Okayama

[Rosie]

eGullet sushi lovers take note. We loved our dinner at the newly opened Okayama, 4 Alvin Place, Upper Montclair; BYO.

Started off with the seaweed salad (best we have had in a long time), ethereal shumai, and creamy/custardy gently fried tofu.

Had some excellent rolls which were all made with pristine fish. We had tsunami (crunchy spicy tuna, shrimp and avocado); Venice Roll (shrimp tempura, cucumber, and radish sprouts with smoked salmon on the outside); and an Alaska roll (salmon, avocado and cucumber). We also had Nabeyaki Udon made with shrimp tempura, chicken, vegetables, and an egg which was again the best we have had in a long time. Lowell always orders this dish in a new restaurant. Not only was it tasty but it was beautifully presented.

The bill was $58 with tax and tip and a 10% off coupon. For reservations call 973-783-5680.

[Casey]

Rosie,

Is this the same place that Toscana used the be?

Casey

[Rosie]

Rosie,

Is this the same place that Toscana used the be?

Casey

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Yes.

[rhubarbd]

Have to say ... Rosie was right! Had a late lunch here today with my husband and a good friend of his who has travelled to Japan ten times. We thought the food was delicious and the service, terrific. Everyone was nice and friendly; very welcoming and eager to be helpful. The shumai were indeed ethereal, and the seaweed salad exceptional. A couple udon dishes, several rolls - all fresh and tasty. Would go back there in a flash ...

[Rosie]

"Have to say ... Rosie was right! " THANK YOU!

So glad that you had the same experience that we had. I am craving sushi and will get back here ASAP. Thanks for the report rhubarbd.

[Casey]

Went there with a group for lunch last Friday. We started by sharing as an appetizer a lunch portion of assorted sashimi, which was outstanding. Then, we all had different versions of the hibachi lunch--salmon, shrimp and steak. The chef did his show, which was a lot of fun, and great for a group (we were 7 people), and the food was excellent. Everything was very fresh, and the portions were more than ample. With the hibachi lunch, you get soup, salad, noodles and rice and ice cream for dessert. With tax and generous tip it was $15 pp. We will be going back!

Casey

[lano]

i could be wrong, but someone told me that this place is a dreadful japanese "hibachi" type place, like Mt. Fuji. Is this true?

[Rosie]

Never been to Mt Fuji and didn't have the "hibachi" at Okayama. But from reading the posts here and my experience I would say that this place is a winner.

i could be wrong, but someone told me that this place is a dreadful japanese "hibachi" type place, like Mt. Fuji.  Is this true?

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[lano]

Never been to Mt Fuji and didn't have the "hibachi" at Okayama. But from reading the posts here and my experience I would say that this place is a winner.

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gotcha... guess i'll have to give it a try trhen. i'll report back.

[richl2214]

The bill was $58 with tax and tip and a 10% off coupon. For reservations call 973-783-5680.

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Rosie where is the 10% coupon. Was it in a local paper?

[Rosie]

Rosie where is the 10% coupon.  Was it in a local paper?

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I don't remember. Must have been in the local paper or a mailer.

[Franky2Times]

Not much of an ambiance since it's located in a mall but service and food were very, very good. Without a doubt the freshest sushi I had in or around Montclair and some of the tastiest rolls I ever had, period. Hope they make a lot of money and move in a nicer place.

What is so wrong with hibachi??? I had great late night meals in the East Village at hibachi places.

Edited October 18, 2004 by Franky2Times (log)

[Susan]

I have been to this place twice now - the first time for the hibachi and the second time for the sushi bar. I thought the hibachi was just okay. I would not run back for that. The scallops were kind of watery and bland. The shrimp was a little better. The place is also very noisy because of the hibachi chefs and all the kids in the place. We went on a Friday night and it was early (6:30). I can't believe how loud it was. So much for a relaxing dinner after a long day at work. The other night we went (during the week - hopefully it would be quieter than on a Friday). We sat at the sushi bar. We were the only ones at the sushi bar while we were there. Several people were eating at the tables. The place was still loud, but not as bad as the first time we were there. Everything we had was very good. Started off with miso soup, then we had the tuna tartar special with 3 kinds of caviar. Delicious. We then had the shumi. Only problem here was that they all actually came out at the same time. Next time, I will not order them together. We then had some sushi (yellowtail and salmon) and 3 rolls. We had the special Sweetheart Roll which was tempura'd and was delicious. We also had the Fantastic Roll and the Venice Roll. I think the Fantastic was a litttle bit better. All in all, enjoyed everything and will be back for the sushi, probably not early on a Friday or Saturday night though.

[richl2214]

Went for the first time tonight with my sushi buddy. My staple places in the area are Dai Kichi and Sukeroku. I'm not a fan of Noveau sushi because I do think they are WAY overpriced and seem to cater to the Montclair crowd that thinks that food is good only if it's expensive.

Anyway, as for Okayama, I have to say I was pretty impressed with the quality of the fish. Everything was very fresh including the Yellowtail which tasted like it was just out of the ocean. The special was a scallop sashimi dish that tasted very sweet although not the best I have ever had. The Cruchy Spicy Tuna roll was very good albeit not very "crunchy." The Spider roll was enjoyable but I thought the soft shell crab wasn't crispy enough and lacked a bit of flavor I'm use to. However, each piece of sushi was very generous, but not too big, and tasted very fresh. I had Octopus(very very good), tuna and salmon. As I said the Yellowtail was way above par. Each piece was cut perfectly to maximize taste, texture and tenderness. For dessert we had the green tea ice cream tempura. Much better than average. The hot green tea was also a high grade, not that generic stuff they pass off at most places. It actually had a lot of depth. All was washed down with a medium grade dry sake. Service was excellent and very courteous.

Verdict: a definite repeat and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to any sushi lover.

Edited December 3, 2004 by richl2214 (log)

[hitmanoo]

I went last night for the first time myself, with my wife. There was quite a crowd, and we wound up at the Sushi bar next to a very "interesting" family.

I have to concur with Rich. The yellowtail was fantastic. Flavorful, fresh and absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The same applied to the Toro and the brook trout. We had each of these as sashimi, and were blown away by the freshness of the fish.

We had a few of their special rolls a caterpillar, crazy tuna, and sweet and dragon.. All of the rolls were creative and delicious. I was espcecially impressed by the artistry and presentation. The sushi chef was there all by himself, as the two chefs who were supposed to be assisting him last night did not show up. Talk about a man working his fingers to the bone with flat out hustle. Despite how busy he was, he did make an effort to chat with us a bit. I'm not sure if he really wanted to, but the gentleman next to me was so rambunctious that he gave the chef little choice. It was pretty funny.

When East Tokyo in East Hanover closed, I was very upset, and needed to find a new regular place for sushi. I was so impressed by Okayama, that this could turn into that place.

This place was packed for a Friday night, so if you're planning on going on the weekend, either make a reservation, or call ahead to have your name put on the wait list. Half of the restaurant is Hibachi/Japanese steakhouse, half is regular tables, and there is a 5-6 seat sushi bar. In all, the restaurant isn't very large, and it's already becoming "discovered" by the Montclair crowd.

Edited December 4, 2005 by hitmanoo (log)

[Rosie]

Didn't the name of this restaurant change?