Foothill Flavors

Jackson Enjoys a Far Eastern Flair

By Antoinette May Herndon

Irene and I had been talking about having lunch for ages. You know how it is. You run into somebody often and invariably one or the other (or both) of you will say, “We’ve GOT to get together, enjoy a leisurely afternoon, become better acquainted, HAVE LUNCH.

Always a great notion, but one does have to set a date to make it happen. The other day Irene and I ran into each other at the Leger Hotel’s Martini Night (I’ll expose that den of iniquity in a future column).

“I’ve found a great restaurant,” Irene announced. ‘When are we finally going to have that lunch?” My response was instantaneous: “What about a week from tomorrow?”

Whoopie! We’d finally succeeded in making a date. A week later we were roaring north on Highway 49 in Irene’s new PT Cruiser. Oh, happy day! Then disaster struck. Do things like this ever happen to you? Probably not. I’m embarrassed to tell you how brainless I really am.

But here goes: I looked into my purse and discovered that something was missing. Something very important. The very thing you never want to leave home without. I had forgotten my wallet. Can you imagine! I was mortified.

Naturally, Irene was very gracious. “I have enough for both of us,” she assured me in her Dutch- French-German-Swahili-Brazilian accent. Well, actually, it isn’t as though Irene Perbal Boylson hasn’t experienced worse things. This is a woman who endured the Nazi occupation of Holland, escaped a revolution in Africa with the clothes

on her back and translated the Treaty of Amazon Countries. Surely such a woman of the world can handle a deadbeat.

Our destination was Oko Sushi & Teriyaki, Jackson’s premier Japanese restaurant. First impressions here are good and lasting. The room is large enough for an ample sushi bar and many cozy tables. The restaurant's oriental decor manages to both relax and intrigue the incoming customer.

Phalla Thorng was an attentive server who showed us to a cosy table and then returned almost immediately with two bowls of Oko Shushi’s complimentary Miso soup. Subtly tasty.

Irene began with an old favourite of hers: Seaweed Salad. ($4.50) After sampling a taste, I quickly saw why she likes it, a tangy treat that's difficult to describe. Irene’s Seared Scallops were good too, ($6.95)

My own choice was the house special that day was Curried Salmon ($9.95). We had tea, Irene's, mine iced for $1.75 each. It was a delightful lunch in a quiet low-keyed atmosphere, a perfect place to chat easily and solve a few of the world's problems.

Once home again I raved to Charles about this great lunch place. Raved so much that I found myself back at Oko Sushi's having dinner with him that very evening.

I started off the evening with a glass of the house cabernet. At $2.50, you can hardly beat the price but I would have done better to have followed Charles's advice and ordered one of the two Japanese beers, Sapporo or Kirin ($3.50). Wine is not Oko Sushi's strong suit and there is no cocktail bar.

Remembering

Irene success secret, Seaweed Salad, I ordered a plate and was very pleased with it. A real winner. For my main course I chose the Tempura Combo, (Tempura prawns deep fried with vegetables at $10.95.

Charles went all the way with the Combination Dinner Box The "box" is a pretty lacquered tray divided into sections. He chose the Tempura Combination which included deep fried shrimp, vegetable, salad, rice, croquette and gyoza (a form of pasta) for $12.95.

Both of our dinners were good, aesthetically presented, prettily and promptly served, but would have benefitted from a more pizzazzy dipping sauce. I would like to see Oko Sushi go back to the drawing board and perfect that one.

However, who am I to argue with success? Lily On opened her restaurant three years ago. On the day I visited, it was packed with happy diners at both lunch and dinner. “People come here,” Lily gestured to the crowd. “They like what they find and come back to Oko Sushi again and again. Why should they go all the way to Stockton or Sacramento for Japanese food?”

Why indeed?

VITALS: Oko Sushi is located at 12280 Industry Blvd. Suite 84, Jackson. Phone: 223-4088. Open seven days a week. Lunch from 11 a.m. to 2;30 pm.; dinner 4;30 p.m. to 9. Credit cards accepted.

amherndon@sierralodestar.com

Pictures: The interior of Oko Sushi is both intriguing and inviting

Phalla Thorng helped us navigate the exotic menu.

A sushi bar is a fun feature at Oko Shushi