Oishi Kada

Oishi Kada
280 August Ave

This morning I was under a deadline. The rain was scheduled to start falling around noon. Could I get down to Chinatown to buy some new dishes before getting wet? Well, the rain held off and I looked at about a billion different kinds of dishes, but walked out of Tap Phong empty handed. But since I was in the neighborhood, why not check out that sushi place I remember seeing just inside Kensington Market?

OK, so I exaggerate a bit. I brought my camera with me and checked the business hours before I left the house. Lets face it, nearly every time I leave the house it’s an excuse to go eat. :) When I got there, I noted that while the place is the usual small sushi joint, there was more seating than I would have guessed, and if the restaurant was full you wouldn’t be sitting check to jowl either. However, this time I nearly had the place to myself as the Kensington hippies were kept indoors by gray skies.

Usually my strategy is to grab two different rolls, one cheap-ish and one at or above $10. Today I was even more indecisive than usual, and when I overheard the person next to me ordering a roll set I checked out that section of the menu. Ah, now they had something that speaks to my tastes. A spicy handroll set at a whole $8.45. Perfect, I get lunch for just over $10, and I get some variety. The set came with 3 handrolls, tuna, salmon, and avocado. Each with spicy mayo and some tempura for a nice crunch. The fish was nice and fresh and quite tasty. The rolls were just the right size too, not over stuffed with rice. I’ve decided I like temaki when the first bite is almost too much for a mouthful, and the subsequent bites are more manageable. My only criticism was that the tempura was more like chunks than flakes, and almost tasted stale because of it. Repeat after me kids, less is more.

Still, the service was quick, and with the counter a mere few feet away, you could easily watch your food getting made. I’m sure that as the summer progresses, I’ll be in there for a visit again as I take my hippie sister for walkies. :)