Turning Japanese

All-you-can-eat sushi
surrounds you at Odaki

by MATHILDE RABBAT

Roughly one year ago, the wall between a dep on Ste-Catherine W. and a neighbouring commercial establishment came tumbling down to make space for the airy Odaki sushi bar, specializing in all-you-can-eat lunch and dinner specials. Conveyer belts never looked so enticing as a hodgepodge of sushi selections coast past dining booths in clear plastic containers on twin, slow moving, elevated beltways.

All-you-can-eat selections can either be plucked from the conveyer—as angled mirrors run alongside to allow seated diners to spy the contents of boxes—or, more conventionally, be ticked on a paper menu. A satisfying lunch can be had for a competitive $16.99, while dinner will set you back $22.99 Sunday through Thursday, and $26.99 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Certain conditions apply to the all-you-can-eat concept, however. Items from certain categories bear a maximum of two or three choices per person, and extra charges apply to wasted food—almost a dollar per uneaten piece. Some dishes may overlap from one menu to the other and a separate à la carte menu is also available. The Japanese offerings outlined above also share the kitchen with a fair number of Chinese and Thai concoctions, as evidenced by dishes like wonton soup, General Tao chicken, a few chow meins, and pad thai.

As appetizers, both the green salad and the Odaki version with tobiko (flying fish roe) were simple iceberg numbers, yet adequate. The same can be said for the miso soup entrée, but it was the chawanmushi, a steamed egg custard spiked with soya sauce, that stole the show. Served piping hot, the custard cloaks sunken hidden treasures like shrimp, mock crab and chicken. This foamy hors d’oeuvre did not figure in the aforementioned specials, but is certainly worth sampling, and waiting for, since it must be ordered a good 15 or 20 minutes ahead of time.

Frankly, none of the sushi or sashimi I sampled was lacking. The flavourful white tuna sashimi sliced in thin ripples especially stood out while the octopus nigiri held its own. I would also recommend the sweet tofu. Eat it fast before the AC, seemingly set to “arctic freeze,” cools it down, thereby dulling its crispy fried texture. Speaking of chilly, may I suggest you skip the wines on the list in favour of a cold—rather than warm—smooth, fourteen proof Hakutsuru draft sake ($16)? If your cup of tea is more, well, a cup of tea, the ocha (green tea) served here is satisfactory indeed. Tea can be reheated by punters themselves, as all booths are ingeniously equipped with hot water taps.

Back to the rolls, the Una-Avo maki provides an interesting combination of eel, avocado, cream cheese and smoked salmon. The spicy veggie maki proved to be thoroughly enjoyable with its cucumber, asparagus, avocado and firm oshinko (pickled radish) filling. It is one of about a dozen vegetarian selections, clearly identified by asterisks on the menu sheet.

An artfully displayed Dragon Eye futomaki (“fat roll”) from the à la carte offerings ($9.95), fashioned to look like some sort of fiery mythical eye, incorporates a series of concentric layers: a slice of green onion forms the pupil, which is surrounded by salmon, tobiko (flying fish roe), then encircled by a squid lid and enveloped by a layer of sticky rice. The whole thing is then lightly battered before spending a hot second in the fryer; it’s a scrumptious mouthful, especially with a dip in the spicy mayo, and one of a limited selection of warm rolls avaiable. Some dishes come with a little shredded carrot and parsley, topped with a sparse, refreshing diced pepper and thai basil salsa for dramatic effect. Pity the chef wasn’t heavier handed with the salsa.

As I am perpetually on the lookout for exciting foodstuffs, I was over the moon to sample the goma ice cream, a roasted black sesame number that was as dark and nutty tasting as the seed itself, and absolutely to die for.

Overall, the all-you-can-eat buffets are competitively priced and provide good value for quality fare. The only real improvement needed isn’t behind the counter, but in the dining area where inexperienced staff need to polish their waiting and customer service skills.