Osha elevates seafood, plate presentations with twin bill of Thai cuisine and sushi
“I know, isn’t it? It’s so nice to finally get a restaurant like this in Holly Springs.” This comes from the host who seated us at Osha, when I complimented the chic designer look of the place. It didn’t take a genius to figure out he was one of the many residents of southern Wake County who is tired of driving to Raleigh for anything more ambitious than suburban family-oriented fare.
Scattered across one dark blue-gray wall in the dining room where he seated us are dozens of hemispherical shells, their insides painted a shimmery gold, evoking deep sea air bubbles rising to the surface. Combined with other details — a bar backlit in nautical blue, ropes as thick as ship’s rigging draped across the ceiling — the motif was cleverly suggestive of the seafood that takes center stage on Osha’s twin bill menu of sushi and Thai cuisines.
It’s a familiar combination, offered at a number of local restaurants — including Wasabi in Cary, where Leo Chotitazeesaksri worked for eight years before setting out on his own to opened Osha last summer with his wife, Tuk Wiyada (She’s the chef, he runs the front of the house). Holly Springs residents Blake and Katie Zalcberg are financial partners, bringing a strong local tie to the venture.
Wasabi DNA is clearly evident in Osha’s upscale vibe. That includes ambitious plate presentations, which frequently venture into deconstructed territory.
Pad thai gets a particularly striking presentation, the noodles draped with a “fishnet” made of criss-crossed strands of cooked egg. Jumbo shrimp, crushed peanuts, a neatly trimmed scallion and a lime wedge, carefully arranged around the noodles, complete the partially deconstructed presentation.
Raw tuna larb takes the form of sashimi-size pieces of the fish, entangled in a kaleidoscope of mint leaves, rings of red onion and spangles of chopped scallion.
Chu chee salmon, which Google informs me is a Thai-Australian fusion dish, is also pretty as a picture, the expertly grilled fish served over a red curry that’s a little milder and sweeter than the traditional Thai recipe. It’s ringed by a colorful wreath of alternating steamed broccoli, crinkle cut carrots, and baby bok choy.
Hor mok taylay, with a presentation in a bowl fashioned from banana leaves, looks almost plain by comparison. The dish saves its wow factor for what’s inside the bowl: a custard with the texture of fluffy scrambled eggs, riddled with bite-size morsels of fish, shrimp and mussel. Cabbage and fresh basil, folded into the mix, play bright counterpoint to the richness of the custard.
Osha’s appetizer list raises the ante on the familiar Thai repertoire with an offering ranging from crispy tofu and taro to grilled Isaan sausage. Moo ping one-ups chicken satay with succulent coconut-marinated pork skewers as big as your palm.
Khao tang na tang, an addictive shrimp- and pork-riddled peanut dip, served with crispy rice crackers, makes a fine nibbling companion for one of Osha’s excellent specialty cocktails.
Sushi chef “Bird” Owattragool, who also previously worked at Wasabi, doesn’t take a back seat to the Thai kitchen in terms of either quality or presentation. If you haven’t spent your tax refund yet, check out the handful of over-the-top rolls in the Signature Sushi section.
Resist the Midas allure of those rolls touting gold leaf as an ingredient, and instead shell out the big bucks ($28 currently) for the Ma roll, which lives up to its description in all its opulent glory: “scallop, madai (snapper), snow crab, uni, tobiko, scallion, crab mix, cucumber, house sauce on top.”
Still waiting for your lottery numbers to hit? Specialty rolls go for about $14, and classic rolls half that, all prices on a par with other quality sushi bars. The à la carte selection of nigiri and sashimi is excellent — some two dozen options, including relative rarities like botan ebi (sweet shrimp, served raw along with the fried head) and o-toro (tuna belly).
Wherever you choose to drop your line in the water, you can be sure what you’ll pull out will be fresh and expertly prepared.
Kitchen misfires are uncommon at Osha, and in my experience don’t rise to the level of outright dud. Pad kra pow was stingy with the basil that’s a hallmark of the dish when I ordered it. And an otherwise excellent green curry duck, presented on a flat plate that made it nearly impossible to spoon up the curry, wasn’t so much a miss as it was an annoyance.
Service is welcoming and attentive, by and large, though pacing can lag when the place gets busy. And believe me, Osha gets busy, especially on weekend nights. Clearly, our enthusiastic young host that first night is not the only person in southern Wake County who is happy to happy have a restaurant like this in Holly Springs.
Osha
242 S. Main St., Suite 100, Holly Springs
984-538-6742
Cuisine: Thai, Japanese
Rating: 3 1/2 stars
Prices: $-$$
Atmosphere: contemporary with a subtle nautical motif
Noise level: moderate
Service: friendly, generally attentive
Recommended: moo ping, hor mok taylay, pad thai, chu chee salmon, sushi
Open: Lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday.
Reservations: recommended on weekends
Other: full bar; accommodates children; good vegetarian selection; patio; wheelchair accessible; parking in lot.
The N&O’s critic dines anonymously; the newspaper pays for all meals. We rank restaurants in five categories: 5 stars: Extraordinary. 4 stars: Excellent. 3 stars: Above average. 2 stars: Average. 1 star: Fair.
The dollar signs defined: $ Entrees average less than $10. $ Entrees $11 to $20. $$ Entrees $21 to $30. $$ Entrees more than $30.