Osaka

Posted by Edmund in Argentina, Other, Restaurants | 0 comments

Osaka
Peruvian and Japanese Fusion, Sushi
About 400 pesos ($110+) for 2 people. Extraordinarily expensive.

Soler 5608
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Surprisingly, Buenos Aires has a fair number of sushi places. It also has quite a number of Peruvian restaurants. Nowhere, though, have I seen the two combined, except at Osaka.

While a fusion of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine may seem odd, I found out quite a bit later when I was in Peru, that it is, in fact, very common in Peru, since the country has a large Japanese population. The fusion style emphasizes the traditional sushi and sashimi of Japanese cuisine but infuses them with Peruvian flavors or ingredients. Osaka is one of the higher-end restaurants of that merger, and its popularity has allowed it to become a chain throughout South America.

When I entered Osaka, I was immediately taken by the ambience. This place just oozes class, making you know that it’s going to cost you an arm and a foot. The restaurant is modern, colorful, vibrant, with great lighting throughout, and a very nice bar area. Yet it doesn’t lose sight of its Japanese heritage, incorporating the traditional Japanese-style tables and sushi bar—just  making them ultra sleek and clean. Moreover, there is enough spacing among the tables that it feels intimate and possibly romantic, yet the restaurant as a whole is classy enough that it would also be ideal for formal outings or business.

But that’s about the best part of Osaka, with everything else failing in some regard. First, the service was okay, but it was rather slow and unhelpful when it came to explaining/recommending dishes. Second, Osaka doesn’t really integrate its two cuisines very well. Rather, it seemed to me that Osaka served mostly Peruvian fare with some Japanese dishes, particularl sushi and sashimi, tacked on. In that sense, I was a bit disappointed that what I got really was just some simple sushi that I could have gotten at any Japanese restaurant, including the ones back home. Finally—and this is really the worst of all—the prices that Osaka charges are almost criminal. It was the first and only time in any Argentine restaurant that I had to actually pay more for a certain cuisine than I’d have had to pay back home—and I’m talking Los Angeles prices here!

Overall, then, this is a tough restaurant to recommend. While the ambience was stunning, that doesn’t justify paying outrageous prices for mediocre food. I would not go back.

What I had:

1. Sashimi and sushi: Just sushi and sashimi. The fish is surprisingly extremely fresh and of very high quality. Still, nothing out of the ordinary.
2. BBQ shrimp: probably the best of all the dishes. BBQ flavor with a tangy twist to it. Just kind of an odd flavor combo.
3. Inca Gyoza (Duck): Great sauce, finely cooked meat.
4. Thai Rice and Oriental Risotto: Both very good, especially the rice. Great for mixing
5. White Chocolate Mousse and Chocolate sponge cake/brownie: Excellent mousse, great sweetness. Cake is a bit bland. 3.0/5.0
6. Chocolate Volcano—not to my liking. A bit too dull and bitter. Pisco ice cream only makes it worse, adding to the bitterness and acidity. Flavors don’t match at all.

Ambience: 4.5/5.0
Service: 2.5/5.0
Taste: 3.0/5.0
Value: 0.0/5.0. Much more expensive than sushi in America!
Overall Score: 2.0/5.0. Horrible Value.