Wasabi's chefs understand that dining can be a feast for the eyes, as well as the nose and mouth. Entrees were gorgeous, cleverly garnished with colorful vegetables, almost too pretty to eat.
The meal started traditionally, with either soup or an iceberg lettuce salad with ginger dressing. Smoky miso brimmed with tiny tofu cubes and dark nori.
As an appetizer, we tried the unusual yasai gyoza ($4.50), pan-fried vegetable dumplings in spinach skins. It appealed to some in our party but not all.
One deputy moved on shrimp and vegetable tempura ($14.95). It's hard to imagine how it could have been better. Lightly battered shrimp was stretched into long strips, stacked into an appealing pyramid. Vegetables included an onion, carrot, broccoli, taro, green pepper and okra. The dish got passed around the table for sampling until the deputy demanded it back before it disappeared.
My teriyaki chicken ($12.95) was equally attractive: strips of sesame-laden chicken laid over perfectly cooked lo mein served with green beans, carrots and baby corn for color. The sauce was mild but flavorful.
A second deputy couldn't decide whether he liked the meat or fish best in his hibachi shrimp and steak ($18.95), so he alternated bites until, all of a sudden, it was gone. Although not prepared tableside, the dish had the same high-temperature, skillet-produced texture and flavor.
As impressive as those dishes were, we were wowed - both by appearance and taste - by the sushi and sashimi combo ($23.95). It offered four pieces of sushi, 10 pieces of sashimi and a Gary roll, a tempura-style roll containing spicy tuna and avocado. The fatty tuna was wonderfully fresh - purchased that morning, the waiter assured us - as was the yellowtail.
Like many sushi menus these days, Wasabi's goes beyond the basics with some creative "chef specials." Given the quality of the entrees we tried, Wasabi would be a good place to risk trying something new.
Discreet Diner: Wasabi
127 Ark Rd. #7, Mount Laurel.
856-222-9251.
Hours: Monday-Thursday, lunch 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., dinner 4:30-10 p.m.; Friday, lunch 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., dinner 4:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m.; Saturday, noon-10:30 p.m.; Sunday noon-9:30 p.m.
Reservations: Yes.
Parking lot: Yes.
Cocktails: BYOB.
Handicapped accessible: Yes.
Children's menu: No.
The Discreet Diner is a member of the Inquirer staff and welcomes your comments at discreetdiner@phillynews.com.
