By Steve Cooper
Foodie Foursome
Steve Cooper
Almost anywhere you go that there is a huge influx of Asian restaurants. If you travel through Milford and Orange there are now Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese as well as poke bowls, dumplings and ramen or noodle houses. Our visit to Sushi Kingdom was witness to a different style of dining, with a Japanese fusion that takes you from sushi and sashimi through several Chinese and Thai choices.
This establishment, located in the old Eli’s Orange location, helps set a new standard for all you can eat. Unlike most all-you-can-eat restaurants, Sushi Kingdom takes it to another level. It is not a buffet. It does not have paper checklists. What it does have is a wide variety of choices that you pick on a digital tablet at your table. It not only lists the dishes by category, but has photos so you can see what the dish looks like.
The service is what I would call “team style” and, like any good team, they work well together for a winning dining experience. I took this night’s culinary journey with friends Dan, Mike and Mitch. We started with several different appetizers, as we always divide each dish into fours to create a tasting. The selections are prepared to order and come out in a timely manner. Since the selections are for an individual, and not family style, we had to order two of some of the dishes. But since it is all you can eat, it was not a problem. The tablet walks you through ordering additional items seamlessly.
First out was the gyoza – pan-fried crispy pork dumplings. These were simple yet tasty, with a nice chew to the thin dumpling skin and and a delicate filling.
When we started our order, we asked for a selection of sauces so each of us could dip to our own tastes. The beef negimaki, thin slices of tender beef-wrapped green onions, were served with a teriyaki sauce. We would have ordered more if there was not so many choices to come. The tatsuta, Japanese fried chicken tenders, were great. They were marinated in a flavorful mix of soy sauce, ginger, sake and mirin, coated with potato starch and deep-fried to a crispy goodness outside and juicy inside. These was served with a plum sauce.
Next we chose the chicken and beef yakitori. The skewered meats were beautifully seasoned and savory, grilled and presented with ichiban sauce (a creamy yum yum-style sauce).
Since we were in a Japanese restaurant, we had to try their tempura. We had both the vegetable and shrimp. They were delicately deep-fried for a crunch, providing a wonderful “dipable” light golden encasement for the veggies and shrimp.
A pleasant surprise was the calamari. The style was different from any calamari I had prior to this adventure. They were impeccably created using fresh, un-breaded squid barbecued and served with teriyaki sauce. They were a tender treat.
We followed the appetizers with soup and salad. The miso and wonton soups were both as expected, flavorful and well done. The seafood soup took soups to another level. It was an incredibly delicious vegetable soup chock full of fresh large vegetables, tender shrimp, scallops and crabmeat, worth the price of admission. The house salad was a crispy green salad with homemade ginger dressing and lightly flavored with fresh orange herbs. The ginger dressing was excellent. The mango salad was innovative, with expertly sliced large matchstick-style pieces of fresh mango in a subtle dressing which was very refreshing.
The smaller servings allowed us to try many different styles and types of food choices. Since were in a “Sushi Kingdom,” we started with a variety of obvious choices. The golden spider roll featured a fried softshell crab and also containing tempura shrimp. The golden dragon roll was made with tempura shrimp, avocado, cucumber and sliced mango and mango sauce on top. It was superb. The freshness of the seafood and vegetables make these a nice sampling to transport us to the next grouping of sushi, sashimi, maki and tamaki, where we had a nice variety of fresh rolls that featured red snapper, salmon, tuna, smoked salmon, yellow tail as well as a delicious green roll with avocado, cucumber and asparagus.
What arrived at our table next was the end of our sushi travels: a giant wooden boat adorned with a maki sampling consisting of six pieces each of California roll, spicy salmon roll and tuna roll. The rolls were as tasty and fresh as the presentation was artistic.
We ended the entrees with an array of classic Asian dishes that was like watching the final flourish of a fireworks display. They all had their place on the menu with a creative flare, display of freshness and culinary expertise. The lemongrass shrimp consisted of large tiger shrimp stir fried with fresh lemongrass, garlic, bell peppers, onions and mushrooms. This was delightful. The garlic sliced beef was stir fried with oyster sauce and mixed with garlic and green onions, while the ginger chicken breast with shredded ginger, red and green peppers, black mushroom, onions and green onions. The mango chicken was quickly deep-fried with mango, sweet peppers, onions combined in a rich mango sauce with cashew nuts. The tastes, spices and colors were like an explosion of flavor in our mouths.
The grand finale was a tasty sampling of sake and then even more classic Asian food that most of us have loved. Sesame chicken (deep fried chicken smothered in sesame and sweet brown sauce) and chicken pad Thai (rice noodles stir-fried with egg tofu, bean sprouts, green onions, sprinkled with roasted peanuts, garnished with fresh bean sprouts and lime) are some of the go-to dishes for many families. These did not disappoint. Nor did the beef yaki udon (a stir-fry with thick noodles, thinly sliced beef and vegetables stir fried and served in a savory soy-based sauce). The mixed vegetables were stir-fried snow peas, black mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, tofu, baby corn and bell peppers.
And what would an Asian feast be without rice? While many dishes came with white rice, the pineapple fried rice was jasmine rice that was stir-fried with egg, shrimp, chicken, fresh pineapple, green onions, raisins and roasted cashews.
There is also a dessert bar with fresh fruit, cheesecake and ice cream. Sushi Kingdom features a diverse menu and delightful and attentive staff making for an enjoyable dining experience for families, friends or couples. Allow the Kingdom’s skilled and passionate chefs to craft dishes for you. They open daily at 11 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. They are open until 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The address is 285 Boston Post Rd. in Orange. Call 203-836-8888 for reservations.
Steve Cooper is a local, national and international award-winning photographer, culinary influencer and executive director of the Milford Performance Center. Contact him at 203-723-3672.