CUAISRITNE SAME GREAT FOOD Ocean Blue Asian Fusion Charlie at Kaiko Japanese Restaurant had won “Best of Tampa Bay” NEW NAME, By Margaret Word Burnside and Aaron R. Fodiman Photography by Noraa This bento box at Ocean Blue is filled with Asian delights awards for literally decades. So, when he retired and a new name went up outside his revered restaurant, we weren’t sure what to expect. The good news is that Nhan Nguyen, the new owner, has changed the name, but little else. She has the same great sushi crew behind the counter and offers the items for which Charlie was known. In addition to the already excellent food options, Nhan has added a Hibachi grill from which to serve steak, chicken, scallops, shrimp and combinations thereof. Their salads range from seaweed to whole baby octopus. For appetizers, you can order a broad array of selections, from fried soft shell crab to shrimp tempura, as well as standards such as Gyoza, Krab Rangoon and Dynamite Chicken or Shrimp. The Spicy Samurai of green jalapeños stuffed with cream cheese is a must try. Of course, there is an extensive Sushi menu offering everything from tuna to squid. In addition, there are fabulous Egg Rolls. In addition to the dinners from the Hibachi Grill, there are 11 Japanese dinners that range from chicken to a variety of steaks and include shrimp, salmon, vegetables and seafood. These are traditionally prepared and served by an excellent staff that keeps everything moving in an orderly, gracious fashion. The dessert menu includes Fried Cheesecake, six flavors of Mochi Ice Cream wrapped in rice dough, Fried Ice Cream and traditional Green Tea or Red Bean Ice Cream. They have a full liquor bar and are open for lunch Monday through Friday and every night for dinner until midnight, except on Friday and Saturday, when they stay open until one o’clock in the morning. 9 EDITOR’S NOTE: Ocean Blue Asian Fusion Sushi and Hibachi is located at 2475 McMullen Booth Road (at the southwest corner of Enterprise Road) in Clearwater, (727) 953-9828. that will please your palate. special Sushi Rolls, such as a Volcano Roll of krab, cucumber, cream cheese and avocado, topped with spicy krab and ika. They also offer a Super Protein Roll of spicy tuna and cucumber, topped with fresh salmon and yellowtail. There is even a tempura style Super Crunchy Roll of scallops, avocado, krab and smelt roe. The menu also includes Special Sashimi Plates, such as Spicy Salmon Salad, Lemon Pepper White Fish and a Spicy Tuna Volcano with tempura flakes. We can’t forget about their tasty Japanese Noodle Dishes, such as the Udon with shrimp or seafood and Stir- Fried Noodles served with chicken, shrimp or seafood and vegetables. Next on the menu are the Chicken Katsu, Chicken Tempura, Shrimp Tempura, Chicken Teriyaki, Salmon Teriyaki and Steak Teriyaki Bento Boxes served with Miso Soup, Ginger Salad, a California Roll, Krab Rangoon, Rice and Vegetable 172 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016
19187TB
To see the actual publication please follow the link above