Eastern Kitchen & Sushi
★★★★☆ 4 (76)
"Mel and I have seen Eastern Kitchen & Sushi pop up on Uber Eats a number of times, but we always chose to not order delivery from them before dining in with them, believing that Asian and Pan Asian cuisine and dining experiences really lose something in the presentation when you get it delivered (with the possible exception of New York-style Chinese take-out). This past weekend, we finally got to pay a visit to their location on 4th Street North and it was well worth the trip!For those who don't know, Eastern Kitchen & Sushi is located in the space where Capital Taco used to be, just yards away from Metro Diner, which sits on the opposite end of the strip plaza. Anyone who's frequented Metro knows how limited parking can be in that plaza, so be warned -- on weekends and evenings parking may be a little dicey. But once you've got that squared away and you walk in the door to Eastern Kitchen, you should be set for a fun dinner out.First of all, these folks had a beverage that was an absolute revelation for Mel and I: Chocolat Nigori sake! We are huge fans of Nigori sake -- the unfiltered, cloudy sake that gives the beverage a completely different taste and mouthfeel than clear, dry sake often served hot or used for sake bombs. That said, traditional Nigori can sometimes be an acquired taste because of its flavor -- not so with Chocolat, though! We ordered a bottle and it came with shot glasses meant for sipping, but I challenge anyone to have the self control not to shoot it like a dessert shot once you try it. It's reminiscent of some recent chocolate wines that have hit the market: slightly thicker than blended cream liqueur, all chocolate sweetness and no alcohol after-taste. Dangerous stuff -- careful you don't fall in love!Now, on to the stuff that really matters: the food! Eastern Kitchen & Sushi has one entire side of their menu dedicated to nigiri, sashimi, and sushi roll options, so sushi lovers should have plenty to choose from. We plan to go back and try some of those offerings, but on this visit we hit the other side of the menu, which features a wide variety of options from across a variety of countries. We tried to pick our appetizers and dinner options to reflect that diversity: 5-spice braised beef bao buns to start, then a Korean BBQ bowl for me and Tonkatsu Ramen for Mel. Everything was presented beautifully and had tremendous flavor. Mel did get the better dish, I must say -- their inclusion of pickled ginger gave the pork bone broth a very unexpected and delightful zing, which complimented the egg and other myriad flavors going on in that bowl. I liked mine a great deal, but I think my choice of soba noodles instead of brown rice made eating the dish a little harder than it had to be. Also, when ordering the bulgogi (thinly sliced steak) as your protein, keep in mind it's off the bone, and getting all the meat off can be a challenge.Amazingly, we found we had room for dessert after all that, so to wrap up our dining experience we ordered their tempura fried cheesecake with vanilla ice cream. If you've never tried cheesecake served this way, you're truly missing out -- the tempura batter and powdered sugar adds a whole new layer of flavor to the cheesecake and graham cracker crust that you will not believe. May try it next time with the green tea ice cream, but we're definitely getting it again!All in all, we had a very solid first dining experience at Eastern Kitchen & Sushi. We'll definitely be back to try their sushi offerings and definitely will be ordering delivery from them in the near future!"
"Just a note. I've been to Saigon Deli twice since the first time.The food has consistently been delicious and the servers have been outstanding."
"Ozona Blue is almost in the realm of "too good to be true." The first time my parents ever took me here at a young age, I specifically remember them trying to trigger excitement within me telling me "This place is different." Upon hearing so, I looked up Ozona Blue on google and deciphered that it had a pool and hot tub. When I discovered this, I ignorantly assumed either the food would be garbage, or the prices outrageous. However, it is almost comical how untrue this is- almost to the point of assuming they are losing money. It almost feels like a scam to go to this luxurious restaurant and pay very mediocre prices. However, this blessing is one which must be taken advantage of. The appetizers here are some of the bests in the world. The calamari, shrimp and wings are the big three in my eyes, but you cannot go wrong regardless. Additionally, no matter what meal you order, it is cooked to a supreme quality, and it magnifies the vacation-type environment that you can literally get in the water while you wait for your food. When I am in Florida, there is no place I look forward to attending more than Ozona Blue- because it provides a true vacation experience beyond simply food."
