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When compared to their NYC counterparts, Long Island restaurants are a different breed. Many trying too hard to mimic Manhattan vibes while catering to a completely different clientele of diners, the eateries rarely stand out as unique and compelling options worth traveling to.
That might be why any sort of suburban opening led by a NYC-based chef is usually met with a bit more excitement than others, especially when said cook happens to have spurred the sort of gastronomic trends that continue to resonate with all types of diners almost three decades in.
Case in point: Okaru, a new modern Japanese restaurant that just debuted in an 1890 building in Roslyn, a Long Island town about 45 minutes away from Manhattan by car. The new concept comes courtesy of executive chef and owner Marc Spitzer, the partner and longtime chef of BondSt, the Japanese restaurant that first opened on the eponymous street in downtown Manhattan back in 1998, ushering in an era of Americanized Japanese food that almost amounts to its own culinary category.
Restaurants like Nobu, Tao, Blue Ribbon and the now-defunct Sushi Samba belong to that category, eateries where sushi and traditional Japanese dishes are certainly well-made but often take a backseat to the space’s ambiance.
BondSt specifically became a magnet for the sort of model crowd that seemed to rule the city's cultural life back in the early 2000s and seems to continue strong with the debut of the brand’s newer location in Hudson Yards.
That specific proposition—a sushi restaurant with hip vibes—works extremely well in a town like Roslyn, where diners want to claim an association with Manhattan despite the geographical distance. Perhaps most astounding, though, is the fact that Okaru actually delivers: the food here is very good and the vibes are “cool” but far from annoying, based on my visit on a recent Thursday night.
The 110-seat dining room is a perfect representation of the Japandi style that has come to define many Japanese eateries in New York: big on organic and simple trends, the aesthetic is a combination of Japanese and Scandinavian designs—think wood paneling on the walls, plain-looking tables and chairs that hinge on natural materials. Just like the Western takes on the Japanese food served here, the decor at Okaru is very much East-meets-West.
On my visit, the service was great also: waiters were constantly buzzing around, making well thought-out suggestions (shout out to Matthew, whose dessert tip wrapped up the meal perfectly) and eager to hear feedback.
Although the menu is certainly on the longer side, just about anything in it deserves your attention: the big eye tuna tart dish, reminiscent of the tuna pizza partly made famous by BondSt back in the early aughts, was satisfying yet refreshing all at once (the layer of creamy truffle ponzu is a delicious touch), especially when paired with the simple baby greens salad, served with avoidable crispy kataifi and an excellent house ginger dressing.
The menu's absolute must, though, is an entree that should be ordered as a shareable appetizer: the mushroom rice gohan, a blend of three different mushrooms cooked in a ceramic pot with crispy rice, scallions, an egg and bonito flakes. The ideal winter-weather dish, I think the pot will also help preemptively nurse a hangover potentially brought on by the series of well-made cocktails on offer, including the restaurant’s version of an old fashioned and the Okaru paloma, made with mezcal and tequila.
You should continue your meal with a few temakis—open-face handrolls—that hit the mark more than "simpler" cut rolls. found that the toro was an absolute must and those with a flair for the vegetarian will delight in the Japanese eggplant option.
Speaking of veggies: the restaurant offers a seasonal vegetable nigiri sashimi set that is certainly not as special as a fish-based one but deserves an A+ for creativity.
Other worthy orders: the cauliflower karaage if you're indulging and not counting calories and the grilled branzino.
Onto the dessert, which usually feels like a necessity after a salt and soy-heavy meal.
Although the homemade mochi was definitely praise-worthy, it’s one other dessert that will have you think about Okaru for days: the winter citrus kakigori, a tangy fruit and ice concoction that is light, refreshing and incredibly satisfying. Yuzu ice was layered over broken down pieces of blood orange, mandarin and sake sabayon, a sweet sauce made with egg yolks and sugar, and presented with a few meringue chips that will help you scoop the whole thing up in a perfect bites.
The dessert was, by far, the most outstanding menu item.
Whether Okaru will continue to deliver without falling prey to the trends that have been ruling the Long Island restaurant industry—loud music, sugar-heavy drinks and a departure from culinary outstanding-ness in favor of whatever “coolness” means across these parts of town—is yet to be seen but, for now, the eatery certainly deserves the praise.