I have traveled to Jackson, Wyoming twice this year - once in July and once in October - and one of my favorite meals there was at Suda. The Japanese restaurant is located downtown, on the same block as Jackson Drug and Hand Fire Pizza.
We arrived at 7:00pm, and when we walked through the doors there was a line at the host stand. We had a reservation, but it seemed like no one was manning the front. We would later learn that all three servers called out for the night, leaving the General Manager and the Bar Manager to cover the door, the bar and the entire dining room just the two of them.
These women were incredible. You could feel how much they cared about everyone having a positive experience, even while their hair was on fire.
We were eventually led to our table, which was in the back part of the dining room. I loved the restaurant's decor. The giant tuna on the wall is a nod to their sushi menu.
We started off with cocktails. Suda's beverage menu is very creative. The kind where you have to ask multiple questions to understand what the drink might taste like.
My bestie order the Toki Serrano, which was suntory toki whiskey, spicy peach puree, carpano antica and a bourbon cherry. As she sipped it slowly throughout our meal, she said, "I didn't choose the right drink for this type of food. The flavors don't mesh."
I chose the Shochu Sour, which was shochu (Japanese distilled liquor), soda and lime. It felt like a slight twist on a vodka soda. Shochu is 25% AVB, so I was feeling fine!
To start, we shared two appetizers. The first to arrive was the French fries with kewpie mayo and katsu.
I thought the fries were great and the sauces were addicting. My dinner date commented, "To me, these are really just a vehicle for the sauce. I like my fries to be thinner and crispier."
Next, came the tofu buns. These are actually not on the menu. We saw they had four types of buns - fried chicken, braised bison, pork belly and salmon - but no vegeterian option. We asked if it would be possible to have them with tofu, and the General Manager replied, "Of course! That's an easy modification." Another example of why it's so worth it to ask!
The order came with three buns. The tofu was crispy and layered in between a sweet chili sauce and a crisp daikon slaw.
For the entree round, my bestie ordered the Ohana sushi roll which was tombo, cucumber, sea asparagus, avocado, poke sauce, sweet onion, diced jalapeño, ogo and furikake.
After a few pieces, I asked if she was enjoying it. She said, "This is fresh and fantastic. The jalapeños on top are making it so spicy!"
I had decided on the yaki soda noodles with fried tofu. The noodles tasted like a street food-style lo mein. The cubes of fried tofu were perfection. They tasted like a dream chicken nugget (no chicken, of course). I also loved the fried egg on top.
When we first sat down, I hadn't seen a dessert menu, so I wasn't sure if they were offering anything sweet. The General Manager gave us an overview of all three dessert options and she said her favorite was their cinnamon donut holes with Boston cream "sauce" and chocolate ganache for dipping. Twist my arm!
These turned out to be the best dish of the night. The donuts were fried to the exact right level of warmth and chewiness. The Boston cream sauce had that signature vanilla bean flavor and the chocolate ganache was rich in the way that only dark chocolate can be.
When the check came, we were sad to leave. The food was delicious, the ceramic plates used for every course were beautiful, and we didn't want to leave the home of the magic donut holes! It also felt like we became fast friends with the General Manager, who was so kind to us all night, despite her sky high stress level.
Since leaving Jackson in October, Suda announced that their last day of service will be Friday, November 19, 2023. They are closing. I still wanted to share our wonderful experience there because I hope this restaurant team will open something new in Jackson. I will update this post when they do.
