April 19, 2019Fresh, vibrant, flavorful. Japanese cuisine extends beyond a tabooed appeal of relishing uncooked portions of fresh cuts of fish rolled up with some rice. It embellishes a methodical approach to the culinary arts that takes months to learn, and years to master. It’s the utmost dedication to skill and quality that transforms the simplest of ingredients into tangible works of art that seduces one’s palate into submission.
Iowa city presents with a modest selection of restaurants serving Japanese fare. Understandably, in Midwestern United States where culinary adventurists are relatively sparse and consumption of raw seafood is a far cry from the ubiquitous meat and potatoes, the mistaken notion that Japanese restaurants focuses mainly on sushi over rice seems to linger, and equally delightful fully cooked varieties succumb to being overlooked.
Located on Lower Muscatine Road in Iowa City, Oyama Sushi serves up Japanese cuisine favorites as beautiful sushi rolls and sashimi, delectable noodle dishes, vibrant bento lunch boxes, skewered meats, teppanyaki-style dishes and a handful of deep fried tempura classics.
Walking in, you’ll immediately notice the full-sized sushi counter where colorful cuts of fresh fish are transformed into mouth watering bite-sized morsels. The place looks clean and welcoming, but nothing spectacular. Dining room was dimly lit, and the atmosphere, casual. Service was pleasant but unexceptional.
The menu shines with a full page of eye-catching sushi rolls, nigiri sushi and sashimi. Teppanyaki section flaunts delicious chicken, tofu, steak and seafood combinations, each served with a side and some miso soup and salad with ginger dressing. Fried rice, noodle dishes, hot pots and deep fat fried cuts of tender meat (tonkatsu) all presented to satiate one’s hankering for cooked Japanese delights. Click here to check out their full menu.
Our meal started with a nice hot cup of miso soup and some mixed greens topped with ginger dressing. Unsure if the salad is house made, but it tasted a little sweeter than usual. Otherwise, it was a nice starter dish while waiting for our main entrees.
For our mains, Jen Jen ordered the Salmon Teriyaki Luncheon Bento Box, an amazing deal at just a little over $10. With it comes a slice of salmon in teriyaki sauce, half a California roll (3 pcs), fried gyoza dumplings and fresh fruit served alongside a bowl of steamed white rice. Salmon had good texture and cooked quite nicely. Teriyaki sauce had a delicious balance of sweet, spicy and savory, and complemented well with the salmon and slices of sweet onion. The California roll was probably the best we’ve ever tasted. Rice was cooked perfectly. Avocado, imitation crab and cucumber added a nice creamy-crunchy textural component. The nori (seaweed) used had a slight crunch and has that refreshing salty and subtle briny flavor that marries the flavors together. The fried gyoza dumplings were delicious, well seasoned and had a delicious slight crunch. Overall, quite impressive for the food quality and price.
I, on the other hand, always go the whole nine yards when it comes to satiating my sushi cravings. I love good sushi. It is something that I’ve cherished even before I moved to the United States. After all, where I grew up in the Philippines, seafood is esteemed to be exceedingly fresh and the freshest catch is mere hours away.
I ordered the Sushi and Sashimi Platter for $23 on the sushi menu. It came with fresh sashimi-cut slices of tuna and salmon, along with a variety of nigiri sushi pieces and a California roll. I was pleasantly surprised with their generous sashimi pieces that tasted really fresh and delicious. Nigiri pieces were simply exquisite and tasted absolutely delightful with wasabi and soy sauce. Definitely a meal well worth its price tag.
For those who have yet to venture eating raw sushi-grade fish, sashimi are raw slices of fish usually eaten with a dab of wasabi (horseradish paste), and dipped in soy sauce. The fish usually has a mild flavor and the fattiness adds a melt-in-your-mouth appeal to each bite. Interestingly, prime cuts of really fresh sushi doesn’t smell fishy at all. Sushi can come with some variations. It is served as a sushi roll, or served fish on rice (nigiri sushi). The nori (seaweed) serves as a wrapper to hold things together and add a briny depth of umami flavor.
For dessert, we have to try their Japanese style mochi ice cream which was simply sensational. Delicious ice cream (mango, macha and chocolate) in a chewy mochi exterior served with some whipped cream topped with a maraschino cherry. Perfect ending to a delicious meal at Oyama Sushi.
Conclusion:
“Don’t judge book by its cover.” As the saying goes, what Oyama Sushi lacks in aesthetic appeal, they sure make it up with a great variety of authentic Japanese fare. I just wish they have more ramen options. Otherwise, they have tons of sushi rolls and other dishes that can help encourage the foodie in us to try something new. Sushi tasted nice and fresh, definitely one of the best sushi we’ve had in the midwest. Price range is at par with other sushi restaurants. But if you come during lunch time, do check out their lunch specials for some really good value deals.
Contact Information:
Oyama Sushi Japanese Restaurant
1853 Lower Muscatine Road
Iowa City, IA 52240
Phone: (319) 337 – 8801
