How to Order Japanese Food at WAFU Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar
How to Order Japanese Food at WAFU Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar
A Beginner’s Guide to Sushi, Sashimi, Hibachi, Tempura, Bento & More
Goldsboro, North Carolina
Japanese food can be exciting—but if you are looking at a large Japanese restaurant menu for the first time, it can also be confusing.
What exactly is the difference between sushi and sashimi?
What is hibachi?
What comes in a bento box?
Is everything on a sushi menu raw?
And what should you order if you have never tried Japanese food before?
For this edition of Brightside Reviews, we visited WAFU Steakhouse & Sushi Bar in Goldsboro, North Carolina, and instead of simply telling you what we thought of the restaurant, we're taking you through the menu.
Welcome to Brightside Reviews: How to Order Japanese Food.
FIRST: UNDERSTANDING THE WAFU MENU
WAFU is a Japanese steakhouse and sushi bar offering several different ways to experience Japanese and Japanese-American cuisine.
The menu includes hibachi, sushi, sashimi, signature sushi rolls, tempura, teriyaki, bento boxes, fried rice, noodles, appetizers and desserts.
So where do you begin?
1. START WITH AN APPETIZER
If Japanese cuisine is new to you, an appetizer is an easy introduction.
WAFU's menu includes choices such as Edamame, Gyoza, Shumai, Harumaki, Rock Shrimp, Crispy Calamari and Shrimp Tempura.
Edamame are young soybeans, commonly served as a simple starter.
Gyoza are Japanese-style dumplings.
Shumai are small steamed dumplings; WAFU lists its version as shrimp dumplings.
Tempura refers to ingredients that are battered and fried. At WAFU, the Shrimp Tempura Appetizer combines shrimp and vegetables.
For someone trying Japanese food for the first time, Gyoza or Shrimp Tempura can be approachable places to begin.
2. SUSHI OR SASHIMI? KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BEFORE YOU ORDER
This is one of the most common sources of confusion.
Sushi does not automatically mean raw fish.
Sushi generally refers to preparations made with seasoned sushi rice, often accompanied by seafood, vegetables or other ingredients.
Sashimi, on the other hand, is sliced fish or seafood served without sushi rice.
WAFU offers both.
The menu includes individual Nigiri, individual Sashimi, assorted sushi and sashimi combinations, classic rolls and elaborate signature rolls.
If you don't eat raw fish, don't assume that means you can't enjoy sushi. WAFU separates its roll menu into raw, cooked, vegetable and fried rolls, giving diners several ways to explore it.
3. WANT TO TRY SUSHI WITHOUT RAW FISH?
Start with a cooked or vegetable roll.
This can be an excellent introduction for someone who likes the idea of sushi but isn't ready for raw tuna or salmon.
WAFU offers vegetable combinations featuring ingredients such as cucumber, avocado, asparagus, sweet potato and mango, along with an extensive selection of cooked and fried rolls.
Once you're comfortable with those flavors and textures, you can decide whether you want to explore raw sushi or sashimi.
4. READY TO GET ADVENTUROUS? EXPLORE THE SIGNATURE ROLLS
This is where the WAFU menu gets creative.
For example, the Angry Dragon combines tempura shrimp, spicy tuna and mango, topped with snow crab salad and sauces.
The N Carolina Roll combines shrimp tempura, cucumber and mango with spicy tuna and avocado.
The Rainbow Roll features tuna, salmon and white fish over a California roll.
And the Dragon Roll combines eel and cucumber with avocado.
These aren't simply different types of fish. The combinations introduce contrasting textures, sauces, spice levels, fruit, vegetables and seafood.
When ordering a specialty roll, read the ingredients rather than choosing by name alone.
Look for three things:
Is it raw or cooked? Is it spicy? What are the dominant ingredients?
That makes navigating a large sushi menu much easier.
5. WHAT IF YOU DON'T WANT SUSHI AT ALL?
No problem.
This is where hibachi comes in.
At WAFU, hibachi is a major part of the dining experience. The restaurant describes its hibachi chefs as preparing meals at the table, combining dinner with the entertainment of live cooking.
The menu offers proteins and combinations including chicken, steak, shrimp, scallops, salmon, filet mignon and lobster, depending on the entrée selected.
Hibachi is particularly approachable for someone who enjoys grilled meats, vegetables and fried rice but has little experience with Japanese restaurants.
Think of it as your gateway into the Japanese steakhouse experience.
6. WHAT IS A BENTO BOX?
A bento is essentially a meal presented with several components together.
It's a great choice for the diner who wants variety instead of committing to one type of food.
WAFU offers bento options built around entrées such as Chicken Teriyaki, Shrimp Tempura, Chicken Tempura, Shrimp Teriyaki, New York Steak Teriyaki, Vegetable Tempura and Salmon Teriyaki.
For a first-time visitor, a bento-style meal can be a particularly useful way to explore different flavors and textures during one meal.
7. TERIYAKI VS. TEMPURA
These two words appear frequently on Japanese-American menus, but they mean very different things.
Teriyaki generally refers to foods cooked with or finished in a sweet-savory soy-based glaze.
Tempura refers to battered and fried foods.
So if you see Shrimp Teriyaki and Shrimp Tempura, you aren't looking at two names for the same dish.
You're choosing two completely different preparations.
If you enjoy sweet and savory sauces, consider teriyaki.
If you prefer something crispy, tempura may be more your style.
8. DON'T OVERLOOK THE NOODLES
WAFU's menu extends beyond sushi and hibachi.
Among the noodle selections are Yaki Udon, Lo Mein and Pad Thai preparations.
Udon are thick Japanese wheat noodles. WAFU's Yaki Udon is stir-fried with vegetables and can be ordered with different proteins.
For diners who aren't interested in sushi but want something different from hibachi, noodles provide another entry point into the menu.
THE BRIGHTSIDE WAY TO ORDER
If you're completely new to this style of dining, don't try to understand the entire menu at once.
Think about your meal in stages:
START: Gyoza, Edamame or Shrimp Tempura
EXPLORE: Try a cooked or vegetable sushi roll
EXPERIENCE: Choose hibachi if you want dinner and tableside entertainment
ADVENTURE: Move into raw sushi, sashimi or one of WAFU's signature rolls when you're ready
VARIETY: Choose a bento box if you want several components in one meal
FINISH: WAFU's dessert menu includes Mochi Ice Cream and Fried Ice Cream
THE BRIGHTSIDE REVIEW
What makes a Japanese steakhouse interesting isn't simply one entrée.
It's the opportunity to explore.
A menu like WAFU's can accommodate the cautious first-time diner, the hibachi fan, the sushi enthusiast and the adventurous diner who wants to try sashimi or a more elaborate specialty roll.
And that's why our Brightside Review isn't simply about asking:
“Was the food good?”
We're asking:
What can we discover? What can we learn? And what should we try next?
That's the new Brightside Reviews experience.
WATCH • LEARN • TASTE • DISCOVER
WAFU Steakhouse & Sushi Bar
1101 N. Berkeley Blvd. #A
Goldsboro, NC 27534
(919) 330-4303
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