5-16 51st Ave
Long Island City, NY 11101
Fusion has become the staple in NYC. What if a restaurant served Sushi, Cajun, BBQ and Mexican? You would probably think great this guy has gone to another deli for lunch and is going to tell us about it once again.
Well Lucky Mojo’s is no deli, instead from the owners of Bamboo Bernie’s, Brother Jimmy’s and Jaqcues Imo’s comes an eclectic menu that will definitely play with your palette. The restaurant opened up right after the Thanksgiving weekend to rave reviews by the folks over at Queens West.
Let us put the menu on hold for now, and I would like to start with the ambiance, decor, brand what ever you may want to call it. This was probably the let down of the night. Very little has changed in the matter of decor and signage from the previous inhabitants Smokey’s 11101. Actually the only sign currently up is a paper on the door that says Lucky Mojo’s. I am sure this is going to change, but I was hoping to see something a little different. Trust me though, this should not be a reason to keep you away.. just keep reading.
We stepped through the doors and so begins the Lucky Mojo’s experience. Immediately we were greeted by a hostess who explained the menu and mentioned that in addition to the seating downstairs there is a sushi bar upstairs. Nice touch! Being that I would like to sample a little of everything, I choose to just sit at a regular table. We were placed at a booth with out silverware or menus, but the extremely friendly staff quickly turned the situation into a comical one leaving us with a smile on our faces.
Looking at the menu we decided to order two Sushi rolls as an appetizer. The yellowtail black dragon, a yellow tail roll toped with caviar and a jalapeno; and another roll, whose name I can not remember, but it had crispy crab, yellow tail and tuna in it. Both rolls came on one try and very nicely plated. The presentation had us trying to compare whose camera phone took better pictures. Presentation aside, the sushi was simply amazing, there is no other way to put it. You could clearly tell, these are skilled sushi chefs.
After enjoying the sushi so much, the bar was set pretty high. For an entree, after much deliberation through their rather diverse menu I went with a Shrimp Po Boy sandwich. A Cajun fried shrimp sandwich, which came with a side of your choice; cole slaw in this case. This was a really good dish during which I did mention “wow this is some really good cole slaw.”
Overall, Lucky Mojo’s is a welcome addition to Long Island City! It was a great experience and one I look forward to in the future.