New Jersey Restaurant Review
Kamakura Japanese Restaurant
(Restaurant Now Closed)
270 North Elmwood Road
Marlton, Burlington County, New Jersey
(856) 983-2990
By The Artful Diner
Special to New Jersey Online
9/11/00
Know the definition of mixed emotions? Watching your mother-in-law drive off a cliff... in your new sports car. This old joke perfectly characterizes my feelings about Kamakura, a 15-year-old Japanese restaurant in Marlton. If I were evaluating this eatery on the basis of food alone, it would receive very good marks. But restaurant dining, as we know, is more than food... or service... or ambiance. It also involves a host of very subjective variables that, for whatever reason, tend to influence one's overall assessment of a given establishment. And that is most assuredly the case here.
Sequestered away near scenic (?) Route 70, Kamakura isn't exactly easy to find. But once you arrive at your destination, you realize that the building -- a modern affair dominated by naturally stained wood -- was built to impress. Unfortunately, after a decade and a half of battling the elements, things are beginning to look a bit shabby around the edges. And that goes double for the spacious lawn, which appears to be suffering the ravages of "benign neglect" and could obviously do with a good weeding. And the five or six empty beer bottles you note on your journey to the front door do little to assuage your uneasiness. Your culinary imagination runs riot. After all, if the exterior is in such a state of disrepair, what unspeakable horrors lurk in the kitchen? You shutter to think.
The interior is its own bundle of contradictions. The overall impression is that of a restaurant that is not quite clean enough -- ditto the restrooms. You can't decide whether the neighborhood is on its way up or on its way down. And since Japanese eateries are often immaculate showcases of attractive woodwork and understated design, this only adds to your paranoia. On the other hand, the three straw-matted tatami rooms, where one may dine in the traditional manner (thankfully, with feet suspended beneath the low table for comfort), are beautiful in their simplicity and overlook a restful garden... Yet you are handed a menu that is both stained and torn. Go figure.
Once the food starts arriving, however, you almost forget these incongruities... almost. And if you should be a relative novice with respect to Japanese cuisine, you need have no fears, as members of the staff are extremely helpful.
Japanese servings are traditionally smaller than their American counterparts, so you may wish to sample and share a number of starters. The green seaweed ($3.00) is a delightful delicacy that is blended with toasted sesame seeds and a delicately flavored mirin-soy dressing. The black seaweed ($2.00), on the other hand, tantalizes you with the primeval flavor of the sea's murky depths. The boiled soybeans ($5.00) sprinkled with salt are simplicity itself. You just pop them out of the shell and into your mouth. The shell is then discarded. For those with heartier appetites, the Yakitori ($4.00), skewered chicken morsels with teriyaki, Negimaki ($7.00), miniature beef rolls with scallion, and Kushi Katsu ($6.00), skewered pork cultlets tempura, are all excellent choices.
Most diners, of course, frequent Japanese restaurants for the sushi, which has become all the rage of late. I must confess that I am partial to the Nigirizushi (sliced raw fish pressed over a pad of rice) as opposed to the Makizushi (rolls of raw fish and rice wrapped in seaweed and cut into bite-size rounds). I also prefer, as do Japanese diners, to have sushi as a prelude to the meal rather than as the meal itself.
At Kamakura, the Nigiri sushi may be had in numerous permutations, both of the cooked and non-cooked varieties. Among the former, I would recommend the eel ($2.50/piece), shrimp ($2.00) or mackerel ($1.75). Among the latter, the tuna ($2.00), salmon ($2.25) or whitefish ($1.75). When it comes to the roll sushi, be sure to try the crab stick ($3.25/6 pieces) or the smoked salmon ($4.75). On the other hand, you may wish to start things off with a special hand roll or temaki. Of particular interest is the "New Jersey Roll," salmon, crab, flying fish roe, avocado and cucumber ($7.00).
And for those who can't resist too much of a good thing, there are the sushi entrées: regular assorted -- tuna roll and seven pieces of sushi ($15.50); deluxe assorted -- tuna roll and nine pieces ($19.50); or the sushi-sashimi combination ($25.00). The freshness of all items is beyond reproach, and they are, as you would expect, beautifully and artistically presented.
Many of the entrées are convoluted combinations specifically designed to appeal to the overindulged American palate, and they may be ordered a la carte or as a full dinner, including soup and salad. You will even find the Japanese version of the ubiquitous surf & turf: lobster tempura and beef teriyaki ($22.00 a la carte/$24.00 full dinner). If you avoid these "gastronomic tourist traps," however, and set your sights on individual culinary targets, you will ultimately be rewarded.
The tempura dishes, for example, are positively ethereal, the batter as light as a feather. I recommend the shimp ($16.00/$18.00), mahi mahi ($16.00/$18.00), or the vegetable ($11.00/$13.00). If you're in the mood for teriyaki, try the salmon ($16.00/$18.00), chicken ($14.00/$16.00) or tuna ($16.00/$18.00).
Sukiyaki is a pot of simmering broth in which a variety of meat and vegetable delicacies are prepared. This may be done by individual diners at table, or arrive from the kitchen fully cooked. At Kamakura, the latter is the case. The delectable presentation may be ordered with beef ($17.00/$19.00), chicken breast ($15.00)/$17.00) or veggies alone ($11.00/$13.00). On a similar note, you may also wish to sample the venerable Yosenabe a Japanese variation on the bouillabaisse theme, replete with lobster, salmon, scallops, chicken, tofu and a variety of veggies ($18.00/$20.00).
Japanese meals may be concluded in a variety of ways. For something a bit unusual for the Western palate, have a go at the zaru soba ($6.00), cold buckwheat noodles served with an exotic soy-based dipping broth spruced up with scallions and wasabi. On the other hand, who can resist an incredible dessert special of fried bananas garnished with red bean ice cream ($5.00)?
You may wash things down with complimentary green tea... or something a bit more potent. The wine list is, however, pedestrian at best. Hogue Cellars Johannishberg Riesling ($3.25 glass/$15.00 bottle) and Corbett Canyon Sauvignon Blanc ($3.25/$15.00) are by far your best bets. If these are not to your liking, I would suggest a small porcelain bottle of sake ($3.25) or, perhaps, Japanese beer ($3.25). You may also enjoy a pre or postprandial cocktail in the adjoining Cherries Lounge.
If you are an ardent fan of Japanese food, you will surely not be disappointed. Be that as it may... when one observes, as noted above, the grounds in something of a state of disarray and the restrooms less than sparkling, one cannot help but question the cleanliness of the kitchen. Kamakura needs to pay the same meticulous attention to its physical surroundings as it does to its excellent cuisine.
Cuisine: Japanese
Hours: Lunch: Tues - Fri, 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.; Dinner: Tues - Sun, 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.; Cherries Lounge: Tues - Thurs & Sun, 6:00 p.m. - 12:00 midnight; Fri & Sat, 6:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.; CLOSED MONDAY
Credit Cards: All major
Attire: Casual
Smoking: Smoking is permitted in Cherries Lounge only.
Reservations: Recommended
Parking: Onsite
Alcohol: License
Price: Moderate
Handicapped Accessible: Yes
