Historical April–May 2009 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
With the arrival of Blue Ocean Sushi at 609 Eastgate in The Loop, locals now can eat as much sushi, nigiri and rolls as their stomachs can handle.
The restaurant, which is adjacent to the 609 Lounge nightclub and shares a pass-through door with the bar, opened for business in December, and offers all-you-can-eat sushi. Manager A.K. Ploentham convinced Birny Lee, owner of Blue Ocean Sushi and 609 Lounge, that the all-you-can concept was worth it. “I saw other all-you-caneat restaurants in other cities – Las Vegas, New York, L.A. It’s a big trend,” said Ploentham, who added that in the current economic climate, the concept makes financial sense for diners. “You can eat for a controllable price.” Blue Ocean Sushi has three menu tiers.
The first level starts at $14.99 for lunch and $19.99 for dinner and includes popular rolls like California rolls, salmon rolls, and avocado rolls, a selection of nigiri, crab rangoon, edamame, miso soup, a house salad made with miso dressing and more. Ploentham said that this menu is perfect for students and others on a tight budget, as well as individuals who want an introduction to Japanese cuisine.
The Level 2 menu is “for people who would like to discover sushi a bit more.” For five dollars more, diners can select anything from Level 1 as well as a greater selection of rolls and nigiri, and even mochi ice cream.
The highest tier is for “people who know sushi.” That menu costs $24.99 for lunch and $29.99 for dinner and includes everything on Level 1 and 2 plus, more expensive sushi and nigiri and other specialty Japanese dishes. Soda and hot tea are included in the fixed price for every level. Although most customers choose the all-you-can-eat menu, the same items are available a la carte. Food, however, is not served buffet style. Customers order what they want and “if you feel like you have more room [in your stomach], you just order more,” said Ploentham. “Everything is fresh.” Working behind the counter is sushi chef Jeff Tabtiang, who has worked in the restaurant business for 18 years, including at The Drunken Fish in the CWE and most recently at KiTARO, a Japanese steakhouse, seafood and sushi bar in O’Fallon, Missouri. One of Tabtiang’s specialties is the AK-47, a roll made with spicy tuna, eel, cucumber, cream cheese and Sriracha sauce. “It’s sweet and spicy – pretty hot,” said Tabtiang. Ploentham and Tabtiang even created some Japanese/American fusion dishes like the Cheese Burger roll, which consists of a ground beef patty, cheese, lettuce, mustard and ketchup. “People love it!” Ploentham said, noting that there is something on the menu for everyone, even kids. For youngsters, he recommended the California roll. “It’s an American favorite. It’s cooked so you don’t have to worry about raw stuff.” Unlike traditional sushi restaurants where diners fill out an order slip, the servers at Blue Ocean Sushi write down customers’ orders. “We want interaction between the server and the customer,” explained Ploentham.
He hopes that this method will help customers – especially the uninitiated – feel comfortable and become more educated about Japanese/Asian cuisine. Blue Ocean Sushi 609 Eastgate 314.721.9168 www.blueoceansushi.com Hours: Lunch: Mon. to Fri. – 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Dinner: Sun. to Thu. – 5 to 10 p.m.; Fri. & Sat. – 5 to midnight
Original photograph caption
At right enjoying Blue Ocean Sushi is State Representative Maria Chapelle-Nadal, who grew up on Westminster.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, April–May 2009.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Archival transcription note: Printed headline Brings Offers duplicates verbs; source headline preserved for review.
Original source: SD_Times2009_04.pdf, printed page(s) 5; PDF page(s) 5.
