Lunch Ladies: Good memories made at Osaka Japanese Steakhouse
The Lunch Ladies enjoyed their recent visit to Osaka Japanese Steakhouse.
Gabby loved her Salmon Teriyaki for lunch at Osaka Japanese Steakhouse in Provo.
Jennette opted for Oyako Donburi at Osaka Japanese Steakhouse in Provo.
Janell ordered a Philadelphia Roll and Gyoza at Osaka Japanese Steakhouse in Provo.
OK, so maybe I’m one of the few people who do this. But, have you ever thought about doing something so much that in the end you could have sworn you actually did it?
Like running an errand or checking a voicemail? Or perhaps there is something you are so focused on remembering to tell someone that eventually, enough time passes and you think you told the person because the information weighed on your mind for so long and you thought about telling him so much, your memory just blurs into thinking it happened?
Maybe I’m in a small minority that this happens to, but I know I am at least not alone. I recently discovered that my fellow Lunch Ladies also share this weakness to at least some extent.
The other day we were deciding where to go to lunch and were exploring options, mentally checking off the restaurants closest to us and intending to expand our search accordingly. Well, as Osaka Japanese Restaurant was listed we immediately said, “Been there, reviewed it.” Then we paused. Had we?
We had talked about going there so many times. We had planned on going there. We had walked past it countless times, being on Center Street in downtown Provo. Surely we had gone, right?
We eventually realized that in our discussing it so many times we just somehow converted that to an actual outing, and sadly had never in fact been to the local restaurant. We quickly decided it was the must-choose restaurant for the day and headed out.
When we entered Osaka, we were immediately glad we had come! This sit-down restaurant was small and beautiful. We loved the sophisticated-but-not-too-formal décor. It was a lovely, relaxing ambiance that would successfully be great for a date night as well as a business lunch.
We perused the wonderfully priced options on the lunch menu and placed our orders with the very friendly and helpful waitress. Here is what the Lunch Ladies went with:
Janell: Philadelphia Roll $6.00, Gyoza-Japanese-style pot stickers $3.95
I am always on the lookout for good sushi. Living in a landlocked state it is not something that we get around here very often. So when I find a place that has sushi that is good, then I am one happy foodie. It was a welcome surprise to find it at Osaka on Center Street in Provo. Since one roll of sushi is not enough for this girl, I added the Gyoza; the perfect addition to round out my meal. With the eight pieces of sushi roll, soup and Gyoza, this was a great lunch meal under $12. The salmon was fresh and mixed well with the cucumber and cream cheese. The Gyoza was fresh as well and they were the perfect size to eat with my chopsticks. So next time you are down in Provo and really would like some sushi, I suggest that you try out Osaka.
Jennette: Oyako Donburi $4.95
When my cousin and I were roommates she used to cook for me. I was very spoiled! She served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in California and she spoke Spanish. This meant that she spent time with a lot of Latin families and learned to cook some very authentic dishes. My favorite dish was Spanish rice, meat and eggs. Ever since those good old college days I have been a fan of eggs and rice. While glancing over the menu Janell saw the Oyako Donburi dish had eggs and rice and immediately alerted me to the menu choice — and that is what I ordered. The Donburi consisted of rice topped with chicken, carrots and onions all cooked with an egg. It was so yummy! This lunch dish came with either miso soup or a salad, I chose the salad. Osaka does serve Diet Coke.
Gabby: Salmon Teriyaki Lunch Entrée $5.95
I love salmon! I was debating between the Salmon Donburi and the Salmon Teriyaki since both seemed to be pretty similar dishes. In the end I chose the entrée since it came with both miso soup and a small side salad. The miso soup was super tasty and refreshing. It was flavorful, but not too salty; just how I like it. The broiled salmon filet was moist and tender and a perfect portion for lunch. It was served with a side of rice and teriyaki, which I poured on the rice and mixed with my salmon. It was really a great meal. This entrée also came with tempura-covered carrots and onions, which I passed on to my fellow Lunch Ladies and which I was told were really delicious. I can’t wait to go back and try the donburi next time!
Well, we were really glad we finally actually made it to Osaka, rather than just pretending we had. With such great meals, a wonderful lunch menu, and fantastic prices, the Lunch Ladies will definitely be heading back to enjoy more of the quality dishes as well as high-class service found at Osaka Japanese Restaurant.
– Osaka Japanese Restaurant: 46 W. Center St., Provo. Open Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Closed Sundays.