The intersection of Interstate 215 and Durango Drive is getting busier these days, and it’s not just the blue and yellow of Ikea that’s been sprouting up. Apparently, not all of the furniture-crazed masses want to dine on Swedish meatballs. If you prefer seafood with your Scandinavian end tables, check out the new Japanese-leaning seafood spot Pier 215.

The man running the kitchen here is chef Ted Jung, who has worked at Nobu in Caesars Palace and Yellowtail in Bellagio. With L-shape bar seating that faces an open kitchen, and with dining areas beyond, he’s feeding a dining room that’s considerably larger than the preliminary ventures of most chefs who forsake the Strip for the burbs. This is significant, because trying to keep even a small, unproven venture afloat can be rough. To fill a place this size requires casting a wide net, which may explain the rather schizophrenic menu. Pier 215’s logo features a lighthouse in front of a pier, conjuring up images of casual beach dining. But it also bills itself as a “sushi seafood grill.” And that begs the question: What exactly is this place trying to be?

Given Jung’s background, it’s not surprising to find plenty of sushi, sashimi and Japanese fusion. The fish selections are pretty impressive by neighborhood standards. They include fattier tuna belly cuts such as chu toro and o toro, snow crab rather than imitation crab, giant clam and shima aji (striped horse mackerel). The quality of all the fish I’ve sampled has been top-notch. The chef’s knife skills are also impressive. And the care that goes into the oft-overlooked components of rice and the grilling of unagi is apparent at first bite.

While sushi purists will be delighted with traditional fish preparations, the chef doesn’t shy away from Americanized combo rolls, either. My neighbors, who introduced me to this restaurant, come almost exclusively for Jung’s creative combinations. And while the few bites I had of theirs weren’t enough to move this purist to change his ways, they were all interesting and well prepared. The chef strays even further from Japanese tradition in the “raw bar” section, which features ceviche, poke, yellowtail and jalapeño salsa, roasted mollusks and some seared fish.

Other small dishes can be found in the large tapas area of the menu. Here, Japanese items dominate. My wife and I found one of the largest, meatiest orders of grilled hamachi kama (yellowtail collar) we’ve had in a long time, and loved it so much we ate it down to the cartilage with barely a nod to the accompanying garlic ponzu sauce. The spicy tuna on crispy rice was a touch too spicy for my taste, but loaded with other flavors. The kimchi fried rice is as good a representation of the Korean dish as I’ve had anywhere. And a simple plate of shrimp tempura featured a delicious golden batter and meaty, flavorful shrimp. My only disappointment from this department came from an order of undersize, fried softshell crab segments that were swallowed up by a bed of mashed sweet potato. It was both boring and visually unappealing.

While everything I’ve covered so far may be a bit on the diverse side, there’s a certain continuity that runs through it, at least by modern restaurant standards. I can’t say the same for the house specialties, a hodgepodge of dishes that includes two Italian seafood pastas, British fish and chips, “Asian-style bouillabaisse,” a New England lobster roll, surf and turf, and Korean short ribs.

Just scanning this menu causes mental whiplash, so I’ve been slow to venture into it. But I did try an order of grilled scallops over brown rice risotto. While I found the dish interesting, the scallops were underseasoned and undercooked on the exterior. While I rarely add salt to dishes, if there had been some on the table I would have availed myself of a dash to awaken the flavor. A tiny sprinkling of microgreens on top overpowered the seafood. And the texture of brown rice is all wrong for risotto, which is a shame because the cheesy recipe probably would have worked with a more appropriate grain.

Prices at Pier 215 generally fall in line with other suburban seafood restaurants. An $85 32-piece sashimi platter seemed a bit high, but I might not have thought so if I hadn’t asked them to hold the pricey bluefin tuna for environmental reasons. And lunch combos in the $10-$17 range are quite reasonable.

There’s nothing wrong with Pier 215 that couldn’t be fixed by more focus from the chef. And perhaps he’ll eventually find that focus. Until then, have fun exploring the menu before you head home to assemble that new dresser.

Al’s Menu Picks

• Sushi and sashimi ($2-$9 per piece) 
• grilled hamachi kama ($11)
• and kimchi fried rice with pork belly ($11)