A few weeks back, in the mood for something Asian-inspired to put in my belly, I remembered my TLO cohort Beth lauding the eats at Pachinko Parlor back in the day.
Once a whimsical sushi spot on NW 9th Street, it’s been reborn in recent years inside Parlor food hall, giving diners the option of both traditional and not-so Asian and sushi fare—so my wife and I decided to check it out.
The day we went out, Oklahoma weather was doing its thing and had suddenly gotten very cold overnight. Sadly, I only had a hoodie, and walking up to the grand dining hall was a treacherous journey for me and my cold, semi-paralyzed leg, natch.
But, after making our way through the uncommonly heavy front doors, we brushed off the winter weather and slinked through the maze-like food court to find the neo-Asian Pachinko Parlor, right there on the ground level.
We approached the serving counter and found two employees working away. With a growing line quickly forming behind us and no time to weigh culinary decisions, we got completely flustered and fired off our order—naming the first food items that popped out from the menu and specials board.
This type of rapid-fire ordering has not worked well for me in the past… but I was weirdly optimistic.
Getting our drinks from the communal soda fountain, we chose our seats. Looking out at the diverse range of cuisines on passing trays, I wondered why I don’t go to food courts more often. They have everything!
As I was about to pontificate deeper on this topic, the buzzer rang and our food was ready, forcing me to abandon thought altogether.
Bringing our laden trays to our table, we started with the appetizer, the Asian Fries ($10.00). Fries are always good to snack on, but served with a rich Thai peanut sauce—and being on a sweet potato kick lately—these fries definitely hit the spot.
Crispy, crunchy and plentiful, with a well-defined orange-red punch, these airy sweet potato darlings were top tier and, as I began to consume them, could have comprised a complete meal, with a peanut sauce that, I imagine, pretty much works on anything.
As I was munching on these serious fries, my wife dug into her island-infused entrée, the Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice ($15.00). Featuring fresh chicken, pineapple, ponzu onion, and, of course, scrambled eggy goodness, it was garnished with green onions and sesame seeds.
At first, it seemed like another boring fried rice dish you could get with any other entrée.
But, as I took a bite and then another one, I realized a whole world was opening for me! As the flavors of smoky chicken and tangy onion co-mingled with the indomitable sweet pineapple, it created a wholly unusual dish, but the amazing flavor profile won out—I had to take an extra bite.
But as much as I liked her dish, I truly loved mine.
Handwritten on the erasable board on the counter, I tried the “special”—the Sushi Burrito ($15.00). In a reasonable bit of seaweed wrap, it offered tempura fried crab sticks, smoked salmon, avocado, cream cheese, and cucumber, and truly was the definition of world cuisine that I couldn’t wait to dig into.
Man, Pachinko really went wild on the flavor quotient with this bad boy! Sliced in two like a bountiful burrito should be, cuts of the well-proportioned fatty salmon and fried crab blended very well with the cucumber, avocado and cream cheese, creating a bigger, better sushi roll that I hope stays on the menu.
Seconds, please!
In the end, time has a way of stripping away everything but the essentials, and at Pachinko Parlor, what’s left is easy, creative Asian food that tastes like a million yen. Much like that game of chance, this Pachinko is a total winner—especially if you order the Sushi Burrito.
Cómpralo ya!
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Follow Louis Fowler on Instagram at @louisfowler78.
