Our experience at Wabi Sabi in Bloomfield was a 10. The food was delicious, dinner well paced and our knowledgeable waitress recommended spot-on menu items. If you are a fan of Japanese and Asian fusion cuisine, then do try this new restaurant.
Nelson Yip, previous owner and executive chef at Aozora in Montclair is the chef and his eight-page extensive menu lists soups, tempura, udon or ramen soups, salads, cold and hot appetizers, hot entrees, rolls, sushi and sashimi. There is a section of available-today-only fish as well as “available daily” seafood options.
“What are peanut butter dumplings?” We asked our waitress. She explained that they are steamed dumplings filled with chopped chicken and topped with a peanut sauce. The sauce was delicious, the noodles ethereal. We also had the best edamame that we have ever tasted. Served in a wire basket the pods are imported fresh from Japan, not frozen and stir-fried with truffle butter and oil and sprinkled with truffle salt. Grilled calamari was tender and served with its head fried. Two rolls were ordered. The shrimp tempura curry roll was deliciously different with the curry flavors. The sunrise roll contained spicy salmon and avocado topped with salmon, tempura flakes and massago; excellent. Nine kitchen entrees, such as hot stone Angus steak, pan-seared salmon, and miso-glazed sea bass are offered. We opted for the roasted-duck confit (two legs and two thighs), which were crispy and gobbled up. Seafood crispy-fried rice with bamboo shoots, shrimp and calamari reminded us of a Japanese version of Chinese fried rice, but much tastier and not oily. We did not have dessert but a neighboring table was inhaling a flourless chocolate cake and a bread pudding.
Wabi Sabi
407 Broad Street
Bloomfield
973-680-9222
BYO
Stir fried edamame.
Peanut butter dumplings and grilled calamari.
Photos courtesy of Lowell Saferstein