PONZU SUSHI AND GRILL
Hoppen Hierarchy:★★
District: Aksarben
Contemporary Sushi & Asian Fusion
Perfect For: Date Night; Happy Hour; Casual Dining
Standout Dishes: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Rangoon; Cancun Roll; Pork Potstickers; Spicy Tuna Roll
I really appreciate the creativity on display at. Ponzu Sushi and Grill. They’re not afraid to put creative twists on their rolls, sandwiches, and other offerings, creating a unique menu with some really interesting options you won’t find anywhere else in the city.
Is it the best sushi you’ll find in Omaha? Probably not. But with a massive, diverse menu, some creative minds in the kitchen, and a gorgeous patio to people watch in Aksarben, Ponzu offers plenty of reasons to visit.
Located in the heart of Aksarben Village, Ponzu fills up quickly around dinner, so make a reservation, get there early, or be prepared to wait. Despite the large crowds, the service is very quick. Appetizers arrive just minutes after ordering, and entrees typically aren’t far behind.
The restaurant offers 56(!) different rolls, not to mention classic nigiri/sashimi options. Pretty much any combination of fish, veggies, sauce, rice and batter is available.
If that’s not enough, there are 13 appetizers (including steam buns, sticky wings, and kobe beef sliders), salads, sandwiches, fish tacos, ramen, and noodle bowls. One could visit Ponzu a dozen times and never order the same thing twice.
With so many rolls available, Ponzu obviously has the opportunity to get creative. There are rolls with ingredients you won’t find at many other sushi joints, such as fried salmon, soft shell crab tempura, jalapeno raspberry sauce, and baby corn. These chefs aren’t afraid to push the boundaries on what sushi can be, and I’m here for it.
That ingenuity is showcased brilliantly with the Cancun Roll. A roll with tuna, yellowtail and cream cheese sounds great on its own, but Ponzu takes things to the next level by frying and topping it with fresh guacamole. The fish is light and delicate, but the cheese provides a creamy, salty pop and the tempura batter brings a nice crunch. The kicker is the guac, which adds a fresh, garlic and lime flavor to round out the dish.
But Ponzu isn’t all about flash and panache. Some of its simpler rolls, including the Spicy Tuna Roll, don’t have crazy ingredients, but they still just work. The fatty, luscious tuna is the star here, amped up slightly with the faint heat of sambal.
Not all are complete successes, however. Some, such as the Tiger Shrimp Roll (shrimp tempura, avocado, spicy tuna), sound incredible on paper, but they’re surprisingly bland. The good news is, if you run into a few rolls you don’t like, there are dozens more just waiting to be sampled.
Though sushi is the star, it’s not all about the rolls at Ponzu, so if you’re looking for a burger, sandwich, salad, or noodle bowl, there’s still plenty to sample. The Cuban Sandwich is an excellent example. It features a wonderful pork that has a slight sweetness and is clearly finished on the flattop, as it has crispy bits and great texture. The sriracha mustard adds a really nice kick that lingers on the palate without overtaking it. The bread didn’t get crispy, and the ham and pickles got lost, so I struggle to call this a Cubano. But is it a tasty sandwich? Without a doubt.
The appetizers really stand out. I’m a sucker for the breaded Kamakaze Shrimp with their delicious sambal aioli, and the Pork Potstickers are a real win. The pork is flavorful and tender. The fried wonton wrapper really sends this appetizer over the edge, contrasting the delicate pork with a crispy exterior that doesn’t even need the provided sweet/spicy sauce.
Whatever you order at Ponzu, make sure you save room for dessert. Because the restaurant’s headline sweet treat is unlike anything else I’ve seen in Omaha, and it’s fantastic.
That would be the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Rangoon. Rich, gooey balls of chocolatey cookie dough are stuffed inside of wonton wrappers and fried, then served with vanilla bean ice cream. The cookie dough takes on a molten consistency, oozing outside of its crispy wonton shell, and the hot/cold temperature contrast with the ice cream is a unique way to keep things interesting.
If you’re looking for Omaha’s best sushi, Ponzu wouldn’t be the first place I’d suggest. But there are some really interesting rolls here, and it’s a great place to visit if you have members of a group who all want different things.
But whatever you do, get the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Rangoon. I know it sounds weird on paper, but just trust me.