MOCAD’s Super Happy Sushi Offers Simple Yet Fun Food

Corner cafe and bar good spot for fresh, quick bite for museum-goers and hungry Midtown visitors alike
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As a genre that questions the very notion of taste, contemporary art can be overwhelming. So at MOCAD鈥檚 Caf茅 78, a food as simple as sushi is most welcome.

Launched as a pop-up in August 2015, Super Happy Sushi offers a fresh, quick bite for museum-goers and hungry Midtown visitors alike. The place is owned and operated by the Detroit Optimist Society 鈥 the restaurant group behind Detroit hot spots such as Wright & Co., Sugar House, and the Peterboro.

Co-owners Dave Kwiatkowski and Marc Djozlija recruited former Townhouse sushi chef Rob Lee for the project, who has filled out the food menu with typical sushi-joint staples like edamame, miso soup, tuna sashimi, and the familiar California roll.

To be sure, MOCAD鈥檚 humble corner caf茅 and bar isn鈥檛 reaching to Jiro Dreams of Sushi heights, but there is an emphasis on covering the basics, and it shows. The nigiri is melt-in-your-mouth fresh, the rice is subtly seasoned, and the presentation is casual and unassuming. That said, the small menu is not without a few creative, pleasant surprises.

Alongside satisfying traditional rolls (salmon, eel, and avocado, etc.) the menu also offers a flavorful yellowtail sashimi with honeydew, sea salt, serrano pepper, cilantro, and ponzu. There鈥檚 also the 鈥淎ll That and a Bag of Chips鈥 Roll, featuring avocado, yamagobo, masago, mango, chili, and a sprinkling of Better Made Potato chips 鈥 an entertaining item that fits right in with the dining concept鈥檚 tagline: 鈥淪ushi doesn鈥檛 have to be serious.鈥

The food-as-fun philosophy extends to the restaurant鈥檚 drink menu, which includes 鈥渃ontemporary cocktails鈥 like the Shiso Fancy Drink听 鈥 a refreshing gin and ginger concoction garnished with shiso leaf 鈥 and the Hidden Fortress, a sweet, Arrack-based drink with hibiscus honey syrup.

As with the sushi menu, a respect for simplicity still shines through with classic cocktails including a Manhattan, Sidecar, and Moscow Mule. Beer, cider, wine, and sake round out the beverage selections, providing pleasant accompaniment for those post-MOCAD critiques. (Visitors should know, however, that Super Happy Sushi often remains open after the museum has closed.)

On weekends, museum visitors can also tour an imaginative sushi-inspired brunch menu featuring items like the 鈥淲affle!鈥 with grilled eel, the Minoru Fried Rice with bacon, and the Benedict Nigiri with tamago, crab, and hollandaise.

Regardless of mealtime, this latest installation from the Detroit Optimist Society proves to be as delightful and satisfying as its super fun name.


4454 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-784-9636. L & D Wed.-Sat. Br. Sat. and Sun.