Oriental Star Offers High-Quality Sushi at Low Prices

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again – quality sushi is the ultimate comfort food. Almost nothing is better.

That is, except quality sushi at low prices with good friends., located at 584 Cranbrook Road, offers not only delicious sushi but does so at affordable prices in a comfortable, intimate venue.

Three of my friends and I got together at the end of a long week to catch up over what should honestly be described as copious amounts of sushi. Some might even say vast, perhaps.

Sushi isn’t Oriental Star’s only specialty, however. The Asian fusion restaurant also offers classic Chinese food and Thai dishes as well.

I started with the miso soup ($3.50), which was among the best I have ever had. Piping hot with a generous dose of silken tofu and seaweed, the soup wasn’t too salty but still had the unique flavor I was looking for.

One of my friends started with a beautiful avocado salad ($4.25), which was topped with half of a fresh avocado and drizzled with a sweet, light vinaigrette.

Three of us decided to split sushi, while the fourth went Thai. Her panang curry chicken ($10.75) was in a strange white-ish sauce (not red, as advertised) and was missing the bold heat and flavors you would expect from a curry dish.

But what Oriental Star lacked in its Thai expertise, it made up for with its sushi.

Oftentimes, “special” maki is pricey at most sushi restaurants as well as Chinese restaurants that offer sushi. A specialty roll, like Oriental Star’s Godzilla maki with its crab and lobster on the inside, eel and avocado on the outside typically costs upwards of $18. But at Oriental Star, the $10.95 roll was the most expensive on our tab – and more importantly, worth every penny.

The shrimp tempura roll ($3.95) was delightfully flaky and successfully avoided leaving a heavy, greasy feeling in my mouth. The crunchy spicy tuna roll ($4.95) was similarly delicious, just with the added kick of the spicy mayonnaise.

Noting that some items on the menu had mango, I requested a spicy tuna roll with mango ($5.50), and the mango was ripe, fresh and sweet – the perfect complement to the spicy tuna, which on its own ($4.50) was nothing to scoff at either.

Rounding out our orders, we went with two classics, an eel and avocado roll ($3.95) and a California roll ($3.95). Due to the same fresh avocado that was on my friend’s salad and the sweet eel sauce, the eel and avocado was a hit. And even though I typically abhor the imitation crabmeat that almost always makes its way into California rolls, even these rolls were refreshing and satisfying without the often rubbery texture of crabstick.

Next time I’m looking for some sushi without wanting to entirely empty my wallet, I’ll be headed to Oriental Star, a true hidden gem nestled away from the bustle of York Road.

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