Samurai: Good Japanese Food, Plain and Simple

Japanese restaurants run the gamut from food court fixture (Teriyaki Boy) to once-in-a-lifetime dining experiences (Masa in Manhattan comes to mind--a friend of mine ate there with his buddy and walked out $1,200 lighter).

Neighborhood Japanese restaurants tend to fall somewhere in between the high and low end of the spectrum. in Bryn Mawr is a fine neighborhood restaurant.

The appetizers are mostly from the kitchen, but there are a few mini versions of entrees from the sushi bar (sushi appetizer, $7.50; sashimi appetizer, $8.95) as well as the delicious sounding spicy toro tartar ($12.95). Edamame ($3.95) is an obvious choice for starter but for something new, try the agedashi tofu (fried tofu with a soy based sauce, $5.50) or yakitori appetizer (soy glazed chicken on a skewer, $6.25). Staples like gyoza (chicken or vegetable, $5.50) and tempura appetizers (shrimp ($7.50) or vegetable ($6.25)) round out the list. I tend to stick with miso soup ($1.50) and house salad (with ginger dressing, $3.95) when I dine out at Japanese restaurants. The soup here is flavorful and done well. The salad is fresh, the dressing tangy and satisfying. Both are low-calorie, inexpensive ways to start your meal.

The tempura udon (shrimp and vegetable tempura on noodles, $11.95) was larger than life. The steaming bowl of noodles and savory broth arrived with a rectangular plate piled high with crisp, perfectly fried shrimp and vegetables (carrots, broccoli, onions and asparagus). Be sure to ask for some togarashi (Japanese pepper blend) to sprinkle over the top.

Entrees from the sushi bar include variations on sushi and sashimi platters or maki (roll) combos. We chose the sushi and sashimi for two ($43.95) because it seemed to have it all. This entree is filled to the gills with the best that the restaurant has to offer: 10 pieces of sushi, 18 pieces of sashimi, one yellow tail maki and one California maki. The platter arrived with tuna, salmon, white tuna, yellow tail, mackerel and what appeared to be flounder. The fish was generously portioned, fresh and clean tasting (except for the mackerel, which was overwhelmingly fishy and clearly not a favorite of the table. Not to say that it wasn't fresh, because mackerel is always very strong tasting even when fully cooked).

There was plenty of pickled ginger and wasabi on the platter (which is always a plus). I was taught to have a piece of pickled ginger between bites of different fish to cleanse the palate so that I could truly savor the various flavors. The rolls were tight and expertly rolled. I particularly enjoyed the yellow tail maki. It was a refreshing change of pace to have a yellow tail maki instead of the standard tuna roll.

For those feeling a bit squeamish about raw fish or sushi novices, there is a non-raw sushi sampler (7 pieces of cooked sushi and one California maki, $15.75) and an abundance of house special maki (rolls). The dancing dragon (crabmeat, cucumber, eel and avocado, $9.95), dragon (eel and avocado, $9.45) , S. S. T. maki (spicy shrimp tempura, scallion and eel, $8.25) or spider maki (fried soft shell crab, tobiko caviar and avocado) are good beginner options. 

Entrees from the kitchen include all kinds of teriyaki (chicken, NY strip steak, lobster tail, filet mignon, salmon, shrimp or scallop ($13.95-$28.95)) and hibachi ($14.95-$33.95) or a simple piece of cooked fish with a honey miso sauce (salmon, $15.95 or red snapper, $18.95). Japanese dishes like seafood yosenabe (seafood with soy broth served in a traditional Japanese hot pot, $18.95) and tonkatsu or chicken katsu (pork or chicken that is breaded and fried with special dipping sauce, both $12.95) are also options for those that do not want sushi.

The restaurant is constantly offering harder-to-find kinds of sushi including uni (sea urchin), toro (fatty tuna) and raw scallops. Be sure to check the white board to see what the available selection is. 

While the prices are reasonable (especially considering the quality of product), the lunch specials are even more of a bargain. Be sure to check out the lunch deals (most of which are less than $10).

Enjoy your lunch or dinner with green tea--it's a natural and logical choice. The green tea they brew there is good and arrives quite hot.

The decor is East Asian (artwork, light-colored wood, and the lovely servers wear kimonos), and the carpeting ensures that the dining room never gets too loud. The service is efficient, friendly and understated. I would recommend this place to anyone in the neighborhood with a hankering for Japanese food, be it raw or cooked.