Faith and Food Blog

Overview:

The ‘Shoppes at Grand Prairie’ is one of the most lively areas in the city of Peoria, with plenty of offerings that range from clothing stores, a movie theater, home goods stores, and many restaurants. Sitting right in between Marshall’s and Home Goods is Peoria’s own taste of Japan: Osaka Hibachi & Sushi Bar. When arrived, customers are asked whether or not they want to sit at a table for a typical dine-in meal or go to the Hibachi area, where the chefs cook your meals right in front of you.

When walking through the restaurants, there are many different eye-catching features of the store: the sushi bar in the back, the bar right in the middle of the restaurant, and as you make your way to the Hibachi area, there are plenty of pieces of art and sculptures to behold. Customers also have the option of ordering food to-go by either picking up or having food delivered through third-party sources. The menu items feature many popular Japanese food items, such as sushi and ramen options, and have plenty of drinks available that range from alcoholic beverages to various kinds of juices. There are also plenty of options for dessert for when you are in the mood for a sweet treat.

My Experience

Along with Blue Duck and Brienzo’s, Osaka rounds out the top three of my favorite places to eat in the Peoria area. I was never much of a sushi person until fairly recently, and I can easily say that out of the sushi places I have been to in Peoria, this one is the best. I have yet to try the hibachi area of the store, but I am very excited to do so. Each time I have come to Osaka, I have gotten a different kind of sushi and this one was no different.

This past Valentine’s Day also happened to coincide with Ash Wednesday, and so my girlfriend and I tried to find a place to eat that did not have meat with it, and since fish is not included as meat during the Lent season, we decided to have sushi. We had been craving sushi all week, and we finally had the opportunity to go. When we arrived, they were REALLY busy, and I applaud the workers for doing the best they can at getting everybody situated and in order while taking care of those that are doing takeout and deliveries as well. After only around 15 minutes, we were shown to our table.

While we were waiting, we already a general idea of what we wanted to eat, so we ordered right after we sat down. As I said before, I try to get something different every time I go, and so I ordered a “Mountain Fuji Roll”, which was smoked salmon, avocado, cream cheese inside, deep fried top with jalapeno pepper, spicy mayo, & chili sauce, and an “Alaskan Roll”, which was fresh salmon, avocado, & cucumber. The Mountain Fuji roll was gone in two minutes, it was delicious and the crispiness of the outer layer of rice made it even better. The little kick it had with the jalapeno and the spicy mayo also was a fantastic addition to it. The Alaskan Roll was admittedly a bit disappointing however, but it did not deter from my experience of the restaurant. It was not bad by any means, it just lacked some flavor in it, but it was good when soy sauce was added.

If you are a sushi lover in the Peoria area, this is THE place to go to. The service has been good every time and the food has been absolutely delicious each time as well. This might be the best sushi I personally have ever had.

Overall Rating: 9.25/10