This is a post by N&O restaurant critic Greg Cox:

After more than a decade at the same address in Durham's Homestead Market, Shiki Sushi (219 NC Hwy. 54, Durham; 919-484-4108; shikinc.com) has moved a few doors down into a larger space in the same shopping center.

Snazzier, too, from the fountain out front to the lipstick-red upholstery of the chairs in the sleek, contemporary Asian dining room and sushi bar.

Shiki's menu has grown, too, and now includes a pan-Asian selection that will be familiar to fans of TASU restaurants in Cary and Raleigh. Tham Nguyen, who owns all three restaurants, has merged the menus while opting to retain for this location a name that has become familiar to many fans in nearby RTP.

Nguyen says he has plans for the space he just vacated, too. He's working on an Asian hot pot and lounge concept which he expects to open in a few months. I'll keep you posted.

Send restaurant news to Greg at ggcox@bellsouth.net. Be sure to tune in to Greg's radio show at 11 a.m. Saturdays on WPTF.

This is a post by N&O restaurant critic Greg Cox:

You know those nights when one of you is in the mood for sushi and the other is jonesing for a burger? You're not alone, judging by the already sold-out sneak peek events this weekend for The Cowfish (4208-100 Six Forks Road; 919-784-0400; thecowfish.com) in the Captrust Tower at North Hills.

The restaurant opens to the public on Monday, and will serve lunch and dinner daily. Burgers, made with a half pound of humanely raised Angus beef, are available with just about every topping you can imagine, from fried capers to grilled asparagus to black truffle cheese.

If beef is not your thing, choose from seven alternatives: veggie, ahi tuna, grilled chicken, turkey, grilled portobello, lamb and chipotle bison. And if your mind boggles at all the possibilities, a list of Cowfish signature burgers comes to the rescue with the likes of Granny's Southern Pimento Cheese Burger and The Jalapeño Popper Show-Stopper.

Sushi cravings are catered to just as assiduously with an extensive selection of sashimi and sushi in every form from nigiri to hand roll. House specialty rolls raise the ante on the usual selection with creations such as the The Motherload, which features a slice of every fish on the Cowfish menu (and is priced accordingly, at $24).

Torn between burger and sushi? Check out the Burgushi section, where you'll find an assortment of sandwiches, rolls and bento boxes that incorporate both into the same presentation. The Nature Boy's WOOOOO-shi BuffalOOOOO-shi Roll, for one, an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink tribute to Ric Flair, professional wrestler and favorite son of Charlotte, home of the original Cowfish.

Send restaurant news to Greg at ggcox@bellsouth.net. Be sure to tune in to Greg's radio show at 11 a.m. Saturdays on WPTF.

This is a post by N&O restaurant critic Greg Cox:

Lafayette Village was built to look like a quaint European village, but the dining options at the North Raleigh shopping complex have taken on an increasingly international flavor. The newest addition to the roster is Sushi One (8470-100 Honeycutt Road; 919-615-3209), which adds a melange of Asian cuisines to a lineup that already included everything from French crêperie (Simply Crêpes) to Argentinean steakhouse (Pampas, which opened in December).

Owner/sushi chef Larry Yang, who has previously worked at Kanki and Sushi Love, describes the kitchen's offering as Asian fusion. "Other restaurants say they're Asian fusion," he says, "but they're really just Chinese and Japanese and Thai. We do real fusion."

Well, sort of. The menu does indeed include a few fusion creations, but for every Shinkai sea bass or Dynamite noodle there's a dozen or more traditional dishes. Teriyaki, chow fun, Thai curry - in short, pretty much anything you'd find at those other "fusion" restaurants - you'll find it here.

Naturally, that also includes Yang's specialty and the restaurant's namesake. Sushi One doesn't have a website yet, but you can find them on Facebook.

UPDATE: Sushi One's website is now up - sushionenc.com

Send restaurant news to Greg at ggcox@bellsouth.net. Be sure to tune in to Greg's radio show at 11 a.m. Saturdays on WPTF.

This is a post by N&O restaurant critic Greg Cox:

Charles Tirada, owner of Asian restaurants ShabaShabu and Sushi Blues, is dipping his toe into a new concept with the opening of The Saucy Crab (4020 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.; 919-237-1935; thesaucycrab.com) in Durham.

Or, to be precise, a new twist on an old concept. Inspired by the traditional crab boils of the mid-Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the restaurant's house specialty features shellfish steamed with corn and potatoes and tossed in your choice of four sauces.

You can keep it traditional with Louisiana crawfish tossed in a Cajun sauce or Carolina blue crab sprinkled with Old Bay. Or get creative and try, say, shrimp (EZ-Peel or whole, head-on) in a pineapple teriyaki sauce. The menu also offers fried seafood baskets, served with your choice of hand-cut fries or sweet potato fries and slaw. Key lime pie and other desserts are baked in house.

Tirada, who formerly went by the name Charles Meteesatien, has given the building that previously housed Fish House (which he also owned) a complete makeover, replacing neon-accented contemporary Asian with a rustic crab shack style complete with butcher paper on the tables.

Billed as "Durham's only backyard seafood joint," The Saucy Crab is open Monday-Friday from 4-10 p.m., Saturday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Send restaurant news to Greg at ggcox@bellsouth.net. Be sure to tune in to Greg's radio show at 11 a.m. Saturdays on WPTF.

Go HERE to read the review.

Go HERE to read Greg's review of Hayashi-Ya in Brier Creek.

The Triangle's third Ruckus Pizza, Pasta & Spirits has opened in Morrisville's Park West Shopping Center.

In this location, co-owner Ryan Pilz says, they have added sushi: an idea that sprung from he and his business partner's dining experiences. Pilz explains that he, his business partner, Robert Royster, and their wives often dine together. But only Pilz and Royster's wife like sushi, which leaves their spouses eating Japanese food. After seeing a similar restaurant in Charlotte, Pilz said they decided to create a restaurant to satifsy those who like sushi and those who do not.

Pilz hired Hoang Nguyen as the sushi chef. Nguyen, Pilz says, takes his craft very seriously, making his own pickled ginger and rice vinegar.

The 4,700-square-foot restaurant is in the shopping center at the corner of Chapel Hill Road and NW Cary Parkway. The address is 1101 Market Center Dr.

For more information, call 919-388-3500 or visit www.ruckuspizza.com.

The other two Ruckus Pizza locations are in Raleigh's Mission Valley Shopping Center and Cary's Tryon Village.

To check out the sushi and nigiri menus, see below:

Documents:

Go HERE to read my review of "Jiro Dreams of Sushi," about Jiro Ono - the oldest chef to earn three stars from the Michelin Guides.

This week, I review Yuri, a new Japanese restaurant and sushi bar in Cary. You can read my review here.

Also, check out some predictions for 2011 food trends here.