Asian fusion restaurant Wasabi Somerset will host grand opening Tuesday in Ames

Celia Brocker, Ames Tribune
·2 min read

Ames residents familiar with the Asian fusion Wasabi restaurant now have a second option to get their sushi fix.

Wasabi Somerset, the central Iowa-based restaurant's seventh location, opened Friday, May 17 at 2707 Kent Avenue.

The establishment's grand opening is set for Tuesday with a private party and a ribbon cutting.

Wasabi Somerset is open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

Wasabi Chi opened in Des Moines in 2011 as Wasabi's first location, though the organization recently announced it was closing.

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What can be found in Ames' Wasabi restaurant?

Wasabi opened its initial Ames location at 926 South 16th Street in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The restaurant enjoyed enough success to prompt a second location despite being restricted to takeout orders for the first several months of operation.

Lu Li, one of the restaurant's owners, said Wasabi's Asian fusion menu brings a "different type of cuisine" to Iowa.

"Our atmosphere is a little different than most restaurants in Iowa," Li said. "I think people like it; it's more and more popular."

The Wasabi Somerset menu includes expanded Chinese options, which Li said fills Ames' need for more fine Chinese dining. He couldn't pick a favorite dish, noting how each plate is"very good."

"You cannot go wrong with any dishes on the menu," Li said.

Li said Wasabi Somerset has one of the largest bars in Ames. The new location also has a party room that can hold up to 80 people.

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The interior of Wasabi Sommerset, the small chain restaurant's newest location on Kent Ave.
The interior of Wasabi Sommerset, the small chain restaurant's newest location on Kent Ave.

New Wasabi location was built from scratch

The property Wasabi Somerset sits on was purchased two years ago. Li said they addressed several complaints about the smaller location in south Ames and made a point to go big.

The Somerset building is new, designed, and built to cater to Wasabi customers, a process Li said took nearly an entire year.

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Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Wasabi opens second Ames location in Somerset