That Food Guy
Saturday, June 01, 2013
OEC Japanese Express
St Petersburg, FL 33710
(727) 345-4088
HTTP://www.oecexpress.com
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| OEC Take-Out Tempura Chicken Plated At Home To See What An In Restaurant Serving Would Look Like |
OEC Japanese
Express March 4, 2013
2438 66th
St NoSt Petersburg, FL 33710
(727) 345-4088
HTTP://www.oecexpress.com
It surely is a nice day when you have a pleasant surprise.
Today was one such day. A year or so ago I received a flyer in the mail
advertising OEC Japanese Express. It was an interesting concept; a storefront
fast food Japanese emporium. At the time I did not think I had ever encountered
anything like that before. It was on my list of things to do but often was put
aside for other things that came to light; maybe someday…
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| What is in the bag? This is what I got when I ordered a Teriyaki Chicken Bento Box to-go. |
It was the wife’s day out today. She was on a shopping trip
with her girlfriend. That left me free to find my own lunch. I rummaged through
some of my papers and found the flyer for OEC and decided to give it a try. I
wasn’t sure what I’d find. In my mind I was comparing it to several storefront
Chinese restaurants in the area which are very bare boned; edible but really
nothing to brag about. On the way to OEC Japanese express I was reminded of the
old axiom of location, location, location. OEC is located on one corner of a very
busy intersection. Access has to be planned ahead of time and casual drive-by
encounters with OEC would be rare. In spite of being a difficult to access
location, OEC has prospered and is still in business. That is always a good
sign. Looking up OEC Japanese Express on the Internet I could only find one
reference and that to the store in St. Petersburg. This restaurant is
apparently not part of a chain and is a unique entity which may explain why the
employees seem so dedicated to their store.
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| The Bento Box - The teriyaki chicken and vegetables. |
The store is more than just a takeout counter. It is also a
small sit down eat in restaurants as well. It is subtly decorated and does have
a bit of the feel of Japan. I know more than entered the door then I was
approached by the hostess. I informed her it was a takeout order. She has
guarded me to the counter and provided me with a menu to make my selection. The
menu is very complete. It features most of the items you would find in a more
traditional sit-down restaurant. My selection was the bento box on the lunch
special for $11.99. For the main course of the bento box you have a choice of
teriyaki chicken, steak, shrimp, salmon or white fish. I selected the teriyaki
chicken ($11.99 Choose from It is served with a California roll, house
salad, white rice, and you have your choice of shumai or an eggroll). I
chose the pork eggroll. The bento box gives the opportunity to sample many of
the dishes at one time; the sushi, the rice, and the other traditional entrées.
I was curious about how they would package the bento box to go since it usually
requires a special plate.
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| The Bento Box - The California Roll |
After I placed my order I sat down in one of the booths and
looked around the restaurant, taking in my surroundings. There are several booths
along one wall and tables and chairs occupied the rest of the area. I also
noticed a few tables outside for alfresco dining. There is also a sit at sushi
bar with about a half a dozen stools. From my vantage point I could watch the
sushi chefs preparing foods for the day’s customers and I also had a peek
inside of the kitchen and could watch many of the activities as they prepared
my order.
One of the sushi chefs was preparing cucumbers. He was
peeling the cucumbers into a paper thin strip. He worked his way around the cucumber
making a long continuous strip. It w3as one continuous cut until he reached the
seeds which were then discarded. I was amazed at his skill with the knife and
thoroughly entertained while waiting for my order; his skills were excellent.
From what I could see the kitchen, it was neat and tidy and very clean as was
the rest of the restaurant. It was a little before noon and there were only
three other customers in the restaurant (the small open-air patio outside had
several customers but they had apparently already been served). My order was
completed in a very short time. Neatly packaged in a plastic bag it was brought
to me by the hostess. I hurried home to see just what I got.
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| This is what I got when I ordered Tempura Chicken and California Roll to-go. |
The accessories included two pouches of soy sauce, a pair of
disposable chopsticks, and just in case, a fork. The house salad was in a small
Styrofoam container by itself. The main part of the salad was coarsely grated
lettuce, some finely grated carrot and a slice of tomato. It was accompanied by
a small container of a mild dressing similar to 1000 island dressing. Lettuce
was crisp and not discolored. The slice of tomato was from a nice ripe tomato
that had good flavor. The dressing, though mild and taste, was a good
accompaniment to the salad. The eggroll was also in its own little Styrofoam
container with a small container of what appeared to be duck sauce. The eggroll
was neatly wrapped crispy and fried to a nice Golden Brown. The filling was
flavorful and consisted of a mixture of pork and cabbage. The dipping sauce was
slightly fruity, slightly sweet with only a hint of sour. It also was a good
accompaniment to the eggroll.
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| The Tempura Chicken with a crispy - flaky crust. |
My curiosity about how they would serve the bento box
without satisfied. It is served in a compartmented plastic to-go bento box; a
nice touch. The main food compartment contained the teriyaki chicken. Under the
chicken were some vegetables consisting of broccoli, carrot, onion and scallion
and some nice slices of mushroom. To say the vegetables were under the chicken
is not mean they were skimping a chicken. The chicken was all white meat, cut
in small bite-size pieces and was a very generous serving. The teriyaki sauce
was thinner than I would have expected, it didn’t cling, but had an excellent flavor.
I saved some of the steamed white rice to sop up the teriyaki sauce after I had
finished my chicken and vegetables. The white rice was an ample serving as well
overflowing its compartment into the small compartment that would normally be occupied
by the wasabi and beni shoga. The next compartment contained the California
roll. There were six slices. The rice layer was very thin; the filling of crab
and avocado and daikon was more than ample. The California rolls were freshly
made but some of the ingredients may have shared space with sashimi and had
just a slight taste of fish. Other than that, the California rolls were
excellent. The last bento box compartment contained a small Dixie portion Cup
had the essential wasabi and beni shoga. Thinking of other bento boxes that I
have sampled, I recall that that one of the compartments would usually have a
small selection of vegetable tempura. What I mean to say is that although this
bento box selection was smaller than others I have tried it contained all of
the items listed on the menu in ample quantity.
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| California Roll with Masago (capelin roe) |
What started out as a curiosity quest ended up being a voyage
of discovery. OEC Japanese Express is close by, is very clean and
well-maintained, provides ample servings of good tasting, well-prepared food at
a fairly reasonable price. I do believe that OEC will become one of my favorite
places to go for a fast bite to eat when I don’t have time to cook at home. To
anyone who asks, anyone who likes Japanese food, I would say yes, try OEC
Japanese Express for a bit of sushi or other traditional Japanese dishes
prepared for the American palate. I enjoyed this encounter very much and I will
be going back again. I do believe I’ll try the tempura next…
A Revisit to OEC
Japanese Express March 17, 201
Over the next week or so I remembered fondly my first
encounter with OEC Express. Enough so that I was back again for lunch and would
now sample the chicken tempura ($8.99
Served with white rice. It includes containers of tentsuyu dipping sauce and
another creamier sauce). I was a bit on the hungry side so I also ordered a
side of California roll ($3.95 8-pieces Crab,
cucumber, avocado and masago in place of the usual tobiko. Includes a container
of beni shoga and wasabi). The California roll tasted good; it had a fresh
smell. The filling was more than adequate which made the rice layer a bit thin.
The rice was perhaps not as sticky as it should have been and the roll was, how
should I say, tender and I had to handle them very carefully. Other than that
small bit, the roll was excellent, the dipping sauce flavorful. The chicken
tempura had a bit of different coating than I would have expected for a tempura
batter. It was more like a fried coating
on Southern-fried chicken, crispy and flaky. It was more a difference of style
than substance in the long run because the coating was excellent, light and not
greasy. The chicken inside was cooked through to perfection; hot, steamy and
still moist. The tentsuyu sauce was favorable but seemed a bit thin. The creamy sauce was mild in flavor but I
really can’t say what the main flavor was; not as prickly as a 1000 Island nor was
it as pronounced in flavor as a Ranch dressing.
I alternated between the two but looking back I would say I preferred the
tentsuyu; perhaps I am just a traditionalist. The side container had a nice serving
of sticky white rice. I was able to eat it with chopsticks. Two single serving
packets of soy sauce were included.
Both of these dinners were package to go for take home. That is not the best way to showcase your food
product. However, the packaging shows care in preparing the food to go. The end
product is tasty and attractive. OEC Japanese Express will certainly be on my
list of favorite places to go.
You can call
in to order ahead, take out, eat in or perhaps linger at the sushi bar. For a
minimum order of $15 they offer free delivery in the local area. OEC Japanese Express
has a website at
HTTP://www.oecexpress. com ; there you will find
information about the restaurant including the unusual name, directions to get
there, their menu, and some pictures of the foods they prepare.
Labels: beni shoga, California Roll, chicken, Express, Japanese, OEC, rice, tempura, teriyaki, wasabi
¶ 11:35 AM 0 Comments
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Shine's Asian Fusion Bistro
Shine’s Sushi
12400 Old Glen Hwy #3
Eagle River, Alaska 99577
(907) 622-8889 http://www.shinessush.com/
Shine’s has long been a favorite place. I was therefore surprised when there was another café in its old storefront place. I had just returned after a two year absence and was looking forward to sharing my favorite haunt with my sister and nephew when they arrived in a few days for their Alaskan adventure. I was fortunate enough to locate Shine’s in its new location a few blocks away on the opposite side of the main street through town. The new banner, Shine’s Asian Fusion Bistro, beckons you onto a larger facility but with the same delicious offerings.
I picked up Pattie Sue and Ron at the Anchorage airport after their late morning arrival. We stopped in Eagle River for lunch at Shines before heading home to Chugiak. After all, the airlines haven’t done an adequate job of feeding and caring for the passengers for a long, long time…
We ordered from the Lunch Special Menu. Pattie Sue chose the Sesame Chicken (Chose 1 Item from A List Below, $9.00, Most dishes served wth Miso Soup, Salad). Nephew Ron ordered the Lunch Box (Choose Three Items Below, 1 Each from A to D, $11.00). He chose the Tempura, California Roll, and the Teriyaki Chicken. I also chose a Lunch Box. My choices were the Tempura and California Roll but I chose the Sesame Chicken for my final choice.
We all started off with a bowl of salad and a bowl of miso soup. The salad was a mix of greens with some shreds of carrot and purple cabbage for color contrast and eye appeal. The dressing was light, had a slight tartness but underneath was a sweet component; very tasty. The miso soup was hot, savory and whetted the appetite for the meal to come. We had to reassure Ron that drinking the soup from the bowl was acceptable table manners.
Pattie Sue’s Sesame Chicken was am ample serving of nicely cooked breaded chicken morsels, sprinkled with sesame seeds and drizzled with sauce. There was a serving of steamed rice and a small salad of finely cut greens and radishes. She said the chicken was cooked through, was tender and had good flavor; delicious. The rice and salad made a nice accompaniment. The serving was large enough that some of her meal went home in a “doggie bag.” It made a delicious snack the next day.
The Shine’s Lunch Boxes are actually Bento Box plates. That presentation has long been a favorite of mine. The five-compartment tray has a place for the sushi roll, the tempura, the rice and the entrée. A final and a smaller compartment for the beni shoga, pickled ginger, and the wasabi. The pretty presentation does belie the amount of food in the serving.
The new facility features booths along the walls and appropriate space between the tables for a lower noise level and a bit of privacy. As usual, the serving staff was quick, polite and thorough. He food was fresh, tasty and well presented. It is easy to see why Shine’s will continue to be one of m favorite places to go for a bite to eat when I am in Eagle River, Alaska.
12400 Old Glen Hwy #3
Eagle River, Alaska 99577
(907) 622-8889 http://www.shinessush.com/
Shine’s has long been a favorite place. I was therefore surprised when there was another café in its old storefront place. I had just returned after a two year absence and was looking forward to sharing my favorite haunt with my sister and nephew when they arrived in a few days for their Alaskan adventure. I was fortunate enough to locate Shine’s in its new location a few blocks away on the opposite side of the main street through town. The new banner, Shine’s Asian Fusion Bistro, beckons you onto a larger facility but with the same delicious offerings.
I picked up Pattie Sue and Ron at the Anchorage airport after their late morning arrival. We stopped in Eagle River for lunch at Shines before heading home to Chugiak. After all, the airlines haven’t done an adequate job of feeding and caring for the passengers for a long, long time… We ordered from the Lunch Special Menu. Pattie Sue chose the Sesame Chicken (Chose 1 Item from A List Below, $9.00, Most dishes served wth Miso Soup, Salad). Nephew Ron ordered the Lunch Box (Choose Three Items Below, 1 Each from A to D, $11.00). He chose the Tempura, California Roll, and the Teriyaki Chicken. I also chose a Lunch Box. My choices were the Tempura and California Roll but I chose the Sesame Chicken for my final choice.
We all started off with a bowl of salad and a bowl of miso soup. The salad was a mix of greens with some shreds of carrot and purple cabbage for color contrast and eye appeal. The dressing was light, had a slight tartness but underneath was a sweet component; very tasty. The miso soup was hot, savory and whetted the appetite for the meal to come. We had to reassure Ron that drinking the soup from the bowl was acceptable table manners. Pattie Sue’s Sesame Chicken was am ample serving of nicely cooked breaded chicken morsels, sprinkled with sesame seeds and drizzled with sauce. There was a serving of steamed rice and a small salad of finely cut greens and radishes. She said the chicken was cooked through, was tender and had good flavor; delicious. The rice and salad made a nice accompaniment. The serving was large enough that some of her meal went home in a “doggie bag.” It made a delicious snack the next day.
The Shine’s Lunch Boxes are actually Bento Box plates. That presentation has long been a favorite of mine. The five-compartment tray has a place for the sushi roll, the tempura, the rice and the entrée. A final and a smaller compartment for the beni shoga, pickled ginger, and the wasabi. The pretty presentation does belie the amount of food in the serving.
The Shine’s shrimp tempura is always a treat. The skewer holds several shrimp together making a large serving something resembling a super jumbo shrimp. The batter was nice and brown, crispy fried; perfect as usual. The California roll, an inside out makisushi roll, was well made. The rice was sticky and held together
even with ham-fists manipulating the hashi. The delicious crab and avocado filling was tasty and the coating of sesame seeds seemed to get lost in all the other succulent flavors. The chicken serving was ample. Ron felt there was a bit too much of the teriyaki sauce on his but otherwise the taste and texture was excellent.
The sesame chicken was very good. The chicken morsels were nicely breaded, fried a nice brown and
coated with a tasty sauce and, of course, the sesame seeds.
Even for travelers with ravenous appetites, the luncheon special meals were more than ample servings to quell the hunger; a successful introduction into the food chain of wilderness Alaska. The new incarnation of Shine’s Sushi is an improvement in spaciousness and diner comfort. The old featured tables and chairs all in close proximity to one another. When busy the ambient noise level was high; something usually overlooked.
Labels: Bento Box, California Roll, chicken, Eagle River, sesame, Shines, shrimp, sushi, tempura
¶ 1:13 PM 0 Comments
Sushi Family
Sushi Family
415 Yellowstone Ave Pocatello, Idaho
(208) 233-4400
On a whim, sister Pattie Sue and niece Jennifer decided it was time to tryout a fairly new sushi restaurant in downtown Pocatello. I was invited to come along. The Sushi Family restaurant offers a menu to order from and it also offers all-you-can-eat sushi but with a twist from the ordinary.
What we learned was that all of the sushi orders, including the all-you-can-eat, are made at the time of the order. There are no trays of pre-made sushi. The house menu is used for both regular dining and all-you-can-eat patrons, the all-you-can-eat comes at a bit of a premium price. Be wary, though, because if you order more than you can actually eat there is a surcharge for the wasted food. It is certainly a different way as both styles of eating are the same product ordered from the same menu.
Pattie Sue ordered the House Special 1 ($8.50 Spicy crab, topped with tuna, salmon and yellowtail). A large serving served alone on a decorative plate, it was ample for a meal. She said it was very good and the three different surimi toppings made for an interesting variety of flavors. She was satisfied with her choice. Regular and low sodium soy sauce are at the table. A side dish provided the de rigor beni shoga and wasabi.
Jennifer ordered the Teriyaki Salmon ($12.95 Comes with miso soup, house salad, steamed rice and four pieces of tempura vegetables). The plate was full with an about 3-ounce teriyaki salon filet, a mound of steamed rice and a selection of tempura vegetables. A tentsuyu-style dipping sauce was also provided. Jenifer enjoyed her meal saying that the salmon was very good, very tasty. A light eater at times, her meal was just a bit too large for a single sitting but the take home would be scant for a later meal. She ordered an additional nigiri sushi, Octopus Tako ($3.00 Two pieces per order) to supplement her left over meal to take home.
I ordered something a bit different. I chose the Chicken Bento ($11.95 Comes with miso soup, house salad, tempura shrimp and vegetables, four pieces California roll, four pieces crystal shrimp roll and steamed rice).
ingredients as well as a small bowl of tentsuyu-style dipping sauce and a small serving of beni shoga and wasabi. The California roll was good. The crystal shrimp roll was served with a drizzle of sauce, soy or teriyaki I believe, but it was still a bit lackluster, not up to the promise of the name. The tempura shrimp and vegetables were excellent. The batter coating was well browned and cooked through without overcooking the inte
rior ingredient. The chicken was all white meat, spiced and grilled and the sliced for serving. It was tasty though a bit tough. All in all, I was very
satisfied with my selection of the bento box meal
and would seriously consider ordering it on a future visit.
415 Yellowstone Ave Pocatello, Idaho
(208) 233-4400
On a whim, sister Pattie Sue and niece Jennifer decided it was time to tryout a fairly new sushi restaurant in downtown Pocatello. I was invited to come along. The Sushi Family restaurant offers a menu to order from and it also offers all-you-can-eat sushi but with a twist from the ordinary.
The restaurant is in an unassuming store front on Yellowstone Avenue. Signage is minimal and you have to look closely to find it. There is adequate parking adjacent and the main entry faces the parking area. Inside the facility is minimally decorated in Oriental style. Booths and tables are available but all are well separated so that even when fully occupied the diner density is low. There were a few other diners when we entered but the noise level was very low, always a plus. We were quickly seated in our choice of a booth that was comfortable.
What we learned was that all of the sushi orders, including the all-you-can-eat, are made at the time of the order. There are no trays of pre-made sushi. The house menu is used for both regular dining and all-you-can-eat patrons, the all-you-can-eat comes at a bit of a premium price. Be wary, though, because if you order more than you can actually eat there is a surcharge for the wasted food. It is certainly a different way as both styles of eating are the same product ordered from the same menu.
Tea and sodas were the beverages of choice. Sushi Family features Coca Cola products. We started off sharing a platter of the Tempura Combo appetizer ($8.95). The dish has four pieces of large tempura shrimp and five pieces of tempura vegetable. It is served with a tentsuyu-style dipping sauce. Nicely browned, the batter was cooked through. The shrimp was not over cooked and sill had the slightest little snap to the bite. The vegetables were tender but not mushy. We were also served bowls of miso soup and a house salad with dressing. The soup was a nice hot bowl of a tasty miso soup. The salad was a mixture of finely cut slaw with a mild dressing and what I believe were toasted sesame seeds. It was a tasty interlude while we waited for the entrees.
Pattie Sue ordered the House Special 1 ($8.50 Spicy crab, topped with tuna, salmon and yellowtail). A large serving served alone on a decorative plate, it was ample for a meal. She said it was very good and the three different surimi toppings made for an interesting variety of flavors. She was satisfied with her choice. Regular and low sodium soy sauce are at the table. A side dish provided the de rigor beni shoga and wasabi. 
Jennifer ordered the Teriyaki Salmon ($12.95 Comes with miso soup, house salad, steamed rice and four pieces of tempura vegetables). The plate was full with an about 3-ounce teriyaki salon filet, a mound of steamed rice and a selection of tempura vegetables. A tentsuyu-style dipping sauce was also provided. Jenifer enjoyed her meal saying that the salmon was very good, very tasty. A light eater at times, her meal was just a bit too large for a single sitting but the take home would be scant for a later meal. She ordered an additional nigiri sushi, Octopus Tako ($3.00 Two pieces per order) to supplement her left over meal to take home. 
I ordered something a bit different. I chose the Chicken Bento ($11.95 Comes with miso soup, house salad, tempura shrimp and vegetables, four pieces California roll, four pieces crystal shrimp roll and steamed rice).
A classic Japanese presentation, the ancient working man’s lunch has become an art form of food service. Mine was served in a compartmented tray or serving dish. There were individual compartments for the listed
ingredients as well as a small bowl of tentsuyu-style dipping sauce and a small serving of beni shoga and wasabi. The California roll was good. The crystal shrimp roll was served with a drizzle of sauce, soy or teriyaki I believe, but it was still a bit lackluster, not up to the promise of the name. The tempura shrimp and vegetables were excellent. The batter coating was well browned and cooked through without overcooking the intesatisfied with my selection of the bento box meal
and would seriously consider ordering it on a future visit.
Labels: all you can eat, Bento, box, California Roll, chicken, Family, Pocatello, shrimp, sushi, teeriyaki, tempura
¶ 12:52 PM 0 Comments
