Simple, yet tasteful. Classic, yet inspired.

Shaiming Ocean Star, a new Sushi and Japanese restaurant located on Cortez Road, combines all of the things that I love about a Japanese restaurant into one serene and family-friendly atmosphere. For you locals, this is the second Ocean Star restaurant to open in the Bradenton area.

At first glance from the outside, this restaurant may appear to be just another strip mall hole in the wall with less-than-satisfactory food and cheap décor. What guests come to find when they first step through the door is a restaurant filled with intricate wood detailing, a full-on sushi bar, a friendly and welcoming wait staff and happy customers.

Upon my arrival, I came to appreciate how quaint and personalized the service felt. Throughout the meal, my family and I were served by at least three different amicable waiters. My only complaint about having so many servers was that confusion often arose among them, and at one point, my dad had trouble getting a simple glass of water. However, their sincere and pleasing manner overshadowed any service confusion.

Oftentimes, Japanese cuisine is known for its unrecognizable ingredients. I came across several menu items, such as masago, gobo and roe that I could not identify. My first mistake when ordering was not asking what masago was, which happened to come on my Ebi Tempura sushi. When the waiter saw me literally scraping the tiny orange fish eggs off of my sushi, he kindly insisted in bringing out another order without masago.

Unless you are ordering a large meal, such as a steak, the prices of the regular menu items are reasonable, considering this is a good quality sushi restaurant. The portions are a decent size, as well.

Overall, I found my dinner to be especially appetizing. While I usually order ginger salad at other Japanese restaurants, I enjoyed Ocean Star’s new twist on a classic Japanese salad with the addition of shredded crab. The miso soup was also plentiful, although I have had more flavorful miso soups at other Japanese restaurants.

As far as sushi goes, I highly suggest the Ebi Tempura. Whatever sauce it is that the chef combines with the shrimp tempura and avocado was like heaven on my tastebuds. A table favorite was the Black Dragon roll. One bite of this roll and you will understand why people rave about eel tasting like butter.

For someone who has a giant sweet tooth, such as myself, the dessert is a must. My family and I indulged in a combined dessert consisting of tempura-fried bananas, lightly coated with a dollop of strawberry sauce, ginger, redbean and vanilla bean ice cream. To put it simply, my pants felt tight soon after the meal.

It is apparent that the chefs and owners put a serious amount of time and effort into their dishes for the customers’ satisfaction. The menu reflects this with a wide range of healthy and unique dishes that are offered. The owners’ dedication is shown through their serving of only the freshest sushi.

For more information, call (941) 798-9999 or visit Ocean Star’s two locations at 4444 Cortez Road West, Bradenton, FL 34210-3141 and 3608 East Bay Drive, Holmes Beach, FL 34217-2038.