 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Friday: 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.; Saturday: noon-11 p.m.; and Sunday: noon-10 p.m.
For more information call toll free 1-866-5Megumi or (732) 494-5003.