Wasabi Sushi
14513 W. Maple Rd., Omaha, NE (402) 991-6878
All you can eat sushi.
I will let you digest that for a moment. At first, it sounds off-putting as it conjures visions of sad buffets and not at all how one would like to receive their fresh (raw) fish. So let us dispense of that notion right off.
Wasabi Sushi is all you can eat, but it is prepared one dish at a time. You may order a la carte, but I did not see those prices listed. For a weekend night, the price is about $23 each; lunches and week nights are a little less. Drinks are extra.
Having now been put in the right mindset, let me tell you about the food.
All of the food comes in individual portions which gives you the freedom and encouragement to try many different items. While the name of the restaurant is “sushi” there is a variety of other foods as well. The left side of the menu first contained appetizers. They offered several types of soup, potstickers, spring rolls, fried calamari and more. Next on the left were choices for those not into sushi such as teriyaki beef or chicken as well as grilled skewers. On the right side of the menu were the sushi selections (six to eight pieces each.) The offerings were pretty typical of Omaha sushi joints except for one unique standout- sushi pizza. Finally, at the bottom of the menu were the dessert choices (read: ice cream.) All of this is included in your price!
Our waitress encouraged the two of us to start with about six choices. We thought this was excessive until we saw the portion sizes. We requested a couple of maki rolls, a couple of appetizers and a teriyaki salmon. The rolls were delicious and comparable to those we have had other places in town. The teriyaki sauce was generous but the small portion of fish was overcooked and nothing to get excited about. Also overcooked was the fried calamari. The calamari was the largest portion of anything we received. While the tempura breading was light and crispy, the calamari was tough and rubbery. We fared better with the veggie tempura which was crisp and delicious and served with a delicate soy based dipping sauce. We devoured the properly salted edamame. The miso soup never arrived.
After getting the hang of it, we ordered more. Now, we were brave enough to try the sushi pizza after a brief description from our waitress who did not actually seem to know what it was. What it was, was the equivalent of six sushi rolls of rice rolled together in a patty, coated in panko bread crumbs, then deep fried. This crispy delight is then topped with selected sushi toppings such as spicy crab mixed with a spiced mayo (What is it with the Japanese and mayo on pizza?) and a drizzle of a hoisin type sauce. It is then cut into six little wedges. I was tempted to distract my beau’s attention and gobble all the pieces myself. The good news is that the place is all you can eat so you can just order another one.
The food is fun if not spectacular. Sushi pizza was the highlight for me but I was pleasantly satisfied with the meal overall. A wide variety of options allow all tastes to be satisfied. It is wise to order several items each round as the food will be delivered as it is ready.
The service was not very good, but at least it was friendly. Because they were sending food out as it was prepared, we had several different servers who were often uncertain. Two different waitresses tried to take our orders which clearly caused confusion. Not only did we never get our soup, I was the only one to get green tea ice cream for dessert. This was eventually remedied… twice. My beau received two dishes of ice cream. However, he did not complain.
Don’t go to Wasabi expecting to be blown away, but go and have some fun and order something new.
