Eagan-based sushi retailer Sushi Avenue recently announced that it is opening its first restaurant, called Masu Sushi & Robata, on April 18.

The restaurant, located at 330 East Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis, will feature fresh, authentic Japanese flavors and dishes that emphasize the use of sustainable fish, seafood, and other ingredients. According to Sushi Avenue, it will be the first sustainable sushi restaurant in Minnesota.

Sushi Avenue has teamed with award-winning local chef Tim McKee to create the menu at Masu, which features four basic sections: izakaya (small plates); sushi, including makizushi (sushi rolls) and sushi assortments; robata (a traditional Japanese grilling technique); and noodles.

McKee has been a longtime restaurateur in the Twin Cities and has helped launch several local hot spots, including Solera, La Belle Vie, Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque, and Sea Change.

Sushi and sushi rolls at Masu will range between $3 and $14, with the most expensive item on the menu costing $23. The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner on weekdays and for dinner only on Saturdays and Sundays.

Minneapolis-based design firm Shea, Inc., helped design the restaurant, which features a kitchen that opens to the dining room-which seats 75-and a sushi bar that is made from rustic, reclaimed lumber.

Sushi Avenue was founded in 2004 by Nay Hla and supplies seafood and sushi-related ingredients to upscale supermarkets, universities, and foodservice locations across the country.