Haiku - Woodbury

Haiku Asian Bistro and Sushi Bar is located in the back of a shopping center off Jericho Turnpike in Woodbury. Lauren and I were craving Japanese and I had been wanting Lauren to try this place for a long time. (I have taken out here on several occasions.)

Our friend Jess joined us this particular Thursday. When we walked in, the three of us we were greeted by a friendly hostess who seated us immediately in a comfortable booth located in the corner. The place was crowded, but our server came to the table almost immediately. Jess and Lauren stuck with water and I ordered a Coke. I'm very picky with my Cokes - but this one happened to be a good one. Lauren makes fun of me, but I really think finding the perfect balance between syrup and CO2 is no easy task. This restaurant did a good job.

For an appetizer, we ordered some sushi rolls. Jess and Lauren split a shrimp tempura roll and we all shared a spicy tuna roll. I also ordered one of my favorite sushi pieces - Ikura. Fish eggs over rice. I highly recommend to those of you who like a stronger fishy taste. Anyway, the sushi was good, but certainly not stand out. One thing that has bothered me in the past about the sushi at Haiku is that they don't use cucumber in the rolls. For instance, most California rolls use crab meat, avocado and pieces of cucumber. This place leaves out the cucumber in most of the rolls, leaving the sushi to be a bit less textured and therefore mushier than normal. But,I have always found the fish to be fresh.

For our main courses - we all ordered the same basic dish but with slight variation. Jess and Lauren ordered the Stir-Fried Japanese Udon Noodles with Shrimp. I ordered the same dish, but with beef. Udon noodles, if you have never had them, are like a thick spaghetti noodle. The portion was generous and all our dishes came out nice and hot.

Our noodle dishes came with vegetables mixed in, served in a brown teriyaki type sauce. We all thought the meal was tasty. (Although I found my noodles to be a bit doughy, but I really don't have enough experience with Udon noodles to know if this place made them well. It could just be the nature of the noodle.) While I liked the stir-fry - it didn't come close to my favorite dish at Haiku - The Pad Thai. You can order the Pad Thai with beef, chicken, shrimp or with just vegetables. I have had it with beef and chicken and both are excellent. It comes in a generous portion with flatter, shorter noodles,carrots, egg,peanuts, sprouts and lime. But I particularly love the flavor of the sauce. It's a really delicious orange tangy sauce that is not at all spicy. (This may in fact be a turn off to people who enjoy spicy Thai.) We discussed our experience briefly and Jess and Lauren said they would definitely eat here again. I know I'll be back. After a vote - we decided to rate Haiku a 3.5 mints, above average, on the dinner mint scale.

Sushi Ya - Garden City

I ventured to Sushi Ya, a combination hibachi restaurant and sushi bar, with my friend Kensley (not Alex... I know, sadness) on Friday night. I would like to disclose that neither one of us are hardcore sushi lovers, but enjoy Japanese cuisine and sampling different rolls. Kensley also appreciates fresh sashimi.


So what's the story? Well, I had a traditional California roll that was certainly fresh, but reminded me of other LI sushi bars. I also started with miso soup and the traditional salad with ginger dressing. The soup arrived piping hot (points for that!). However, the salad was drenched in the ginger dressing. Needless to say it was one of the first times I was DYING for a citrus sorbet to cleanse my palate.

The presentation as seen in the photo below was nothing to write home about. Kensley selected tuna and salmon. He noted that his meal was tasty, but like me, nothing exquisite. The atmosphere was inviting. Dim lighting and candles helped to set the mood for a fine dining experience, however, the blaring Billy Joel music through me for a loop. Don't get me wrong, I love "Moving Out" just as much as the next Long Islander, but it simply has no place in a so called "trendy" sushi bar on Franklin Avenue.


Alex would have LOVED the chairs!... Super comfy, almost cozy couch-like! The seating was lower to the ground as well, which added to the Asian flare. With regard to pricing... definitely overpriced. I'm quite confident I could have saved 10 bucks EASILY while getting the same quality over in Bethpage or Wantagh.

You may want to save your money and skip this one folks! Alex - You did not miss out. Sushi Ya receives 2 out of 5 Mints on the dinner mint scale.