Japanese, Korean fare a well-kept local secret

Reasonably priced, well-prepared Asian cuisine in a strip mall in the border town of Hudson? Go figure.

Dynamite Sushi has been open for 10 years, but it remains a local secret. Those lucky enough to live and work in the area have been flocking to the restaurant for its unpretentious ambience, bargain prices, and friendly service.

The cuisine is a mix of Korean and Japanese fare - with the emphasis on the latter - served in a narrow storefront with an urban feel. Diners may be seated at tables or at the sushi bar that stretches along one wall, underneath a hand-drawn mural of a gigantic fish, or at tables. Paintings by local artists hang on the brightly colored walls.

The luncheon specials are hard to beat. The bulgoki box ($9) is a steamy Korean dish of thinly sliced barbecued beef served over a bed of rice. The spicy box ($8), another Korean dish, has stir-fried pork, chicken, beef, or tofu served over rice. There are also teriyaki and curry boxes with a choice of chicken, beef, or fish. All are served with a choice of hot-and-sour or miso soup and other goodies, such as salad with fresh citrus dressing, tempura vegetables, and shumai.

There are also lunch specials from the sushi menu, including salmon, tuna, and California maki and several selections of sushi. The sushi lunch boxes are priced from $9 to $12, and all are served with soup and salad and other sides. Sushi is served a la carte for $1.29 at lunch.

You can wash it all down with a can of Sapporo beer the size of a depth charge, for ($7), or ginger iced tea ($2.29).

We are particularly fond of Dynamite's version of spider maki ($9), fried soft-shell shrimp and fish roe rolled in rice. We've had it many times and never tire of the light, crispy crab mixed with the cold rice and roe. Delicious.

The shrimp tempura appetizer ($7) can serve as a meal in itself and often does for one tween guest who frequents Dynamite. He chows down on the four large, perfectly battered prawns and crispy-fried fresh vegetables like broccoli, onion, sweet potato, and zucchini. Before our meal we also had a small bowl of miso soup (free with some meals or $2 a la carte), savory broth crammed with tofu, and the dumpling noodle soup ($4), made with a gingery stock, crammed with egg noodles and two chubby stuffed dumplings.

Children also have their own menu from which to choose, which includes chicken tempura ($7), chicken fried noodles ($7), and bulgoki beef ($7). On our most recent visit we had the shrimp katsu ($10), a dozen jumbo shrimp rolled in panko crumbs, fried, and served over a bed of rice with broccoli, tomato, and cucumber. The fresh, crisp shrimp was light and served with tomato aioli and sweet sauce.

We also sampled a small portion of the garlic and ginger fried buckwheat noodles with tofu ($13), which were sweet, not greasy in the least, and contained ample portions of fresh, nutty tofu, fresh pea pods, carrot, and onion.

Dynamite also has some really fine desserts - our favorites being the orange or pineapple sherbets, served in a real orange skin or pineapple shell.

But the most appealing thing about this neighborhood favorite is the great service, and warm family feeling. Everyone knows your name and your favorite dishes.

TOM LONG