On a Thursday over the lunch hour, customers funnel through the door at Fujiyama, 17395 W. Bluemound Rd. Some are stopping in for a business lunch. A few are there to catch up with friends, while others pay a visit with sushi-loving children in tow. All of them know one thing: they’re going to enjoy a delicious meal, including high quality sushi.
When Fujiyama opened in 2008, it was the first to bring sushi to the area. Initially, the restaurant had ties to the Fujiyama restaurant in West Allis, but by 2011, current owner Xue Long Zhang had purchased the restaurant and began making gradual changes to the menu to distinguish the Brookfield location from West Allis.
Even 15 years later, the restaurant –– hidden amongst various retailers in a strip mall just south of Calhoun Road – is still somewhat of a hidden gem.
“We get customers who walk in and say: ‘We never knew you were here before,’” says Xiao Ting Gao, a former server at the restaurant who took on a managerial role in 2019.
She walks me through the refreshed restaurant, which has been freshened up with new paint and flooring and a change in decor including replacing the former built-in fish tank and adding various art pieces – including this beautiful piece – painted by Zhang himself.
“We are constantly evolving to ensure that we offer items that our customers want,” says Gao, noting that they recently added crab rangoon to the menu, along with new specialty rolls to complement customer favorites like Kiss of Fire and Volcano Eruptionas maki, along with offerings like sushi and sashimi.
Specials are back
Recently, Fujiyama also brought back its popular specials, including lunch specials and day-long discounts on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Gao says it's a pride point for the restaurant, which uses the same fresh fish and ingredients for specials that they do on their regular menu.
“The quality is the same,” she says. “Some restaurants will pad their sushi rolls with more rice or use less fish when they offer specials. But we make everything with the same high quality, fresh fish and the perfect amount of rice. It’s a special offering for our customers, and it’s one of the reasons why our customers come back again and again.”
Discounted lunch offerings are available Monday through Saturday. The menu features offerings like teriyaki, tonkatsu (pork or chicken), pan fried noodles, sushi or hibachi (nearly all under $15) along with a maki lunch special featuring any two featured rolls for $12.95 or three rolls for $14.95.
Guests can also enjoy Fujiyama’s well known Monday and Tuesday special, which features special pricing on a long list of select appetizers, sushi and maki (with most priced $3.50 to $10.75) for dine-in customers all day long.
That includes favorites like the Sexy Lady (filled with spicy tuna, spicy salmon, spicy yellowtail and topped with tuna, salmon and avocado); and the BMW Roll (a deep-fried roll filled with spicy tuna, spicy salmon, spicy yellowtail and avocado and topped with eel, wasabi and spicy mayo), pictured above.
Teriyaki and hibachi dishes are also available on Monday and Tuesday (served with soup and house salad) for under $20.
Fujiyama Brookfield is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4 to 10:30 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Lunch specials are offered Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. An all-day specials menu is available on Monday and Tuesday for both lunch and dinner service.
You can follow Fujiyama Brookfield on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or TikTok for additional updates and specials.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
