Mark T.
Yelp
After walking by this place many times, I had thought it suffered the same fate as Sully's: closed.... a place not around since I had moved into the area, and faded into memories. Thus, imagine my surprise when I found Omori Izakaya was having a grand opening! I've been able to visit twice, once on my own, and once with family.
Overall, it was very good! Both their fish and rice seem to be as fresh as can be. However, I did not find their offerings mind-blowing, and some of the decisions didn't make sense.
For example: the salmon roe (caviar) gunkan. Salmon caviar, especially of high-quality is a beautiful ingredient. The caviar is great, only they added some kind of sweet sauce on top! Wholly unnecessary, in my opinion. A little cucumber though, to add some freshness and absorb some salt was also needed but missing. Don't get me wrong: still good, just not as good as it could be.
Let me try to give the breakdown of some of the rest:
Ebisu: I loved the combination of tuna, yellowtail, and eel sauce. However, the use of Japanese pickle flies in the face of an otherwise delicate roll. It was very crunchy - a case where the texture overwhelms what they had going.
Scorpion: one of the classics of Japanese[-American] cuisine, and among my favorites. However, in this one's case, some pieces had so little eel, it might as well had not been there at all.
Jalapeño Toro Maki: this is one where the simplicity works wonders. Avocado, toro, and a little jalapeño for crunch and spice. My only critique is that the amount of jalapeño varied - which I'm fine with, but someone more sensitive to spice may find some pieces a little too hot to handle.
Shinjuku & Fujikawa: while these were good combinations, both had a ponzu sauce that made them taste more similar than I would have liked. I might even go as far as to say the ponzu overwhelmed the flavors somewhat. Further, I think a crab stick made its way into one of these, likely by mistake as the menu does not state it. Also, why cheapen otherwise fancy rolls with imitation crab?
Izakaya Salad: This is an extremely pleasant, lightly dressed cabbage salad served for free at the start of the meal. It had wonderful savory and light acidic notes. My critique here is only one little plate per party. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for anything given for free... however, a person dining alone or a family of three get the same amount, which doesn't come out to a lot.
Pork Belly Buns: This was close to a return to the appetizer I so adore. It was simple: cucumber, pork belly, and BBQ sauce. The pork belly was tender, and the sauce wasn't over the top. Yet, it felt like something was missing... maybe just a little bit of acid, maybe a teeny bit of salt? Very good, but just shy of perfect.
Chicken Skin & Pork Belly Yakitori/Kushiyak: For the chicken skin: it overcooked in my opinion as it came out as crispy as a Doritos chip! This does not apply to the pork belly, as it was cooked well. Both had an ample (arguably slightly high) amount of seasoned salt sprinkled on top.
The service here was good. It was fairly attentive, and the sushi comes out fast, though the hot items take a bit longer. The location is clean and has an upscaled tavern feel.
Finally, I feel the value is solid. Some of the rolls are up there in price, but considering the cost of everything, especially quality sushi grade fish, I think these are in line with the market rates.
Thus, it seems Omori Izakaya has a lot going for it. Quality ingredients, and rolls ranging from basic to creative at more-or-less reasonable prices. However, at the same time, I feel there are some kinks and wrinkles to work out, and I do not agree with some of the creative decisions in their menu.
While I am thrilled to have another great sushi and Japanese restaurant enter the Quincy dining scene, it unfortunately does not break into my list of favorites. At least not yet.