I love arguments about which restaurant has the best this or that, and I’m not afraid to express my opinion. So when it comes to Japanese food, I will tell anyone who asks that that I think Miya’s Sushi in New Haven has Connecticut’s most creative and sustainable sushi, that Nuage in Greenwich has the best cost-is-no-object sushi, that Koji in Hartford has the best yakitori, that Feng Asian Bistro in Canton and Kampai in Branford have the best hibachi, that Sono Bana in Hamden has the best Japanese kitchen, and that Sushi X in West Haven has the best all-you-can-eat Japanese food.
But which restaurant has Connecticut’s best overall sushi? That would be Wasabi in Orange (website photo),
which is unrelated to any other restaurant with “Wasabi” in its name. And for a modestly priced, unassumingly decorated, not-terribly-well-known sushi joint in a nondescript little strip mall, it’s surprising how many people I run into who agree with my assessment.
The same candor compels me to add that while Connecticut has a very good Japanese food scene, Westchester County has an even better one. I know this because I reviewed restaurants there for roughly a decade. Westchester had a substantial population of Japanese expatriates, and terrific restaurants arose to meet the demand their presence generated. Treats like chawanmushi were fairly commonplace there that were almost impossible to find in Connecticut. Even though the Japanese expatriate presence diminished a bit as the world economy faltered in recent years, Westchester’s Japanese food scene remains strong. So I wasn’t surprised to learn that Yung Kai “Tom” Ke,
a native of the Chinese province of Fujiang who may well be Connecticut’s best sushi chef, trained under Japanese sushi chefs and previously worked at highly regarded Hanada Sushi in Pleasantville.
On my most recent visit to Wasabi, as I took rural Lambert Road in Orange, I spotted a herd of white-tailed deer. Although deer are a common sight in Connecticut, it was the first time I’d seen so many together. I counted thirteen in all (although I never managed to get more than twelve into the camera frame).
My interlude communing with the local fauna made me five minutes late for my dinner date with my friend Andy. Wasabi shares a small parking lot with Ola Restaurant, a popular Nuevo Latino eatery. Andy had grabbed the last parking space on this busy Friday. Fortunately, when the upper parking lot fills, there is more parking down the hill behind the two restaurants. Our luck held as we snagged one of the last tables in the dining room before Wasabi completely filled up.
We didn’t get to chat much with Tom because all of the seats at the sushi bar were already taken,
nor with his delightful wife Grace, a lovely lady with a great head for business, because she was busy taking care of their young son that night.
But before we had even placed our order, Tom acknowledged our presence by sending out this lovely tuna tartare,
which we washed down with Kirin Ichiban.
Since Andy hadn’t visited Wasabi before, I toured him through some of my favorites. Tempura dishes are something that non-Japanese chefs often screw up, but Wasabi’s shrimp and vegetable tempura appetizer is always letter perfect,
the breading light, crisp and greaseless,
the tentsuyu sauce in perfect balance.
Our salads were nice and fresh, the ginger dressing so tasty we drank the dregs.
Andy and I then split a sushi and sashimi combo for one,
which was loaded with stunningly fresh seafood treats.
After that we shared my favorite roll at Wasabi, the crystal roll,
shown here in close-up.
We also enjoyed a pair of salmon skin hand rolls, one with ikura added
and one without.
Of course, salmon skin can also be ordered as an inside-out roll, as on this past visit.
Speaking of which, let me show some other savory food photographs from past visits.
Ironically, with first-rate sushi like Wasabi’s, I completely forego wasabi, believing that the best seafood stands on its own. If I use wasabi at all, it must be fresh wasabi, which Wasabi does offer.
Tom also creates his own soy sauce blend, as top sushi chefs do. His blend is infinitely subtler, lighter, less salty and less overpowering than the commercial soy sauce one usually encounters.
For dessert, Andy and I ordered the Asian sticky black rice pudding topped with crème brûlée sauce and a little sliced mango.
Note the great presentation, right down to the Wasabi signature.
But let me show a couple of other sweet treats from past visits to Wasabi.
I have to warn readers that there is one serious drawback to trying Wasabi. If you’ve ever enjoyed a progressive wine tasting, you know that you can’t go back to a lesser wine after a great one. After experiencing what Wasabi has to offer, a number of my friends have complained that this exceptional sushi joint has ruined them for most other sushi.
Wasabi, 350 Boston Post Road, Orange, 203-795-5856, www.wasabiorange.com