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Rik Brown · 7th November 2005, 10:43 PM

Review: OSAKA JAPANESE RESTAURANT & SUSHI BAR -- Columbia, Missouri

I rarely write about a poor dining experience, but here goes....

I love Japanese food (I lived 8 years in Japan) and like to discover new Japanese restaurants as I travel. I was in Columbia, Missouri on Saturday, November 5, 2005 to attend a marching band competition at the University of Missouri's football stadium. We had a little over an hour for lunch during a break. So we went to a nearby Japanese restaurant I had noticed on a previous visit to Columbia. This was the Osaka Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar of this review.

First the food. It was passable but didn't get any high marks. I had a tempura and sashimi combination meal. The sashimi certainly was not very fresh. The tempura, which should normally be very bright was dark which is normally due to using the same deep-frying oil for too long. The dab of wasabi (Japanese horseradish) for the sashimi was the tiniest amount I think I've ever seen for a meal. In other words, the restaurant appeared to be cutting corners where possible.

The only good element of our visit was our server, an American who was pleasant and attentive in keeping our ice tea glasses full and asking if we needed anything. Outside of this one employee, none of the other employees said "Hi" or even acknowledged our presence. There were 2-3 people working behind the sushi bar where we sat who never even made eye contact with us.

I didn't notice even one Japanese working there. I didn't clearly hear what language the employees were using but it appeared to be either Chinese or Korean. We did hear a group of customers speaking Korean who were the only other customers here during our meal. Perhaps the sparsity of customers for a rather large restaurant speaks a lot about this restaurant.

I normally don't review a bad experience as I prefer to review the "good finds." However, if anyone can suggest a good Japanese restaurant in Columbia, I'd sure like to know for my next visit. Or, if you just want to advise about one of your good restaurant finds here, please reply to this message thread.

Thanks and Cheers! -- Rik

OSAKA JAPANESE RESTAURANT & SUSHI BAR
120 East Nifong Blvd.
Columbia, MO 65203
(573) 875-8588

7th November 2005, 10:43 PM	#1 (permalink)
Rik Brown Administrator Join Date: May 2005 Location: St. Louis, Missouri, USA Posts: 5,228 Blog Entries: 5 No Classifed Ratings	Columbia, Missouri - Restaurant Reviews Review: OSAKA JAPANESE RESTAURANT & SUSHI BAR -- Columbia, Missouri I rarely write about a poor dining experience, but here goes.... I love Japanese food (I lived 8 years in Japan) and like to discover new Japanese restaurants as I travel. I was in Columbia, Missouri on Saturday, November 5, 2005 to attend a marching band competition at the University of Missouri's football stadium. We had a little over an hour for lunch during a break. So we went to a nearby Japanese restaurant I had noticed on a previous visit to Columbia. This was the Osaka Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar of this review. First the food. It was passable but didn't get any high marks. I had a tempura and sashimi combination meal. The sashimi certainly was not very fresh. The tempura, which should normally be very bright was dark which is normally due to using the same deep-frying oil for too long. The dab of wasabi (Japanese horseradish) for the sashimi was the tiniest amount I think I've ever seen for a meal. In other words, the restaurant appeared to be cutting corners where possible. The only good element of our visit was our server, an American who was pleasant and attentive in keeping our ice tea glasses full and asking if we needed anything. Outside of this one employee, none of the other employees said "Hi" or even acknowledged our presence. There were 2-3 people working behind the sushi bar where we sat who never even made eye contact with us. I didn't notice even one Japanese working there. I didn't clearly hear what language the employees were using but it appeared to be either Chinese or Korean. We did hear a group of customers speaking Korean who were the only other customers here during our meal. Perhaps the sparsity of customers for a rather large restaurant speaks a lot about this restaurant. I normally don't review a bad experience as I prefer to review the "good finds." However, if anyone can suggest a good Japanese restaurant in Columbia, I'd sure like to know for my next visit. Or, if you just want to advise about one of your good restaurant finds here, please reply to this message thread. Thanks and Cheers! -- Rik OSAKA JAPANESE RESTAURANT & SUSHI BAR 120 East Nifong Blvd. Columbia, MO 65203 (573) 875-8588 __________________ Share your experiences in the travel forums, blogs, videos, and online community at TRAVEL.com. Last edited by Rik Brown; 25th August 2006 at 05:56 PM.