In a tiny strip mall in the middle of Doral, there is a little surprise awaiting those who are willing to explore a different kind of Japanese fare.
By Brenda Benoit
We were invited to taste a daring variation of traditional Japanese food, from rolls to sushi, tempura, makis and takoyaki. Here you “can do the mix” and order by the piece and mix and match as you please with no restrictions.
The owner, Felipe Del Valle, is a charming Venezuelan expat who just moved from Spain to Miami and opened Oh! Sushi Restaurant just 3 months ago. I asked him why sushi when you are from South America? He said with a smile that he met his wife, also from Venezuela, while she was working in a Japanese restaurant and when he fell in love with her, he also fell in love with sushi and the Japanese culture.
Felipe Del Valle creates restaurants and Oh! Sushi is his latest baby. Before this, Felipe opened a Japanese restaurant in Spain and decided to give it a try in Miami. He is passionate about sushi and considers himself fortunate to be able to share this passion with others.
As usual, I had my 2 tasters in tow: Miss I. and Miss Y. who are always willing to give me their unbiased, unprejudiced and open thoughts about what they put in their mouths. They never edit their opinions.
Started with gyozas….We had never seen green gyozas before, sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds and swimming in a pond of savory sauce. They were quite impressive and the taste took our breaths away, Miss I. declaring that vegetables never tasted so good. The Gyozas come in a variety of flavors: pork, chicken, prawns, seafood and vegetables. I wish that we could have tried them all.
Some balls were in order so we asked for Octopus Balls…Oh my, what a name for a dish. I love balls but filled with octopus? This is one of Oh! Sushi’s signature dishes. Creamy with a chunk of fried octopus in the middle, this is the stuff of dreams. On top were bonito flakes, floating like clouds, adding a fragrant and aromatic touch and texture. Miss I. devoured this and we had to fight for the last ball. I won when I promised to pay her a dollar for it… so worth it.
Wonder Maki – a special roll
There are some very cool rolls here with whimsical names like Funny, Fancy, Freaky among others. We tried the Wonder and the Electric rolls. Both featured salmon, avocado and cream cheese. The Electric roll had eel on it which I thought was a real palate-popping addition.
Nutella Maki
For dessert, we had another unexpected roll: nutella, cake, bananas, peanut butter all dusted with powdered sugar and served with a condensed milk sauce spiked with Bailey’s. Overall this dessert was fine but I do think that it would better if the peanut butter was not there.
This place is one of a kind. The decoration is a riot of colors and imagination. Located in Doral, which is a neighborhood that is a mix between an industrial and residential area. Doral is close to the airport, and is an ideal location for a lot of Corporate Headquarters and also the perfect place to develop a healthy lunch business. There are just under 50 thousand people living in Doral but at least 250 thousand people come in and out every day for work. There is potential.
The food here is good, different, kid-friendly and original. Prices per piece range from 59 cents to $5.99, most pieces are 99 cents. The menu also includes tasty traditional Japanese dishes. There is also a mini-market in the back of the restaurant where you can get some interesting items.
Visit and give it a try yourself and make sure that you bring the kids.
Oh! Sushi
(305) 629-8442
Doral/Miami Springs
9036 NW 25th ST
Doral, FL
