Gone fishin'

Sushi smokes old Tex-Mex menu at Willy's Seafood Grill & Sushi Bar

by Jim Johnson

344 Turnpike Road (Route 9 East) Westborough
366-1881
Sun. 4-10 p.m.
Mon.-Thurs. noon-10 p.m.
Fri.-Sat. noon-11 p.m
Major credit cards
Full bar
Not handicap accessible

With its recent change from Willy's BBQ to Willy's Seafood Grill & Sushi Bar, the local institution now offers the best of both worlds. Fans of Willy's famed Tex-Mex cuisine can still order ribs, brisket, fajitas, enchiladas, chimichangas, and the like. But now seafood-lovers have a choice, too. The menu features nearly a dozen kinds of grilled or baked fish; a variety of crab, shrimp, and lobster dishes; and a half-dozen or so fried seafood dinners. What's pulling in most customers, it appeared during two visits, is the sushi, sashimi, and maki rolls.

Few design features remain from the old Willy's. The Mexican beer signs and Texas license plates have come down, and Japanese prints and mounted fish have gone up. The quarter-a-ride bucking bronco is gone, as are many booths. In their place are a six-seat sushi bar and a saki bar with bright but tasteful neon signs serving as beacons. Many of the high, slat-backed booths remain in the other wing, offering privacy, comfort, and class.

On the first of two visits, a friend and I decided to sit at the sushi bar, where sushi chef Jack offered a cordial greeting and a free sample. "What do you think it is?" he asked. "Guess!"

We nibbled on what looked like slivers of marinated beef but what was most definitely fresh fish. The marinade was bold: garlic, light wine or vinegar sauce, scallions, and a hint of horseradish. We guessed it was tuna and, scanning the menu, told Jack it was tuna tataki.

"Bingo!" he said. "Now what can I get you?"

With that the games began. We placed order after order, and Jack kept pace both with his preparation and with his cordial conversation.

The sushi was delicious, and we enjoyed watching Jack -- a 15-year veteran -- prepare each one carefully: ebi (cooked shrimp), maguro (tuna), and unagi (eel) placed on a wooden stand with wasabi paste and pickled ginger. Prices ranged from $3 to $5.25 for two-piece servings.

Willy's "Designer Rolls" ($3.25 to $8.50 for six pieces) were even more interesting. We especially enjoyed Alaska maki (smoked salmon, avocado, and cucumber) and California maki (also known as "California sunshine" by Jack and consisting of crab stick, avocado, and cucumber). Jack suggested spicy tuna maki, and we watched him cut the tuna carefully, lay it over the rice, paint on a layer of spicy mayonnaise, roll it, and cut it. Bingo! It was great.

Sushi and rolls come in various combinations as entrees, including a massive California maki roll that was thicker and longer than my forearm. Willy's also offers some innovations I haven't seen elsewhere. Chirashi ($15.95), for example, consists of a layer of rice topped with an assortment of sliced fish. And, recognizing that not everybody likes raw fluke, sea urchin, and giant clam, Willy's considerately offers "Sushi Cook" ($15.50) with cooked fish (shrimp, eel, and crabmeat) presented sushi style. Jack paid special attention to the entrees, as much in the presentation as the preparation. Each was a work of edible art.

We decided to forgo entrees (like shrimp tempura, vegetable tempura, and batter-fried pork, chicken, shrimp, and scallops) and instead continued our spree with choices from the extensive appetizer list, staying with the Japanese theme. The gyoza ($4.75) -- fried ravioli filled with ground pork, vegetables, and herbs -- were tasty, moist, and crisp. The shumai ($4.75) -- steamed dumplings stuffed with ground shrimp and light spices -- were equally fine, especially when dipped in ginger soy sauce. An experiment on our part, the edamame ($4.25) seemed quite coarse -- until Jack told us that we weren't supposed to eat the shells of the boiled soybeans, just the beans themselves.

The new Willy's is much more than a sushi bar, and we returned a few evenings later to sample some of the more "American" seafood choices. The appetizer menu offered tempting choices like mussels Dijon, smoked bluefish pâté, and crab cakes, and we quickly agreed on pan-fried soft-shell crabs ($7.95) and fried calamari ($7.95). The crabs were tender, sweet, and coated with garlicky butter. The calamari were tender as could be, with a light, relatively grease-free breading.

These appetizers pointed to one of the few problems we could find with the new Willy's: the prices. At other restaurants, we'd likely find either appetizer for two bucks less (especially the squid). Entrees are even a bigger issue, like grilled halibut or swordfish for $19.95 or fish and chips for $13.95. Sirloin steak costs $19.95. Even the old Tex-Mex standbys are more expensive these days, like a taco for $9.95 or a burrito for $12.95. Only the "BBQ" meats seem priced right, like a rack of baby-back ribs for $11.95. The Asian side seems in line.

Money aside, our entrees were superb. Tuna tenders ($14.95) were firm, moist, and plentiful, in a sea of angel hair coated with creamy Dijon sauce. My grilled jumbo shrimp were plump and tasty, but not plentiful enough to warrant a $18.95 charge. Lunch, at a more reasonable cost, is also available, complete with sushi bar.