The Oceanaire Seafood Room at The Shops at Riverside in Hackensack offers diners fresh seafood which is flown in daily. Because the seafood arrives daily, the menu changes daily as well. The Oceanaire features a raw bar which showcases fresh oysters from coast to coast. The menu has a variety of cold and hot appetizers, seafood specialties created by Executive Chef Carlos Valdez, classically prepared seafood dishes, and steakhouse greats.
The Oceanaire Raw Bar
Oysters
We tried the Spicy Ahi Tuna Poke. Influenced by Hawaiian poke (pronounced POH-kay), this appetizer is made with layers of diced ahi tuna and red onions dressed with a wasabi emulsion and wonton chips. We were a little disappointed in the dish as we were expecting bigger chunks of tuna with minimal dressing.
Sampling of shrimp ceviche
A special “off the menu” item we tried was the Lobster & Crab Roll. The rolls are classically prepared with celery, onion, mayonnaise, chives, tarragon and Old Bay mixed with chunks of lobster and crab meat and piled high on New England-style split-top rolls served with crispy matchstick fries. This was my favorite dish of the evening.
Lobster and Crab Roll
The Jumbo Lump Crabcake was another hit. The crabcake is made with blue lump crab, lightly breaded with house-made breadcrumbs, and bound with a Creamy Mustard Mayonnaise. Each bite is full of chunks of crab. You can find the recipe on LATimes.com.
Jumbo Lump Crabcake
For the main course, we tried the Baked Stuff Shrimp with Crabmeat Stuffing served with Creamy Linguine Pasta, Fish with a Dynamite enhancement (a crab cake with spicy Thai chili sauce), and the North Atlantic Diver Scallops with duck confit, mushrooms and a truffle gnocchi. As a side dish, we enjoyed the Sauteed String Beans with Butternut Squash. The stuffed shrimp was good, but the pasta was on the heavy side. The fish was pretty good, though it probably would have been better without the enhancement so that the flavors of the fresh fish would be enjoyed. The scallops and duck confit were excellent but the sauce it was served in was a little too rich and heavy.
Baked Stuff Shrimp with Crabmeat Stuffing
North Atlantic Diver Scallops
Sauteed String Beans with Butternut Squash
Fish with the “Dynamite” enhancement
Overall, the food was good. Service was great, and the staff is very knowledgeable and accommodating. The portions are big, and the seafood is fresh. If we were to dine here again, we’d order a dozen oysters, try the jumbo shrimp cocktail, and try some of their fish broiled so that we could enjoy the fresh taste of the seafood.
Big plus – the restaurant is kid friendly, and offers a kid menu.
Brunch is served on Sundays. The bar also serves happy hour specials.
The Oceanaire Seafood Room
175 Riverside Sq Mall
Hackensack, NJ 07601
Tel: (201) 343-8862
Disclosure: Dinner was free of charge, and we left a cash gratuity. The opinions expressed are my own and I received no further compensation from The Oceanaire or their representatives.
