Name: Kyle Stone
Where you went: Osaka Hibachi and Sushi Bar, 5201 W. War Memorial Drive
What you had: Spicy salmon roll, spicy crab roll, alaskan roll
Price: $10.50
What you thought: Fixed in the front of the Shoppes at Grand Prairie outdoor mall, Osaka Hibachi and Sushi Bar immerses patrons in a Japanese atmosphere. While it’s awesome that Osaka features a large dining room, a traditional Japanese-themed private seating area complete with cushions and a lively sushi bar, these fixtures simply complement the sole purpose of the trip to the restaurant: the incredible sushi.
When I stopped in for lunch Nov. 2, I had no idea I’d be napping on the way home because of how full I was from the meal I received for only $10.50: a bowl of miso soup, a salad and three, six piece rolls of arguably the best sushi I’ve had since moving to Peoria three years ago.
The spicy salmon pieces aren’t the size of a nickel like you’d find at Happy Fish, and not a single piece fell apart after I dropped it five times due to my inability to use chop sticks like a normal human being. The sushi was truly high quality.
Next time you feel the urge to indulge in sushi, make the trip to Osaka. It’s well worth it.
Grade: A
Name: Tori Moses
Where you went: Happy Fish, 1200 W Main Street #22
What you had: Spider roll and fried dumplings
Price: $10.34 with coupon, $14.84 without
What you thought: In complete honesty, I only ordered the spider roll because I had a coupon, but the money I saved was not worth what I got. While the roll’s presentation was interesting (still in the Halloween mood, the roll looked like a spider was popping out of the ends with fried crab, and the shredded crab meat inside kind of resembled brains), the taste was terrible. The description – softshell crab, cucumber and avocado with unagi sauce – includes all things I like, but the way they were thrown together with a flimsy pink paper wrapping was disappointing. The roll’s flavor was overpowered by the fried taste of the crab, and the rice was loose, causing everything to fall apart.
On the other hand, my fried dumplings were delicious, and the sauce that came with them was the perfect fusion of sweet and spicy. But I ordered my meal for takeout, and I was told it would be ready in 15 minutes, so I showed up in 10 (because I’m a prompt little cookie), and the dumplings were already cold.
I’ve had great experiences at Happy Fish, but this time around I was #sadfish. Stay away from the spider roll, and dine in instead of taking out.
Grade: C
Name: Maddie Gehling
Where you went: SushiKo (formerly Sushi PoPo), 4700 N. University Street
What you had: Veggie roll and chicken teriyaki roll
Price: $10
What you thought: Because I’m weak, I never order fish sushi – or any fish, for that matter. I don’t like the way it tastes: like shoving a lump of dirty, flaky East Coast ocean in my mouth (and don’t try to tell me, “Oh, you just haven’t had good fish.” I have.).
But fish or no, SushiKo’s other options certainly deliver.
I started with the cucumber and avocado roll, of which there were six. The sticky rice was nice and fluffy, the avocado was smooth and ripe and the cucumber was crisp and fresh. Plus, who doesn’t like that soft pink rice paper?
I also got the chicken teriyaki rolls – this was the first time I’ve ever had any sort of protein in my sushi. They were almost as big as my fist – and I got five of them. Crisp lettuce and cucumber slices cuddled the warm chicken on a soft bed of rice in these rolls. The flavor was so right, I didn’t even need the wasabi, soy sauce or ginger.
Their menu is endless, the staff is friendly, and it’s a nice escape from campus. I will definitely go back to SushiKo.
Grade: A+
