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Ohshima (Orange, CA)

Ohshima
1956 N Tustin St
Orange, CA 92865
Dining date: 12/21/13

ohshima

Ohshima is one of Orange County’s notable and more popular sushi shops. I’ve had very limited forays into the OC sushi scene, but what I’ve found is some high quality sushi at some very reasonable prices. This was my second visit to Ohshima’s unassuming location in an Orange strip mall.

ohshima bar

The menu setup is a little unique. Bar seats come with a mandatory eight-piece omakase; the rest of the meal is supplemented by a wide a la carte menu. Sushi, separated between ‘Japan-originated’ and ‘Other’ is available as well as a selection of hot and cold plates. Diners can customize the meal to be sushi-only or feature a little bit of everything. We went for a meal that was primarily sushi but added a few hot bites. I definitely dig the flexibility.

ohshima menu

ohshima menu

Noodles with Seaweed

noodles with seaweed

An amuse bouche, if you will. Noodles were paired with springy seaweed in an oil-heavy vinaigrette.

Sea Bream yuzu salt

Sea Bream yuzu salt

Chopped Toro

Chopped Toro

This was very nice, reminding me of Morimoto’s signature chopped toro. The toro was rich and luscious with a complementary deep soy flavor.

Octopus yuzu kosho

Octopus yuzu kosho

Nice textures with some bright acidity.

Fried Chicken Cartilage

Fried Chicken Cartilage

These were served hot – crispy, slightly chewy and with good chicken flavor.

Amberjack Belly

Amberjack Belly

Shrimp Gyoza

Shrimp Gyoza

I was disappointed that these gyoza didn’t have as crispy of a bottom as expected. The shrimp was present but a strong leek flavor dominated.

Chicken Grunt Fish

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I’m not sure I’ve had this unique-sounding fish before. It had a delicate chew to it, kind of like a type of clam. Sweet flesh.

Cherry Salmon Belly

Cherry Salmon Belly

A slight chew was present in this rich flavorful fish.

Kinki Rock Fish ponzu, fresh scallion, ginger

Kinki Rock Fish

Black Cod

Black Cod

Seared with a torch, the richness of the cod went very well with a hint of smoke.

Sea Urchin

Sea Urchin

Beautiful piece – this generous mound of cool, sweet urchin was seriously a whole mouthful.

Blue Crab Hand Roll with avocado

Blue Crab Hand Roll with avocado

Would’ve preferred just the crab in this roll as I thought the avocado took away from the delicate crab a bit.

Wagyu

wagyu sushi

The wagyu was seared and topped with a garlic chip and onion sauce. Would’ve preferred this to be simpler, but the characteristic fattiness was definitely present.

Ohshima presented a delicious meal at a great price. I was in a little disbelief that the total bill was under $60 per person (pre-tax/tip) especially including some high-end items like toro, uni and wagyu beef. Having said that, some inconsistencies in the cut of the fish and quality clearly showed the restaurant is hardly in the same league as top-tier sushi restaurants in Los Angeles. Still, it’s a reliable spot for a good sushi meal without breaking the bank. I need to try more OC sushi when I’m in the area, but I definitely hope to be back to Ohshima.

6 Comments

  1. Hi Darin,
    the pics and the description look amazing! As I’m based in OC , Ohshima has definitely been on my list for quite sometime. Have you been to Ikko before as that’s my? If so, how does Ohshima compare to Ikko or Nana San, Angotei, and Sushi Murasaki? However, if you plan to come back to OC for another sushi meal, I would recommend not only ordering primarily sushi (especially the Uni) at Ikko, but to also try some of their more modern entrees (small plates/ appetizers) such as their Citrus Marinated Carpaccio that’s not on their menu. If you would like the link, here’s my take on Ikko: http://themetropolitanlounge.blogspot.com/2012/10/roc-ikko-2nd-review-amazing-edo-mae.html

    Judging from the looks of the wagyu sushi, I too agree that it seems overkill with the amount of onion sauce. However the Chicken Grunt and Kinki looks amazing. Once again, beautiful pics and great descriptions!

  2. I’d have to agree with you that if you want good sushi that won’t break the bank, Oshia is the place to go. But if you’re looking for great quality, I probably wouldn’t go there. Nevertheless, good post man 🙂

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