Lunch Review: Thai Wasabi

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Ya know, Bradenton gets a bad rap...It really does.  I constantly hear about there being nowhere to go in Bradenton, and yet we've got the Village of the Arts, South Florida Museum, the Seafood Festival, and now...WASABI!

Opening two weeks ago on the East side of Bradenton, just before the crossroads where I-75 and SR-64 meet, is Thai Wasabi, where you can get great food on...yes...Bradenton prices (That means "cheap").

The Ambience:  It's a Feng Shui lover's dream (minus the fish tank), as its calming soft pastel green walls with a single lime-colored accent wall make you take in a deep breath as soon as you walk in.  Save for a few plants and nature motif ornaments on the wall, the minimalist room is uncluttered, but still warm and inviting.

Owner and hostes Nathalie greeted my significant other with "It's nice to see you again," which surprised him, as he had only stopped in for a take out menu, so I could review it before dining.  By the time we left, the owner was calling us by our first names.

The Food: I ordered the fried tofu appetizer ($4.75) off of the dinner menu (which they were nice enough to let me do, even though it was lunchtime), served with an orange dipping sauce.  As a personal preference, I like tempura tofu a little better, but this was lightly fried so the tofu wedges were soft on the inside (not chewy like overcooked calamari).  I also tried the chicken pad thai lunch ($7.95), with rice noodles, bean sprouts, crushed peanuts and scallions.  I ordered it hot but not thai hot (which I was worried might detract from the flavor of the dish), sufficient for spicy food lovers like myself.  It came with a bowl of chicken and rice soup, with bits of fresh cilantro giving it a unique and pleasant flavor.  The fried eggroll was made with a thin pastry and filled with bits of cabbage and beef. After my significant other waited patiently for me to photograph his lunch, he got to enjoy (and share) the assemble-it-yourself beef lettuce wrap ($8.95).

The Specials: A lunch combo comes with choice of chicken, pork, veggies or tofu ($7.95) or beef and seafood (8.95).  There are about twenty entrees to choose from, and they are served with soup of the day and egg roll. A sushi special comes with a choice of two sushi selections, soup and egg roll ($10).

The Beverages:  We had the Thai Tea ($2), which tastes like an iced Chai (without the nutmeg), but they also serve imported beers like Sapporo, Asahi, Singha and Kirin ($3.95-$4.95).  There are wines by the glass, including plum, as well as hot and cold Sake ($3.25-$3.95). For the traditional, you can also order hot coffee, tea and soft drinks ($1.50-$2).

Insider Scoop:  The most frequently asked question I get is "What's the difference between Sushi and Sashimi?"

Sushi is a vinegar infused rice roll or rice patty that is topped or filled with a vegetable or protein. Sashimi is strips of raw fish with no rice or rice on the side.  Sometimes, I've eaten in restaurants where the "sashimi" is served over rice like a sushi bite, and referred to as such, indicating there is more fish and less rice (vs. the other way around).

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Thai Wasabi is located at 5250 E SR 64. Bradenton, FL 34208. Phone: 941-896-7803. Hours:  Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. (lunch), 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. (dinner).  Open until 10 p.m. Saturday.  Major credit cards accepted.

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