Origianlly posted on Dec 27th, 2008
Sushi, soup, salad, etc., satisfies
Recently, Accent Editor David Wersinger and his son, Jake, dropped by Wasabi Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar in DeLand. Besides having some of the freshest sushi and sashimi in town, Wasabi has a wide array of Japanese dinners including tempura, nabemono (simmered dishes), curry, teriyaki and teppan dishes.
Q. So, what was your overall impression? We visited on a Friday evening around 6 p.m., and were surprised (and happy) there was no wait for a table. The interior of the restaurant was clean and woody. Also, a sturdy, wide ramp from the parking lot to the front door makes it very accessible.
Q. Let’s get to it: What did you have? We were starved, so we started with some sushi. The shrimp tempura roll ($4.75), spicy tuna roll ($4.50) and two pieces of nigiri crab ($2.50) were formidable foes, but they were no match for two hungry guys. Each roll had eight pieces, and Jake declared the tuna roll with its spicy, creamy sauce “delish.”
Q. Sounds like someone has a crush on Rachael Ray. Continue, please. Time for the entrees. Each came with soup, salad (your choice of ginger or sesame dressing) and white or fried rice. Jake opted for the chicken teriyaki ($9.50) while I chose the deluxe tempura ($15.95). And they’re not kidding about “deluxe.” Piping hot, crispy tempura was delivered to our table, and it included shrimp, fish, scallops, eggplant, sweet potato, green onion, a HUGE mushroom and zucchini, all perfectly cooked with a mirin dipping sauce. I did my best, but there was enough left over for another small meal. Jake’s teriyaki was also a large portion, expertly cooked with zucchini, carrots, mushrooms and bean sprouts. My son is a man of few words, but even he gushed about the portions and the quality of the food.
Q. What about drinks? Wasabi has a full selection of soft drinks, iced tea, imported and domestic beer, sake and plum wine. I ordered a 16 ounce Sapporo ($4.95) and Jake had a Coke (95 cents).
Q. We take it that’s a big yepper on a return visit? Most definitely. For a moderately priced restaurant — our bill with drinks and tip was $53.57 — Wasabi is a satisfying dining experience.
Wasabi 2285 S. Woodland Blvd., DeLand
WHERE:
ACCESSIBILITY: Plenty of parking and very easy to navigate
HOURS: Lunch 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday-Friday; dinner 5-9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 5-9 p.m. Sunday
MISCELLANEOUS: Cash and major credit cards accepted
PHONE: 386-943-8042
Leave a Reply