Jin Gai International Restaurant
805 SE Stephens
Roseburg OR 97470
541-673-8373
Disclaimer: All reviews and original content Copyright © Mike Blackwell [remove "nospam." or it won't work] of Oregon Sushi -- All Rights Reserved.
Food Quality: A
Portion Sizes: Typical
Overall value for the dollar: A
On a trip back from northern California, I stopped for gas in Roseburg, a town with no sushi bars, or so I thought. It was lunchtime, and I asked the gas station attendant, half jokingly, if there were any sushi bars nearby. To my surprise, he reported there had been a sushi bar right next to the gas station, but it had moved a few blocks down the road, toward the center of town. Good plan: I can't imagine gas fumes would have mixed well with Japanese cuisine.
I quickly found the restaurant, and was further surprised to find it was open for lunch...on a Monday. That was pretty unusual. Parking was a little awkward, but it was a nice day and I needed the walk.
The interior is a nice mixture of the old and new: as you enter, on your right is a koi pond with a bamboo fountain, and on the walls are various Oriental art prints and collectibles: parasols, scrolls, fans, figurines, even Betty Boop dolls. On the far wall by the kitchen is a row of chopsticks, left here by patrons as part of a "Chopstick Club." Tatami rooms are at the back, and it's an authentic experience: no cheater holes. :)
Since it was the end of the lunch period, the restaurant wasn't very busy, so I struck up a conversation with the sushi chef, Mark Snell, who learned his sushi skills from 17 years living and working in Japan. Jin Gai is a pun on "gaijin," a slang term for "foreigner," like the Spanish term "gringo."
Jin Gai has no actual sushi "bar"; all foods are prepared in the kitchen, mostly out of sight, depending on where you sit. The menu is an eclectic mix of pan-Asian fusion dishes, including tempura, bulgogi, pad thai, belarus, curry, Korean BBQ, tonkatsu, teriyaki, Peking chicken, and a few curiosities: Jin Gai Cold Pizza, a Japanese Hamburger, and an L.A. Burrito. Vegan dishes are available.
But I came for the sushi, and while the menu is limited, the quality is high. I chose the Deluxe sushi combo ($19), which on this occasion included tobiko, ikura, tako, maguro, sake, ebi, black caviar and negitoro. Mark informed me when I sat down that he was especially pleased with the tako (octopus), and he was right: it was the best I'd ever had. It was my first time trying black caviar, and I liked it. But the highlight, for me, was the negitoro (negi-onion and fatty tuna diced together and served gunkan-style), another item I had never tried before. When I popped it in my mouth, the first thing I noticed was the taste and crispness of the onion. A moment later, I tasted the sweetness of the rice, which was prepared Osaka-style. And last, the buttery flavor of the toro filled my mouth. I'd never had food that had time-delayed taste before, and it was a remarkable experience.
I hope this restaurant can thrive in Roseburg, a rugged, historic town that seems more suited to home-style cooking than high-end cuisine. I wish it well, and if I'm ever in the neighborhood, I'll visit again.