Sushi Bar Opens Downtown at 157 Lounge

Sushi, anyone?

That’s the question servers at in downtown Kent can now ask patrons, as the sleek modern lounge has opened its long-planned sushi bar to complement the Japanese beers and variety of hot and cold sake it has always served.

Sushi fan Matt Guska, 157 co-owner and manager, said his five trained chefs are making-to-order a large variety of Japanese dishes from “premium-quality fish from a reputable distributor in Japan.”

Appetizers include miso soup, squid salad, calamari and grilled mussels, while nigiri and sashimi choices range from tuna and salmon to eel and mackerel.

157 Lounge’s extensive sushi menu also offers several chirashi bowls; build-your-own maki rolls, including vegetarian maki; sushi rolls and temaki, and a large variety of specialty rolls. Guska said the sushi bar serves tempura, as well as grilled items.

, as takeout is available when the sushi bar is open from 4 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

Guska said when he and his brother, Jeff Guska, opened the cocktail lounge 2 ½ years ago they planned for its eventual transition to restaurant. They just didn’t know what type of fare they’d be offering.

“There’s about eight places downtown where you can get pizza, burgers or wings and we definitely felt there would be a want or need for different dining options downtown, as well as in Kent itself,” he said. “We looked at different food options and decided to go with fresh, quality sushi, because there’s really no place around here for it.”

The Guskas had already put their plans in action and decided on a menu when at Acorn Alley.

About six months ago, Guska had already lined up his five sushi chefs, worked out the menu, then had the five-stool sushi bar constructed. 157 Lounge also offers 55 seats in the main dining area, as well as 20 bar- and lounge-area seats.

Everything is made to order by the chefs, said Guska. The lounge’s head sushi chef, Jia Ning Chen, is an international exchange student who earned his undergraduate degree in physics at Kent State University, where he is now attending grad school.

Guska said he’s received very positive comments from word-of-mouth customers since the sushi bar’s soft opening two weeks ago.

“Everyone has been very happy with the quality and presentation and, during (the soft opening period), we’ve been training to move orders faster to accommodate the crowds we’ve seen,” he said.

And the best part for Guska, who came to love sushi during college? He no longer has to drive to Fairlawn, Akron or Cleveland to enjoy one of his favorite foods.