Authentic sushi/Thai, amazing service awaits at Lake Zurich's Konnigiywa

Lake Zurich's newest sushi and Thai restaurant, Konnigiywa, sits at the corner end of a strip mall, with enough room for a small outside patio. But don't be alarmed by the generic location - the menu is packed with sushi and Thai favorites, from meat and fish to soup and noodles, and an extensive full bar menu is available as well.

As soon as we walked into Konnigiywa, we were warmly greeted by not just the waitstaff, but also the chefs working the sushi bar in the back and the woman at the bar. Everyone seemed genuinely thrilled to see us. The restaurant itself isn't too large - just big enough for a couple of rows of tables in the front, and a slightly larger space in front of the sushi bar. It's got a casual, intimate feel to it.

Our waitress, Nikki, was open, friendly and honest. As we were perusing the menu, she offered her opinion based on the actual food rather than what she could upsell, which we appreciated.

For appetizers, we ordered the fried tofu, chive dumplings and Tom Kar soup. The tofu comes in separately fried triangles with sweet-and-sour sauce loaded up with peanuts. It's not seasoned before frying, but the texture - crispy on the outside and perfectly cooked inside - makes up for a slight lack of flavor. The sauce was good, though a bit too sweet, and paired well with the tofu. We were pleased with the chive dumplings; they were very soft but not gooey, and the outside had a nice sear. Inside, the chives were somewhat indistinct, though the flavor was still there. I would definitely order these again.

Our entrees were the Khaosoy, Flaming Salmon Roll, and three pieces of nigiri sushi: unagi, super white tuna and maguro tuna. All the pieces of nigiri fish were very tender and seemed incredibly fresh. The unagi (eel) had a lot of sauce with it, which I appreciated because that's often my favorite part of eel sushi. The rice seemed slightly sweet, which added a nice layer of complexity to the fish.

Khaosoy is a spicy Thai soup with egg noodles in a mixture of yellow curry and coconut milk, topped with red onions, bell peppers and crispy noodles. We ordered ours with chicken, and the meat was tender and not rubbery from being soaked in a slow-cooking soup. The curry broth was a bit thinner than expected, but the quality and taste was above average. We liked that the coconut milk was used as a flavor highlight rather than as a sweetener. The noodles in the soup were cooked well and not mushy, and the crisp vegetables on top of the soup formed both a fun texture contrast and an elevated bed so the crispy noodles on top didn't get soggy. As a dish on the whole, nothing was overpowering. Each ingredient worked together to create a nice medley of flavor and texture - something the restaurant clearly puts a lot of thought into throughout the entire menu.

The Flaming Salmon Roll is Konnigiywa's newest roll. The roll has spicy crab, seared salmon, cream cheese, avocado and eel sauce, and it's served surrounded by tin foil on a flaming platter. After a minute or two, the waitress pushes the foil down to the edges, extinguishing the flame and lending smokiness to the roll itself. Just like the nigiri sushi, the fish was incredibly tender. The roll is a bit spicy, so be prepared - the heat builds up as you eat. Overall this was a good roll, served in a unique way, but with a slightly overpowering sauce. As a testament to all the fish served at Konnigiywa, I didn't have to use my soy sauce once - which I think truly speaks to the flavors and quality of the food.

We were a bit full for a dessert, so instead I ordered a Thai iced tea. Don't be turned off by the slightly odd orange color; the tea is delicious. The tea itself is a pre-made mix of black tea and spices, and that's layered in a glass with half and half. You stir it together to get the orange hue. If you're a fan of unsweetened iced tea, this is not the drink for you as it's very sweet. Not overbearing, but definitely sugary.

I will absolutely return to Konnigiywa. The food was unexpectedly complex, with each ingredient standing on its own instead of the restaurant caving to stereotypically over-flavored dishes found at other Asian restaurants.

But it's more than just the food that will bring me back to this gem in Lake Zurich. The service was absolutely fabulous. Our waitress made us feel genuinely important to the restaurant. And that's something worth returning for.

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Konnigiywa

769 W. State Route 22, Lake Zurich, (847) 550-0854, konnigiywa.com/

Setting: Casual

Cuisine: Thai and Sushi

Entrees: $12-$26

Hours: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4 to 9:30 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday; noon to 9 p.m. Sunday; closed Mondays

• Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.