Josh Nosh's Food Blog

Tag: Sushi

  • The Nosh Flash Review of Umami Sushi and Bar in Centereach, N.Y.

    The Nosh Flash Review of Umami Sushi and Bar in Centereach, N.Y.

    Umami storefront. With black and red sign.
    Umami Storefront.

    📋 The Noshdown

    • Cuisine Type: Japanese/Chinese AYCE
    • Price Range: $20–$30 per person
    • Portion Size: Moderate
    • Service Speed: Very Quick
    • Parking/Access: Ample parking in the Centereach Commons
    • Best For: All-you-can-eat sushi
    • Dish Reviewed: Miso soup,California roll,Spicy Girl roll,Phoenix roll, General Tso Chicken.
    • The “Nosh” Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

    The Review

    Umami Sushi is an AYCE style buffet, featuring a bar. The inside is very clean and pleasant. I have eaten here many years ago.Umami Sushi is a highly-regarded establishment known for its All-You-Can-Eat (AYCE) style buffet. The restaurant boasts a comprehensive selection of sushi, sashimi, and various Japanese-inspired hot and cold dishes, designed to offer a broad and satisfying culinary experience for all patrons. In addition to the extensive buffet, Umami Sushi features a full-service bar, providing a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to complement the meal, including sake, beer, wine, and cocktails. In addition, they serve chinese food as well.

    First Impression

    I’m genuinely amazed by the speed of their service; it’s the fastest I’ve ever experienced, truly mind-blowing how quickly the food arrives. However, while the service is stellar, the food quality is somewhat lackluster. I’ll explain why.

    The Food

    Off-white miso paste with onions in a miso soup.
    Miso Soup.

    Miso Soup Review: A good test of an all-you-can-eat (AYCE) sushi establishment is its simplest dishes. Unfortunately, the miso soup at this restaurant suggested a sacrifice in ingredient quality. Across the three batches I sampled, the soup was subpar. The kelp was watery, the tofu pieces were minuscule, and the miso base itself tasted noticeably aged.

    Shushi roll with giant green pieces of avocado. AKA California roll.
    California Roll.

    California Roll Review: Another excellent way to benchmark the quality of a sushi establishment is by trying maki rolls that are standard offerings across many different restaurants. This provides a familiar basis for comparison regarding ingredient quality and execution. Specifically, the California roll I sampled proved to be truly exceptional. The quality was immediately evident; all the ingredients—from the crisp, fresh cucumber and creamy avocado to the sweet, high-grade imitation crab, were remarkably fresh and vibrant.

    shushi roll with brown crunchies on top.
    Spicy Girl Roll.

    Spicy Girl Roll Review: The “Spicy Girl” roll, a favorite I often order, was profoundly disappointing. It was remarkably bland, completely lacking the promised fiery kick. Crucially, the thinly sliced jalapeño garnish, vital for texture, visual appeal, and fresh heat, was absent. This missing element severely compromised the roll’s intended profile.

    My previous exceptional experience with Kira’s “Spicy Girl” roll, a perfect blend of fresh, balanced, and mango heat, set an impossibly high bar. This restaurant’s roll failed to meet that expectation, highlighting a significant disconnect between the dish’s name and its underwhelming flavor.

    oozing orange spicy mayo topping a phoenix roll.
    Phoenix Roll.

    The Phoenix Roll Review: It was merely acceptable; it required a heavy application of spicy mayo and eel sauce to be enjoyable.

    Orange and sticky General Tso's Chicken.
    General Tso’s Chicken

    General Tso Chicken:  The chicken was perfectly fried, and the sauce had a great balance of sticky without being overwhelmingly salty or sweet. I ended up switching to the Chinese food options because I found the sushi rolls too bland. That turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

    The Verdict

    My recent visit to Umami didn’t quite meet my expectations, though I remember the quality being higher on previous visits. The service, however, was excellent, and I greatly appreciate the efficiency of the digital ordering system.

    My main disappointment was the quality of the rolls, which was surprisingly average for Umami. It’s possible this was just an isolated “off day.” Additionally, a significant concern is the discrepancy between the food served and the pictures shown in the menu, which needs to be addressed.

    Initially, I would rate the food experience a 3 out of 5. However, the exceptional service acts as an “x-factor,” boosting my overall rating for Umami to a 4/5.

    Atmosphere: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5

    Service: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐5/5

    Food: ⭐⭐2/5

    Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐4/5

     ⚖️The Nosh Breakdown: Pros & Cons

    ✅The Pros (The “Nosh”)❌The Cons (The “Not-so-Nosh”)
    Good Chinese Food: The General Tso’s chicken was very good.Average : The chef rolls I had were unremarkable.
    Fast Service: The service was exceptionally fast.

    Google Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐5/5

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  • The Nosh Flash of Kira Sushi in Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y.

    The Nosh Flash of Kira Sushi in Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y.

    Exterior view of Kira Sushi Asian Cuisine restaurant in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York, featuring a red sign and colorful window murals of a Maneki-neko (lucky cat).
    The storefront of Kira Sushi in Lake Ronkonkoma; your destination for All You Can Eat Sushi.

    📋The Noshdown

    • Cuisine Type: Japanese/Chinese
    • Price Range: $35 per person.
    • Portion Size: All you can eat.
    • Service Speed: Prompt at first.
    • Parking/Access: Easily accessed from the main road.
    • Best For: Resolve that all you can eat sushi craving.
    • The “Nosh” Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

    All-you-can-eat sushi has nearly become an American tradition, with sushi restaurants found in every major city. Kira Sushi is especially popular among locals; my girlfriend and her friends have been loyal customers for years. Naturally, I expected a remarkable dining experience.

    First Impression

    Kira Sushi is conveniently located just off 846 Portion Road in Lake Ronkonkoma, making it easy to find and access from the main road. The exterior reflects the typical style of a plaza restaurant with a pleasing window mural. When we arrived to meet friends, we were pleased to find that the restaurant offered plenty of seating, even without a reservation, ensuring an expedited dining experience. Having visited many sushi spots over the years, I have developed a strong appreciation for sushi, with maki rolls being my personal favorite.

    When I sat down, I noticed there were paper menus and pencils available. Personally, I’ve always found paper ordering menus a bit inconvenient.

    🎙️ Nosherator Note

    With the rise of digital ordering, I’ve really come to appreciate its speed and convenience. Customers benefit from easy-to-read visuals, straightforward navigation, and a simpler overall ordering process. For businesses, digital ordering reduces staff errors, saves on printing expenses, and streamlines everything from taking orders to serving food. These systems are especially useful for high-volume, all-you-can-eat restaurants. The quicker customers become satisfied and depart, the greater the potential profit for the establishment. As someone who has managed restaurants and owns a mobile food unit, I find kitchen display systems (KDS) and related tech especially valuable. While they can be pricey at first, their long-term impact is significant. Operator hat off, foodie hat back on 🧢

    At Sushi restaurants that are new to me I order basic things first. I started with Miso soup, Szechuan dumplings for the Maki rolls I ordered: California roll, Spicy Girl roll and a Yummy Roll. My 2nd order was Miso Soup, Szechuan dumplings and the Red Dragon Roll. More on why I had to re-order below.

    📋Nosh Knowledge

    Majority of Sushi spots are both a Japanese and Chinese food restaurants which serve dishes from both cultures. Frequently, kitchen designs and equipment are kept separate to ensure Chinese and Japanese dishes remain distinct.

    The First Order

    A black bowl of traditional Japanese miso soup with green onions and a spoon on a wooden table at Kira Restaurant.
    A warm, savory start: The classic Miso Soup at Kira Restaurant.

    Miso Soup: The Miso was not overly salty. I have also observed that many all-you-can-eat establishments may compromise on quality by allowing miso soup to stand for extended periods, causing ingredients such as tofu, seaweed, and kelp to become overly absorbed into the broth. Traditionally, miso soup incorporates components like seaweed, tofu, and kelp, ingredients that might be unfamiliar to those without experience of authentic preparations. I can say that this soup had scallions and tofu present. The soup was good.

    Kira sushi menu showing appetizers selections of Josh Nosh first order: Miso Soup and Szechuan Dumplings.
    Josh Nosh’s first appetizer order Miso Soup and Szechuan Dumplings.
    Crispy golden-brown cream cheese wontons served on a plate at Kira Sushi in Lake Ronkonkoma, NY.
    Wontons at Kira Sushi

    Szechuan Dumplings:  The server brought me cream-cheese wontons which were cold and not what I ordered. See Nosherator rant above.

    A sushi platter featuring a Spicy Girl roll topped with tuna and spicy sauce, a classic California roll in the middle, and a Yummy roll with eel and avocado on the right.
    The perfect lineup: Spicy Girl, California, and the Yummy Roll. A little heat, a little classic, and a whole lot of savory.

    California roll: Whenever I visit a new sushi spot, I usually order a California roll. Much like miso soup, it’s rarely poorly made thanks to its simple ingredients: crab, avocado, cucumber, and maki rice. These basic dishes can also reveal how much a restaurant values quality, sometimes I’ve gotten rolls with oversized cucumber slices, browned avocado, and barely any imitation crab. I’ve even encountered rolls with hard avocado. The California roll I sampled here was well executed: the avocado tasted especially fresh, the cucumber added a crisp bite, and despite using imitation crab, the flavor was enjoyable. I want to note that 99% of all-you-can- eat sushi spots use imitation crab for all-you-can-eat.

    Spicy Girl roll:  I have sampled numerous Spicy Girl rolls, and this particular version stands out as the best I have experienced. The distinguishing factors of this roll are the balance of the mango sauce and the spice level. Since Spicy Girl rolls are considered a chef’s specialty, their preparation varies between restaurants. In this instance, the mango sauce complemented the roll exceptionally well, and the spice level was notably impressive. Actual Scoville Heat is rare in my experience for an all-you-can-eat sushi spot.

    Yummy roll: This is another specialty from the chef. The yummy roll was truly delicious, the combination of eel and eel sauce paired perfectly with the California roll base. I appreciated that the eel sauce wasn’t too salty. Additionally, the eel didn’t have a catfish-like taste, which I sometimes encounter at other places.

    The Second Order

    Miso Soup: Same as the second order. With a bonus—– I had more tofu and seaweed. Did they see I was a foodie? Did they hear my conversation with my friends debating wasabi and how it is all horseradish… Who knows? I think I was lucky and had a fresh batch.

    Szechaun Dumplings with chilli oil on a plate.
    Is it Szechuan oil or paste? Maybe Both?

    Szechuan Dumplings: I ordered Szechuan Dumplings this time, and thankfully, my order was correct. However, my expectations were too high. There was hardly any chili oil, and the flavor reminded me more of a peanut butter sandwich than authentic Szechuan sauce. Traditionally, the right kind of sesame oil for Szechuan dishes contain Chinese sesame paste, but some restaurants substitute actual peanut butter to save costs or make another sauce. Could that be the case here? There was no heat or signature Szechuan peppercorns. Maybe I’m being picky, but I make my own Szechuan chili oil and have enjoyed excellent versions from Hwa Yuan Szechuan in NYC and DanDan Rittenhouse in Philly. While I do not expect Kira Sushi restaurant to measure up to those standards, the heavy peanut butter taste caught me off guard.

    📋Nosh Knowledge

    Szechuan and Sichuan typically refer to the same thing. Some restaurants may use Szechuan for traditional dishes and Sichuan for modern ones, but these distinctions are inconsistent and depend on location.

    Red dragon roll topped with tuna on a white plate
    The delicious Red Dragon roll.

    Red Dragon roll- This was another chef specialty. Both the tuna inside and on top were fresh and flavorful. I especially enjoyed the generous amount of crunchy toppings.

    The Verdict

     ⚖️The Nosh Breakdown: Pros & Cons

    ✅The Pros (The “Nosh”)❌The Cons (The “Not-so-Nosh”)
    Spicy Girl: The “Spicy Girl” roll is a standout with a solid heat level and mango sauce balance.Flavor Profile Mismatch: The Szechuan dumplings lacked heat and had an overpowering peanut butter taste.
    Quality Ingredients: Overall, the sushi had a solid quality taste.Service Inconsistencies: Incorrect order, cold food, and slow beverage refills.
    Reliable Classics: Well-executed staples like Miso Soup and California rolls.The “Check” Wait: A significant 30-minute delay in receiving the bill.

    Overall, I enjoyed the food. The spicy girl roll was easily the best I’ve had at any all-you-can-eat sushi spot. However, I experienced some service issues: I received a dish I hadn’t ordered, the food arrived cold, our drinks weren’t refilled promptly, and we waited an extra 30 minutes for the check, even though the restaurant wasn’t busy.

    Atmosphere: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5

    Service: ⭐⭐2/5

    Food: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5/5

    Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐4/5

    I rounded my rating up to four stars because of the excellent maki rolls, although my original score would have been 3.6 out of 5. I also take into account what’s known as the “x-factor,” which blends local reviews and standards for different types of restaurants. For example, I wouldn’t critique a fast-food place by the same criteria as a Michelin-starred restaurant. I plan to return and explore more items from the menu, including sampling the sushi on its own. All-you-can-eat sushi restaurants often offer higher-quality sushi on their à la carte menu because of the additional premium charge.

    Google Review:⭐⭐⭐⭐4/5

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