Osaka Sushi Bar

Osaka Sushi Bar in Stoney Run Shopping Center in Newport News was a nice surprise.  My husband and I went on a week night and they weren’t busy at all.  It was just us and one more couple.  The atmosphere was nice thought not overly Asian themed.  They don’t have an overwhelming selection of vegetarian options but I like how they label their rolls as “c” for cooked, “u” for uncooked, and “v” for veggie.  Be sure to not confuse the U’s for V’s.  The best veggie roll that I’ve tried there is the cucumber avocado roll.  It had roasted sesame seeds around the rice that really added to the flavor.  It was delicious!  The service was quick and friendly and the price was just right ($3.50 for the cucumber/avocado roll).  I will definitely go back.

We stopped by Thaijindesu in Port Warwick after an afternoon at the Starving Artist Studio (very cool place to paint your own pottery).  Thaijindesu serves both Thai and Japanese food.

We came in at around 4 which is very early dinner and they weren’t busy at all.  They greeted us and sat us at a nice table.  The atmosphere is modern with an Asian feel. 

I ordered the Massaman Curry with Tofu and some Thai Iced Tea (can’t go without that!).  The Thai Tea was excellent.  The Curry was also very good.  The carrots were bigger than I’m used to and it has a little less sauce (and more potatoes) but was still very good.  I also like how their tofu was fried.  I don’t like it when it’s too soft.  It wasn’t spicy at all (even though on the menu, it has a pepper next to it).  I like it that way.  If you want it spicy, be sure to ask them to make it spicier (if possible).

My fiancé ordered Panang curry with Tofu which he said was very tasty.   Another one in our party ordered their Pad Se Ew with Tofu which he said was good but not as good as the Pad Se Ew from Pattaya.

I love Thaijindesu because of the fact that we can substitute almost anything with Tofu or make things vegetarian.  They only thing is that they are slightly more expensive than most of the other Thai restaurants.  It is probably because of their upscale location.  Port Warwick is very nice and has a great atmosphere.  I would recommend it to others.

http://www.thaijindesu.us

We went to Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar on a Sunday night and they were not busy at all.  We walked in and were greeted and sat down right away.   The atmosphere is Asian/Modern.  After ordering our drinks, we were ready to order right away.  They have an extensive vegetarian menu for a Japanese restaurant.  To name a few:  Vegetarian Shrimp Tempura, Vegetarian Salmon Roll, Vegetarian Lobster Roll, Vegetarian Ham, and Vegetarian Chicken Teriyaki.  We decided to go with the Eggplant “Ham” platter and the Sesame “Chicken”.

After serving us Miso Soup and salad (both were delicious), they came out with our meals.  I loved the presentation.  The food was also superb.  They brought it out with a potato cake and a spring roll.  The spring roll had a bit too much cabbage for my taste but I loved the potato cake.  My sesame chicken was excellent and my fiancé’s Eggplant “Ham” platter was TO DIE FOR!  After trying it, I had to second guess myself and make sure that there was no Eggplant Ham platter anywhere else on the menu.  It tasted just like what I remember Ham tasting like and the consistency was close but I think not as chewy as real ham.   Since they only offer a vegetarian version, this was definitely vegetarian.

I had a wonderful first experience with Kotobuki and will definitely be going back soon.  The server was very friendly and very willing to help.   I highly recommend it.  You can find out more about Kotobuki at their US Directory listing: http://kotobuki.usdirectory.com