Before I get into the details on Ando and Mei, two suburban Cincinnati Japanese restaurants, I need to come clean: I've long had a soft spot for all things Japanese.

It started with my Dad. Stationed in Japan in the Air Force in the '60s, he spent any leave he had trying to penetrate this inscrutable, alluring culture. I grew up on his countless pictures and stories of Japan, and my siblings and I would nearly faint with excitement when he would open a trunk in the attic to reveal treasures he had brought back -- beautifully made slippers, robes, ceramics, shiny chopsticks and little cans of oysters with shiny pearls. He still tells the story of a Japanese shopkeeper who had fashioned a cage to protect a flower growing in a sidewalk crack on a busy street. This ingrained respect for simple beauty embodies for him the essence of Japanese culture. Deep, I know, but on some level, I think that it's a taste of this simple beauty I seek whenever I head for Japanese.

First, Ando. This place is great. Recently relocated to Blue Ash from Lebanon, Ando is a standout, delivering simple, finely crafted food with a painstaking attention to detail. We began with Goma Ae (boiled spinach with sesame sauce, $4.75), an elegantly presented, tightly packed bundle of lightly cooked spinach accented by a delicious sesame sauce. (Who would have thought that boiled spinach could be so special?) The Gyoza (pan-fried dumplings, $4.75) were excellent: piping hot, pan-fried to crispy perfection, and with a seasoned pork filling. The Zaru Soba (cold buckwheat noodles, $9) were excellent, served with a dipping sauce and garnished with seaweed.

For the main course, we ordered a selection of sushi. It was outstanding -- by far the best I've had this side of NYC's Nobu, and certainly the best I've tasted in Cincinnati. The fish was meltingly fresh and elegantly presented. The vegetable sushi turned out to be a highlight. Extremely inventive, with avocado shaped around the outside of the rolls and spiked with strips of carrot and cucumber, it looked as great as it tasted. I tried the Oyako Don (chicken, egg and vegetables served over rice, $8.95). Kind of a loose omelet, this was filling and had a nice flavor, but I wouldn't order it again, especially with all that great sushi around. We also tried Soba Noodles in a soup with vegetables ($11), not on the menu but made for my veggie-loving companion by request. It was very light but somewhat plain.

The atmosphere at Ando is serious, perhaps even somber, with muted colors and drapes cloaking the windows. Service was pleasant and very accommodating. If you want to wash things down with an ice-cold Asahi, bring your own; Ando has not yet obtained a liquor license for its new location.

On to Mei, which offers good, solid Japanese food and great service. We started with Vegetable Tempura ($4.25); this was quite good: light, crispy and not greasy. The Ebi Shumai (steamed shrimp dumplings, $6) were mildly flavored and very light. For the main course, my companion tried the Bento Box (sashimi, tempura shrimp, grilled fish, pickled vegetables and hot egg custard, $19.75), the perfect choice for those who like to graze. The tempura shrimp was particularly good, while the heavily pickled vegetables and hot egg custard might not be palatable to some people. The Chicken Teriyaki ($11.25) was excellent, the delicate sweet sauce perfectly complementing a moist chicken breast. We also tried a selection of sushi, which although good, paled in comparison to Ando's.

The service at Mei is excellent -- polite and deferential, with Japanese hostesses and servers decked out in traditional garb. The ambiance is airy, with lots of light-colored woods; a wall of private rooms is available, and there is a patio for outdoor dining.

Both restaurants are out in the burbs and not necessarily the easiest to find (Ando is in a mall behind a Bob Evans, while Mei is hidden on tiny Market Place Lane off Montgomery Road). My companions -- both recent transplants from the East Coast -- arrived late mumbling about getting lost. It made me reflect: After five years in Cincinnati, my coastal snobbery is definitely fading. I no longer think twice about going to a restaurant in a suburban strip mall, where a lot of ethnic, mom-and-pop restaurants end up simply because it's where the real estate is. And as our server at Ando pointed out, it's definitely where the customers are. ©

Ando
Go: 5889 Pfeiffer Road, Blue Ash

Call: 513-791-8687

Hours: Lunch, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; Dinner, 5-9:30 p.m., Tuesday-Friday, 5-10 p.m. Saturday, 5-9 p.m. Sunday

Prices: Lunch: reasonable; dinner: reasonable to expensive

Payment: Major credit cards

Red Meat Alternatives: Fish, chicken and vegetable options

Accessible: Fully.

Grade: A

Mei
Go: 8608 Market Place Lane, Montgomery

Call: 513-891-6880

Hours: Lunch, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday; Dinner, 5:30-9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5:30-10:30 p.m. Friday, 5-10:30 p.m. Saturday, 5-9:30 p.m. Sunday

Prices: Lunch: reasonable; dinner: reasonable to moderate

Payment: Major credit cards

Red Meat Alternatives: Fish, chicken and vegetable options

Accessible: Yes, but no handicap parking

Grade: B