Long Beach restaurant owner closes 1 spot, rebrands another
A selection of rolls at Oishi Omakase in Long Beach includes the Hokkaido Monster Roll, tuna avocado, sweet potato and a shrimp tempura roll. Credit: Newsday/Andi Berlin
If there's such a thing as an omakase bandwagon, this newly rebranded Long Beach restaurant is on it. Himawari Sushi on Park Avenue just got a face-lift and is now sporting a bright orange sign with a new name, Oishi Omakase. It now offers chef-guided omakase dinners as well as an all-you-can-eat sushi deal.
Owner Jimmy Lin wanted to distinguish the place from its larger sister restaurant Himawari Asian Pan down the street, he said at the restaurant during a recent evening. So he changed the name and gave the place a face-lift, creating a darker, sleeker vibe than the faded yellow look of before. Although it's still more casual than what you'd imagine an omakase bar to be.
Also this month, Lin decided to close his other restaurant, the short-lived China Pavilion over in Island Park, because he said it was too difficult to manage three separate businesses. He said he'd sold the space to a friend, and it will soon become a different restaurant, not yet announced.
Although omakase is in the name, Oishi seems to be more about the all-you-can-eat sushi deal. During a recent evening, all of the patrons were sitting at the tables rather than the omakase sushi bar on the right side of the restaurant. When we walked in, we were immediately handed a $34.95 all-you-can-eat menu. (Later, we were told it's a good idea to call ahead if you're doing the omakase.)
This menu has a diverse range of options, like teriyaki bowls, ramen and a variety of appetizers and sushi rolls. But one thing it doesn't have is nigiri, the traditional sushi style that focuses on a fresh piece of fish over a ball of rice. (Come to think of it, there's no sashimi on here either.) So if you're more of a sushi purist, you might consider going all out for the $99 omakase, which is a chef-driven meal that showcases fresh raw fish.
The omakase is 16 courses and includes beer and sake. But if you're not full by the end of it, you can also order off the all-you-can-eat menu too, our server told us.
Nevertheless, the $34.95 all-you-can-eat seems like a more natural choice for this venue. And if you're OK with focusing on sushi rolls, it's a fun casual meal. Agedashi tofu is a nice way to start, the pillowy cubes of silken tofu are fried in a delicate batter and presented in a bamboo wok steamer.
Traditional sushi rolls of fresh tuna and sweet potato were pleasing little nibbles. The more elaborate concoctions like a Hokkaido Monster roll with scallop, eel and hamachi tuna were definitely on the smaller side. But that just meant you could go in for a third round ...
Oishi Omakase, 116 E. Park Ave., Long Beach, 516-208-8002. Open 4-9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday, 4-10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.
