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Osaka extends reach of Japanese cuisine

Osaka extends reach of Japanese cuisine in Lexington with excellent takes on traditional dishes

By Wendy Miller Contributing Restaurant Critic

The ethnic restaurants of Lexington's ­dining scene are like dozens of ­subdivisions in search of a city. As trends emerge, rather than clustering in one section of town, their ­representatives conveniently establish ­themselves near neighborhoods where that cuisine is scarce, often settling in mini-malls where the parking is plentiful and rents are more reasonable.

In the Boston Road area, Osaka now ­represents Japan.

In many ways, Osaka is like other Japanese places — a whale-size sushi list, familiar fried and grilled items, and several noodle dishes. But for locals, it saves a drive — essential in our car-dependent culture — and offers some excellent renditions of the usual suspects.

For a balanced lunch, I stopped by one afternoon when it first opened for a bento box of steamed rice and grilled eel (a little mushy) that included the standard miso soup and ­iceberg lettuce salad. A simple meal for $13.

A dinner six weeks later was strikingly less modest.

Osaka's hamachi ($4.95) gets high marks: perfectly cooked and seasoned rice (the rice has been uniformly stellar) with buttery slices of yellowtail that smelled and tasted ocean-fresh. Delicious and more complex was the beautiful Lady in Red roll ($9.95): chopped spicy tuna wrapped in rice and a tuna strip, dusted with masago (smelt roe) and topped with gossamer-thin lemon slices for acidity and a sprinkling of scallions.

Recommended but less impressive were onogiri — rice balls ($2 each) — merely large clumps of nori-wrapped rice around bonito flakes or salmon. Filler food at best.

The big serving of soba noodles with ­sugary fried tofu (aburage) for $7.95, while market price, seemed an expensive ­proposition. For almost 8 bucks, I'd wish for broth with some umami, that special ”fifth flavor,“ and an extraordinary presentation.

The ”Osaka Special A“ ($24.95), however, could have fed three easily, and it ­permitted sampling of Osaka's full and best range. There were salty pickles that complemented an enormous portion of smoky grilled fish (we chose ­delicate mackerel). There was a greaseless and meaty egg roll and equally greaseless and wonderfully light shrimp and vegetable tempura. There was a plate of shrimp, yellowtail, salmon and tuna sushi, a bowl of savory stewed meat with lotus root, soup, salad, and big slices of pineapple and cantaloupe for dessert.

So, in these days of high fuel prices, it's good to know that while Lexington lacks unified ethnic dining, for some residents good e_SDHpJapanese food is right around the corner.

A big dinner for two, with beers and tax but not tip, was about $68.