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2010-12-21
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A rare dinner in Central which was delicious and special but did NOT exceed the half-k pax mark. Really, you don't find these places everywhere. Partly because I don't eat sashimi. hehehee. Environment:'Designed by Noriyoshi muramatsu in collaboration with tokyo design firm super potato!, the restaurant is reminiscent of a japanese garden with a natural stone open kitchen.' - which makes the whole place really open, rustic, friendly, classy. Not the kind of intimidating expensive setting you'd
Partly because I don't eat sashimi. hehehee.
Environment:
'Designed by Noriyoshi muramatsu in collaboration with tokyo design firm super potato!, the restaurant is reminiscent of a japanese garden with a natural stone open kitchen.' - which makes the whole place really open, rustic, friendly, classy. Not the kind of intimidating expensive setting you'd expect. Felt comfortable sitting there because the lighting was dim and the atmosphere was terrific at night! last time i came was for lunch and it felt really different. Coz in the afternoon the sunlight slants in from the large glass windows - and it feels more like an exclusive clubhouse with all the greenery and wooden tables and chairs outside. Service:
Not bad. The staff were friendly and spent considerable effort explaining to us how the chef's selection sashimi worked (hah). Also broke down our desserts for us in detail or else we would've been lost. Sadly I have already forgotten most of it pity.
Oh yes, one waiter wanted to change our plates after the small dishes. There really was no need to do so. I told him I was fine and that I could continue using that almost-clean plate. He told me it was company policy to...yeah. Right. Why. When the customer says you don't need to change the dish...oh well. Company policy prevails since they're his employee..
Food:
Spinach in sesame sauce with sesame
Excellent. As good as it was last time when i had it for lunch. No additional comment to make. I think I'll try making this at home...zaru tofu
This tofu's texture is quite special. It's not silky smooth like the 'Shan Shui' tofu or 'Bai Fu' tofu you get in supermarkets. It's firm, not very smooth, has a rather distinct tofu taste, natural and agreeable. The 5 'toppings' included spring onions, wasabi, sweet potato puree(?), white sesame and miso. Had fun mixing the flavours around. Spring onion and sesame are a lovely combination. Miso, standing alone, is yummy too. And there's plenty of tofu to go around. Generous portions. Crispy fried squid with green chili salt and lime
Didn't try this coz i don't eat squid! Assorted rolls - california, hamachi, zuma chirashi, spicy scallop maki
I only had the california roll. I had 4 of them. So characteristic of me. Sigh. Those rolls were amazing. I loved my california roll. Avocado, mock crab meat (or real crab meat..?) perfectly seasoned sushi rice. The essentials. I would come back again for them rolls, yeah!Chef's selection - 3 sashimi
Didn't eat any of this at all. Don't like raw fish But the others weren't quite pleased with the quality of the tuna. And one should never eat raw salmon. It's full of worms. 3 dishes in this photo...
From left: vegan fried rice as good as always. Loved the chewiness of the grains, and the combination of picked vegetables selected. They make a delicious fried rice. No meat needed. Baby chicken marinated in barley miso oven roasted on cedar wood; This was a bit salty, and there was way too much miso paste on the chicken (which is surprising - usually the contrary happens). The miso was tasty, but too much. Too much of a good thing cloys the appetite. Hence I scraped the excess miso off our friend chicken and mixed it in with my fried rice - delish Chicken be tender, juicy, slightly charred on the sides which me loveee, and flavourful.
grilled teriyaki salmon with sliced pickled cucumber This is as good as i had it last time - very fresh salmon, cooked crisp on the outside but the middle was still pinkish - not fully cooked. Consistency in quality is a virtue. I even ate the skin. usually i don't eat fish skin but this one was grilled crisp and i couldn't help myself. Picked cucumber is cold and sour; complements the fish well.
Grilled pork loin
This had a nice smoky flavour. Skin was crisp, and like the salmon, i don't think the entire piece of meat was cooked through. It was again, pinkish on the inside which i am skeptical about. I prefer my pork to be completely cooked...So i just had a piece. This is not a must-try. I'd recommend the 3 hot dishes above instead Shiso udon
This one was hot. As in, chili-hot. I don't like hot food but the texture of the udon was special. It is bouncier and chewier than the normal udon you get (fried or in soup). For those of you who don't like soft, mushy udon, this one will impress. Sake poached japanese peach
By far the most outstanding Japanese/fusion dessert I've had. A must try. The sugar bomb shell which crackles inside your mouth encapsulates a refreshing mango sorbet(?). They put exploding candy into the shell i think. The pad on which the bomb floats consists of...i don't know, something like aloe/jelly/nata de coco in sake. The sake is not strong, but you can definitely taste alcohol. I say, the syrup would make a pretty nice drink on its own. i just know that it is very tasty. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants a light, refreshing and exciting dessert after a heavy meal. Or just anyone in general. This is one special dessert worth trying.sake kasu custard, kyoho grape sorbet
Another great dessert but not as outstanding as the former. There was only 1 halved grape. -_- the sorbet was nice too but I don't know why it rested on a bed of custard...not saying that it didn't taste good, just that when the sorbet melts and mixes with the custard the whole thing becomes too watery. Perhaps that's why both desserts rested on a box of ice. The biscuit disc had no surprise. Slightly coconutty. Conclusion:
Will definitely visit again to try out the other grilled items. But i believe i will revisit the salmon, fried rice and sake poached peach.
My experience at Zuma has proven that high-quality Japanese dinners really needn't be too expensive.
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