Osaka Steakhouse of Japan - Tulsa, OK

Okay, I believe there is more than one Osaka in Tulsa and I am not sure at all if they are under the same ownership so I am going to specify that this review is based on the Osaka on E. 81st St.

Jim and I went to Osaka this past weekend in hopes of having good Hibachi. When you first enter the restaurant you get a good feeling. The restaurant is immaculate and decor is very modern and beautiful. To the right is an exposed kitchen where the chefs/cooks look very professional and hard at work.

It will benefit you to know that we had made prior reservations and actually had reservations to a show following dinner. We had a friend with us and were seated right away at an empty table. The server came quickly for our drink order. When I gave her my order I also inquired about how the lobster was prepared. She said she didn't know but would find out and come back. She did come back with drinks but never answered the question. At this point we had been waiting a solid 15 minutes and plenty of tables were being sat and filled but no one had joined our table. This is important because if you go to many Hibachi grills then you know that especially on a Friday night the chef if not likely to begin cooking at your table and until it has reached capacity.

So we were hungry and decided to order the Tempura calamari and some sushi. The calamari was prepared differently from what I am accustomed to. Instead of being sliced into thin rings, it was dipped in the tempura batter and fried in tubular pieces, about 5" long. It was amazingly tender and served with two different dipping sauces, both of which were good. The sushi was a tuna roll and was okay but nothing really special.

At this point we are easily into half an hour of being there and still no one has joined our table. I knew we could never make the show on time so I went ahead and changed that reservation from 8 o'clock to 10:30. This at least allowed us to relax and not worry any further about missing the show. The wait continued and still other tables (three to be exact) are being sat, already have a chef at the table, and at at least one of them, the diners were already being served their Hibachi meals. I just kept thinking why the heck did I bother making a reservation.

After about another ten minutes the server, whom finally admitted that it was her first day, came back to say that the chef was coming out to cook for just the three of us. When I asked more questions about the menu she could not answer any of them. In the midst of this the chef arrived and I again asked our server about the preparation of the lobster. She said "oh yeah" and then turned to the chef to ask him.

So at long last Hibachi was cooked for us. There was absolutely nothing special about any of the food. The ginger dressing on the salad was just so-so, the rice was well below par in my world - flavorless and somewhat undercooked, and the meat was mediocre. This place was a major disappointment and that's unfortunate because the first impression made one think that a wonderful meal could be expected.

White River Fish Market - Tulsa, OK

My husband, Jim, has been working weekly in Tulsa for nearly two years now. Every now and then I have an opportunity to travel with him which has landed me in Tulsa twice now. The last time I was in Tulsa I decided to do a little restaurant hunting, via the Internet, in search of some new places for Jim and his fellow co-workers to go. One of the first places that I found was White River Fish Market.

This truly is a fish market with cases of fish for sale however, it does operate a restaurant as well. Jim and I stopped in on a Saturday for lunch. The portions seemed ample enough so we simply ordered one entree which was the grilled seafood K-Bob. (Their spelling, not mine.) We were right to only order one entree. We shared this dish and left with food still on the plate. It was truly excellent. There are about five different types of fish on the kabob which I would suspect can change daily depending on what is available. This was a great dish but I have yet to tell you about their best.

We have been back together since and Jim has now been numerous times with several of his co-workers. Take my advice and treat yourself to the grilled Sea Bass. It is a little pricey as sea bass generally is but is definitely worth it. For value and flavor this is honestly one of the best pieces of fish I have ever eaten. I now know several people that like to order the sea bass regularly at White River.

I have only mentioned grilled dishes to this point but broiled, fried, or smoked dishes are on the menu as well as gumbo and red beans and rice. Don't go here for fancy decor. As I mentioned earlier, this is a restaurant within a market; the tables are Formica, the floor is tiled, and there are cases of fish on display. What is important is that the restaurant is clean, the service is efficient and friendly, and the food is great! If you love seafood and are in the Tulsa area, trust me, I am not steering you wrong. White River Fish Market.