Before I fell down the stairs at work this Friday (yes, I fell down the stairs like a grandmother) Eric thought he'd do some research and take me out to lunch! He told me that he wanted to go to Somerville for some sushi at Wasabi and really, i had very little to no expectations on how good this place was going to be... i mean.. it's New Jersey.. So while on our way to Wasabi, I was pleasantly surprised by the little town the restaurant was located in! Although a bit quiet, it reminded me a bit of Shadyside, and I was really excited that a cute little town was near my office! I couldn't wait to get to Wasabi by then and was even more excited to walk around after lunch to explore the stores!
Located on West Main Street, I walked into Wasabi and felt instantly blinded- it was incredibly dark. It surprisingly was a nice, warm sunny New Jersey afternoon yet the lighting in the restaurant was awful- I'm not sure how this place would be like at night! Excited to try a few new dishes off their menu, Eric and I quickly ordered our miso soup and ginger salad (obvi) and perused the specials menu for any interesting dishes.
Miso Soup
Salad with Ginger Dressing
I read some reviews on the chilean sea bass crunch roll and knew I had to try that. Along with my sea bass roll, I opted for the lucky maki on the special menu- a fried calamari roll with lobster on top. Eric and I got the appetizer sampler to share, just so we could get a taste of the variety of appetizers available! Eric went with the sashimi lunch special and a spider roll (obvi!).
Appetizer Sampler
Chilean Sea Bass Crunch Roll and Lucky Maki
Sashimi Lunch Special with Spider roll
I would have to say that the overall meal was good but nothing really wowed me- again.. I wasn't expecting much. The miso soup and ginger salad was ok, the salad was a little smaller than what I was expecting but, meh. The rolls were flavorful and filling while Eric's sashimi was fresh and tasty. Eric did get a lot more sashimi than we were expecting (their a la carte menu was pretty pricey) and so that was a nice surprise.
All in all, we had a good meal and enjoyed our food. I will return again one day, since it's so close to work and is a good place to eat with co-workers, but again, it wasn't anything too special in my book.
The decor/lighting was unappealing, their tables strangely low (i was knocking my knees on them) and their service was OK. Wasabi is a good place for a quick getaway with some co-workers, but I wouldn't say it would be a place to bring your sushi conneseiurs.
My favorite part of the day? Getting to have lunch with this smiling face :)
Price: $$
Ambiance: B-
Service: B
Food: B+
