Tatu
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Charles Bahn, owner of Tatu, the newest addition of sushi restaurants around Gainesville, has a vision to bring healthy food to University of Florida students through sushi. "Sushi is a more balanced food than steak and mashed potatoes," Bahn said. There are good amounts of protein and carbohydrates in sushi that one can't get in fatty steak and potatoes, Bahn, once a microbiology major, said.
Bahn has worked in sushi restaurants in West Palm Beach and Gainesville. Bahn decided to open his own restaurant once he realized he wanted to make sushi his way. In fact, when Tatu is broken down in Korean it actually means new beginning. "I also liked how the word sounds in English," Bahn joked.
Sushi has become a fashion food, Bahn said. Many people are afraid to try sushi because of the raw factor. Many restaurants add other ingredients like cream cheese to cover up the fish. Bahn said sushi is only meant to have good rice and fish. "If you have good rice and fish, then it will be good sushi. No matter how you play with it," Bahn said.
Bahn compared sushi to good steak. "You don't have to add marinate or sauce if the meat is good," Bahn said. "The same goes for sushi." Sushi is meant to be simple. "If the fish is fresh then that is all you need," he said. Bahn uses the best part of the tuna which is bright red. "This is the best tuna you can buy," he said.
One of Bahn's goals is to present a healthy alternative of food to college students. The restaurant is across from the University of Florida and Bahn is targeting students as his main audience. In Korea, fast food is much more expensive than healthy food, Bahn said. This way, people are more likely to purchase healthy food. "Here, fast food is much cheaper and I think that's why people go to those places more," Bahn said.
Another goal of his is to find a balance between what customers want and what he wants to serve. Bahn is trained as a traditional sushi chef where the sushi is simple and the portions are small. In the United States, we are used to sushi that is more concerned with quantity. "I am adapting to the customers' needs," Bahn said. "I am still learning."
Tatu
1702 W. University Avenue, Suite J
352-371-1700
Hours: 11am-10pm Monday to Thursday
11am-11pm Friday
5pm-11pm Saturday
5pm-10pm Sunday