Ask my 9 year old where she would like to go for dinner and there is one overwhelmingly used answer for that question. The girl loves her sushi.
Gary Chus Osake Japanese Bistro in Santa Rosa is a favorite of our whole family. We usually start with the Martini Prawns, another fave of my 9 yr old and edamame beans. My 12 year old, who is more of a steak kinda gal, always starts with the miso soup and salad.
This week’s cute quote from my 9 year old “The salad dressing in Japan looks like face concealer make-up.”
As you can guess, she opted out of the salad portion of the meal.
I have done both lunch and dinner at Osake and enjoy the atmosphere. It is toted as California Style Japanese and I would agree, I liked the California Wine List that is.
However, we are still in wine country. When seated at the sushi bar, the chefs have terrific personality and also the waitstaff is attentive and sweet to children at the tables.
Unless your children are well behaved and of course, enjoy Japanese cuisine, I do not recommend the place as it is a fine dining establishment. Although, they do give my 9 year old a cute pair of chopsticks cheats to help her eat without ever needing a fork.
They are always very clean, nicely decorated with urns of flora and native murals and also have a L shaped fish tank to help pass time if you wait for a seat.
Making reservation for Friday and Saturday nights is best since Osake is very popular with locals and tourists alike.
The restaurant is located right next to the Montgomery Shopping Center on 2446 Patio Court – Santa Rosa, CA. You can call them at 707-542-8282 with questions or for reservations. Website: California Style Japanese Restaurant
Chef Gary Chu also has a Chinese restaurant downtown in Santa Rosa which I have eaten at and some of the dishes are the same which is interesting. For instance, the martini prawns my kids love, are the same at both dining rooms. But let me also state that the Martini Prawns Rock…and are quite addicting.
My favorite at Osake is the Cancun roll with uses pieces of jalapeno, habanero and masago on top instead of making them into a sauce. Most spicy rolls I find have a spicy sauce to create the heat. The cancun roll at Osake has no sauce, but uses fresh small chunks of peppers to light the tongue on fire. Worth a try and a great presentation.
I decided against it tonight as the spice is too much for some, including my 9 yr old, who was ordering rolls with me while Aaron and my 12 year old opted for dinner entrees. But then swiped half our sushi rolls – we saw them coming though….once presented it is hard to resist a beautiful presented plate of fish.
Our picks for the evening
ROCK ‘N’ ROLL
BBQ Fresh Water Eel w/ Avocado
HORIZON ROLL
Prawn tempura roll w/ curry mayo sauce, drizzled w/ soy honey.
DRAGON ROLL
Prawn tempura, burdock root, shiso & cucumber, wrapped in eel, avocado & tobiko.
PHILADELPHIA ROLL
Cream Cheese, Smoked Salmon & Avocado
LEMON CHICKEN
Crispy Chicken Breast With Fresh Lemon Sauce
TERIYAKI BEEF
Grilled Prime Cut Angus Beef In Teriyaki Sauce
I have tried to include photos of most items and below included an image of the cancun roll complete with pepper slice on top from a previous visit. Yum tuna. Cheers.
CANCUN ROLL
Spicy tuna, onion, avocado, soy paper, jalapeno, habanero, masago, and lime juice.
OSAKE JAPANESE BISTRO Website Here
2446 Patio Ct, Santa Rosa, CA 95405
(707) 542-8282