Ocha Neo Japanese and Sake

Just tried a new Japanese Restaurant in Caldwell called Ocha with friends. There are so many Japanese restaurants in the area. But this one is a real gem, we all loved it.

We also did a small Sake tasting.  Visited Ocho again on 9/23/06. See Notes Below.

Ocha, green tea, is the creation of Neil and Joyce, two cordial and genuine people from New York.  Neil has been developing his craft over the last 10 years. His last stint was at the very popular Sushi Samba in New York.

They create and serve an exciting menu of Neo-Japanese cuisine. The popular Iron Chef television program with chef Masaharu Morimoto  brought this eclectic cuisine to our attention along with restaurants like Nobu in New York.

Located at 403 Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell. 973-228-8856, Ocha is a small nicely appointed space with deep colors and soothing art.

We started with a Seaweed Salad; Yellowtail Cerviche with ginger garlic and soy; the Chicken Tako, chopped chicken perfectly spiced with lettuce wraps, and an Age Tofu with a special sauce.

Each dish was served alone which was very nice, enabling us to share and savor each flavor. They were all special in their own way, perfectly prepared and presented.

We then enjoyed several delicious rolls. Our favorite was the Ocha, shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, avocado and spicy kabayaki sauce. It was a work of art to the eye and the palate. The Crazy Spider, with soft shell crab and the Caldwell, tuna, yellow tail, fluke & cucumber, avocado, tobika, ajiamarillo, with Key lime mayo.

We also had a tuna "pizza" on a crepe, out of this world.

Again each dish was served to share one by one. The grand finale was a chef's creation, off the menu. Not sure what it all was but it was delicious.

The Sake Tasting included 4 small bottles from Wine Library. The two favorites were Chiyonosono Sake Garden Of Eternity and Yamadanishiki Junmai.

Visited Ocha for a second time. With the kids. We tried some new dishes.  Kids enjoyed there Yaki Udan, Chicken; the Chicken Takos and Duck Spring Rolls.

Tried the Bacon Wrapped Asparagus; the Naruto, yellowtail and avocado wrapped in thin cucumber; and the Shrimp Tempura Roll with Passion Fruit Mustard. All delicious.

On our third visit we had these appetizers: the Duck Spring Rolls, duck was very tasty and had a nice sauce;  Fried Calamari, perfectly done with a nice spicy sauce; and the Yellow Tail Cerviche, so good my son even enjoyed it.

Then some Sushi, Salamon and Toro and some rolls Snow Mountain and Rock and Roll. Finally shared  a cooked special 5 Spice Shrimp on Soa Nooldes. All were delicious and we can wait to go back again.

The owners are so nice and friendly.

With dinner we enjoyed, Tentaka Shuzo Junmai Sake, "Hawk in the Heavens."  This is one of my favorites.

Brewery surronded by three rivers, mountains, rice fields, and not much else but clean and fresh water and air." -Brewery  Available at Wine Library Tentaka Shuzo Junmai Sake.

Comments

[JS]

Having just moved to the neighborhood from the city, I was sure that I would be living in void of decent sushi (which is hardly living at all then). I was pleasently surprised--nay-- SHOCKED after trying Ocha. I have been to countless sushi joints--whether it be NY, LA, or Vancouver (each of which claim to have the best sushi)-- and I have to say, that Ocha was surprisingly competitive with some of the best ones. As someone who really doesn't care for Sushi Samba at all, I was doubly surprised.

I wouldn't make the mistake to compare Ocha with some of the super-high end sushi joints (i.e. Megu, Masa, etc.) but as far as "neighborhood/everyday" sushi places go, I have to say that very, very few other places I've been to are on par with this place.

I cannot say enough good things about the food. Purists may scoff (but then more for you and me), but I suggest the Sushi Pizza and N&J Roll as surefire bet.

[John - Little Falls, NJ]

After reading this article I visited Ocha myself. I have been a big Sushi Samba fan for several years now and I must say that Ocha's Sushi is competitive if not better than Sushi Samba. The Chef has masterfully created very unique selections and each roll is better than the next. I strongly recommend Ocha if you live in the Caldwell area. It's city quality Sushi without having the hassle of traveling into the city.