For many residents living on the east side of the Maumee River, a craving for sushi used to mean a trek to west Toledo, Sylvania, Maumee or Perrysburg.

Not anymore.

Osaka Sushi and Hibachi, which opened Aug. 8, has answered the culinary prayers of those seeking authentic sushi as well as the highly entertaining hibachi dining experience.

Owner Sky Lin worked as a sushi chef for many years in New Jersey before joining his family in Toledo one year ago.

“When I came here, I noticed there wasn’t a Japanese restaurant around here,” Lin said. “That is when I decided to open a restaurant in Oregon.”

Jason Zhang fires up the grill at the Osaka Sushi and Hibachi restaurant. (Press photo by Ken Grosjean)

Since opening, those in the know have been crowding the restaurant, especially on the weekends.

For those who like sushi, Osaka offers a large variety from which to choose.

What exactly is sushi anyway? Technically, the word sushi means “vinegared rice.” But, according to Lin, “sushi” can take on many forms.

“Some people think sushi is just raw fish,” Lin said. “Sushi can be raw or cooked fish and seafood.”

The beautifully rolled, cut and presented Japanese finger food can be seen in many styles. There is Maki-sushi, which is rice and vegetables and/or fish rolled tightly in a dried seaweed wrapper called nori. There is also Nigiri- sushi, where rice is shaped like a finger and then topped with wasabi and either raw or cooked fish or shellfish. One note: wasabi, often called Japanese horseradish, is a paste made from a plant native to Japan. Wasabi tends to be very spicy and unless you are congested and don’t mind loosening your sinuses around your dining companions, start slowly when adding this condiment to your sushi.

Another type of sushi is sashimi, which is either raw or cooked fish or shellfish, served without the rice, Lin said. Osaka offers many types of sushi. The restaurant brings in fresh eel, tuna, yellow tail, shrimp and salmon twice a week to ensure diners are getting the freshest sushi.

Popular rolls, according to Lin, include the “Spicy Lover” roll, made up of deep fried salmon, tuna, crab, cream cheese and avocado. The “Dragon” roll is a California style roll with eel, avocado, and tobiko, the roe of the flying fish.

The California roll, invented in California in the 1970s, is made inside out, with the sushi rice on the outside of the roll covering the nori and the rest of the contents.

“The ‘Osaka’ roll is also very popular,” Lin said. “The roll is deep fried and filled with crab, cream cheese, avocado, white fish, and jalapeno.”

The “Fujiyama” roll, available as a weekend special, is filled with shrimp tempura and spicy tuna and then topped with tuna, salmon, scallions and tobiko.

Osaka seems to have a split personality with diners, Lin said.

“The sushi side tends to be filled with adults and couples,” he said. “The hibachi side fills up with adults, couples and families.”

The hibachi side of the restaurant has diners seated around a table, watching as a skilled chef cooks their food in front of them on an integrated hot plate.

For many gourmands and novices, it is like theatre in the round. You get to eat great food that is served with flair. Osaka offers many options for the hibachi diners as well.

“The chef will cook in front of you chicken, steak, shrimp and salmon,” Lin explained. “The hibachi dinners come with vegetables, fried rice, noodles, soup and salad.

Hibachi dinners range in price from $13.99 for chicken to $17.99 for shrimp. Combination meals are also available.

Osaka currently serves beer, wine and Saki, which is served either warm or cold. Saki, made from fermented rice, is more like a beer than a wine, which is made with fruit. One can argue that it is a “must” when going Japanese.

Osaka offers desserts like fried ice cream and fried cheesecake, Lin said. For those celebrating a birthday, Osaka will play you special music and give you a free fried cheesecake, he said.

Osaka Sushi and Hibachi is located at 3150 Navarre Ave., in Oregon. The restaurant is open Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. and on Fridays, from 11 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. During the weekdays, the restaurant closes from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. Osaka is open Saturdays from 12 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. and on Sundays, from 2:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Reservations are suggested for those visiting on a weekend evening. To make a reservation or for more information, call 419-697-2669.

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