So, we went to Wasabi Sushi for dinner Friday night. This is an all-you-can-eat, made-to-order sushi restaurant in northwest Omaha. When this place opened July 2010, my first thought was, "All-you-can eat sushi in my neighborhood? Awesome!" My second thought was, "Dang! I'm six months pregnant - I hope they're still around by the time I can eat sushi again." See, Omaha is a big restaurant town, and with so many, it's hard for a new place to establish a toehold in the market. Plus, there are two really good sushi places in this part of town already, and how many can a steak town like Omaha support?
Luckily, this place is good enough, and different enough, to hold its own in the market. Yeah, it's pretty expensive at night, but hey, all-you-can-eat sashimi! The kid price is quite a bit higher than your average kids menu hamburger/chicken fingers place, but worth it if your kid is an open-minded eater. Of course, I may have the only non-Japanese five-year-old in the city who can eat his body weight in salmon sashimi, miso soup and edamame.
Besides the nummy sashimi, Wasabi offers a wide selection of rolls and sushi on rice, plus a wide selection of appetizers, many of them cooked, to appeal to the non-raw-fish crowd. The gyoza (fried dumplings) and tempura mushrooms are especially good - well seasoned with a light, crispy tempura coating.
The real stand-out at this place is the sushi pizza. My favorite is the spicy salmon variety. This is a round of sticky rice for the crust, coated in tempura and fried all hot and crunchy, then topped with a cool spicy salmon mixture and a drizzle of spicy-sweet sauce. The juxtaposition of hot and crunchy crust with cool spicy topping has won fans among sushi and non-sushi eaters alike.
If you want a cheaper way to try the place out, go for lunch - it's about half-price, but with a more limited menu than evenings. (No sashimi.) Though drinks aren't included in the all-you-can eat price at lunch or dinner, dessert is included - several varieties of homemade ice cream. My favorite is the green tea - sweet and creamy, and you can really taste the tea. The red bean is also good, reminds me of strawberry a bit.
One caveat to the all-you-can-eat, you are expected to eat all you order. To discourage waste, Wasabi charges by the piece for extras left on the plate. They're flexible, though, so don't worry if you just can't finish that last bite of a roll - they only charge if you've over-ordered to where there's a lot left over. So start slow, if you find something you like, there's always more where that came from!
Wasabi Sushi
14513 West Maple Rd.
402-991-6878
www.thewasabisushi.com
Dinner: $22.99; kids 5-12: $11.99
Lunch: $12.99; kids 5-12: $7.99
Hours: Mon.-Sat. lunch 11am - 3:30 p.m.; dinner 3:30-11 p.m.
Sun. all day: Adult $20.99; kids $11.99
Sushi Pizza....mmmmmmm so good :D
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