The beautiful Japanese sword in the dining area is sitting on its display rack upside down and backward, which is a metaphor, of sorts, for the new ramen and sushi restaurant in The Grove. Oni (4370 Manchester), joins a fragrant, hot noodly stream of such places. It distinguishes itself primarily through a menu that wanders rather far from the typical and by a happy atmosphere that is somewhere between a Shitamachi izakaya and a hipster hangout.
Two-month old Oni is the follow-up restaurant to Blue Ocean Sushi, which closed on the Delmar Loop in October of last year.
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A lot of effort’s gone into the décor and layout. Dark wood tables are small, cozy. Walls are festooned with vintage Japanese advertising posters, Hokusai woodblock prints, and those bright, gaudy anime characters with spiky hair and lemur eyes. Several oni goblin masks stand guard. Space is divided by a wall, with dining on one side and the other with a nice little bar. Despite a vibrant blue neon sign on one wall that reads “a comfortable house of sake,” there was no liquor license during our visit; mocktails were made with more fruit than a Baptist church social’s dessert salad.
To complement the izakaya bar feel, several “snacks” lead the menu; these will be great for nibbling when that alcohol eventually starts flowing and they are delightfully inventive. Salmon cakes, deep fried with a dusting of Red Hot Riplets seasoning, a Hawaiian classic Spam musubi, and a “kaiju slinger:” a sort of crazy aunt cousin of poutine with fries topped with pork belly, scallions, and a house curry. Note that pan-fried gyoza dumplings are splendid, the browned crust delicate, the insides plump and porky-chive juicy. And just as tasty are diner-style French fries with an aioli sauce, and “popcorn” chicken nuggets nicely browned. (Order both; dip the chicken in the aioli sauce.)
Nigiri sushi and sashimi choices are limited, with only about a dozen selections. We ordered sashimi. Sashimi without a bowl of rice is like getting a hot dog without the bun. They are inseparable. We had to ask for the rice, though, and when it all arrived, two things were instantly obvious. The fish is clearly from an excellent dealer, perfect in quality. It was, though, cut quite clumsily, without regard to the texture. And the rice… Given automatic rice cooker technology, there is no excuse for rice this poor. Oni’s rice is what’s called shikkari-nai in Japanese, and that ain’t a term of endearment. Grains are unevenly cooked, tough, almost chalky, and cold. The kitchen should be on this like, well, white on rice.
Oni’s creative, off-the-wall approach gets full rein in the wrapped sushi, with names like Charilizard and Hello Kitty rolls. Two dozen rolls challenge the imagination and the boundaries of your palate’s spirit of adventure.
The quality of ramen noodles in local shops has dramatically improved over the past few years. Oni’s ramen strings are bouncy, with that springy al dente resistance that comes from just the right addition of alkaline in the dough. The “Golden Chocobo” ramen, named for a mythical creature that’s popular in video games, is perhaps the best dish in the place. The chicken broth is kicked up with what tastes like a house take on rayu chili oil. The broth has a spectacular, tingly bite, smoky with chili, ginger, and garlic. It’s both bold and nuanced. Just as delightful is the Hawaiian-style chicken katsu cutlet, dunked in the broth, which is impeccable. The golden crust is crisp, crunchy; the chicken is juicy and tender, sliced into bite sizes. A scatter of enoki mushroom threads, corn, menma marinated bamboo shoots do the job and more.
If this ramen knocks one out the ballpark, the tonkotsu version strikes out worse than the Cardinals back in September of 2019. Tonkotsu broth should be supple, like liquid silk, shimmering with gelatinized fat. It looks like a bowl of cream. Oni’s broth is limpid, emaciated, spicy rather than unctuous. While the toppings, a huge swirl of chashu pork, boiled egg, and fish cake slices were all creditable, the broth didn’t cut it. The place is proud of “The Delmar,” a Vegas-worthy extravaganza of ramen loaded with everything from avocado to shrimp, scallops, and cilantro, but the menu admonition “While Supplies Last” was in effect on our visit. If it’s available, it’s worth a try just for the bragging rights.
Japanese curry recipes are more diverse than a UN hot tub party. Oni’s take tastes homemade, with rich, redolent sauce that’s caramel brown and coats the tongue. It’s served over rice with sweet potato chunks, onions, and carrots.
Oni should turn that sword over, so the cutting edge doesn’t slice into the rack, and the hilt should be turned to the left to show that the place is not at war. Improve the tonkotsu broth, address that rice debacle, and what is already a very promising eatery will be a wonderful addition to the local dining scene.
The Bottom line: Another ramen-tic destination for the sushi and slurping crowd
Oni
📍 4370 Manchester, The Grove
📞 314-776-9476
⏰ Lunch and dinner Wed–Sun, open until midnight Fri & Sat
