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2016-06-01
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Zuma is a contemporary Japanese restaurant located in the Landmark, it has two floors with the upper floor being a lounge and bar while the lower one is the restaurant. Arriving on the upper floor, we were shown to the restaurant via the spiral stairs, which is quite grand and chic. Our table is in the main dining area looking out to the terrace, and having a good view of the open kitchen. A rather nice atmosphere overall.We ordered the premium daikoku tasting menu, and got started with a Spicy
Zuma is a contemporary Japanese restaurant located in the Landmark, it has two floors with the upper floor being a lounge and bar while the lower one is the restaurant. Arriving on the upper floor, we were shown to the restaurant via the spiral stairs, which is quite grand and chic. Our table is in the main dining area looking out to the terrace, and having a good view of the open kitchen. A rather nice atmosphere overall.
We ordered the premium daikoku tasting menu, and got started with a Spicy Lobster Miso Soup. Although the staff accidentally spilled some of the soup when serving, she apologized profusely and replaced the soup so it was not giving us a very negative impression. The soup got a good spicy hotness but still having nice lobster and miso taste, without overpowering them. Certainly a good beginning of the meal.
The first appetizer was a Sliced Chu Toro Chili, with Coriander and Sesame. The thinly sliced toro was very fresh and got a good texture, mixing well with the sesame and coriander. A couple of deep fried garlic slices further enhancing both the flavor and contrasting the toro with the a crispiness.
The other appetizer was a Japanese Wagyu Tataki with Truffle Ponzu. The beef was seared perfectly showing the layers of pinkness and burgundy color inside, melting in the mouth and also having the intense flavors of beef. The chives helped to lower the fatty palate, giving a lightness to the dish.
Then came the Wild Fish Sashimi, with three different types of fish. I don't know the names in English but each were added an extra dimension with condiments like black garlic, yuzu shave and a citrus sauce. The fish was so fresh with each having different texture, and the flavors are so intense I did not pair with any wasabi in order to enjoy the true taste.
Next was the Sushi which included Sea Urchin, Squid and Tuna. The sea urchin brought back my fond memories of the fantastic ones I had in Sapporo last year, and the squid was cut with great skill, being chewy but not rubbery, very easy to eat. The tuna was the highlight, however, with the right fattiness to give the strong tuna flavors without any bad experience like eating a piece of greasy fat.
The hot dishes included a Mentaiko Scallop of huge size, seared on the surface nicely with a good buttery taste while retaining the original scallop flavors, plus some fresh herbs on top to enrich.
The other dish was a Tempura which included fish and a veggie. I did not ask what exactly the fish and veggie so could not share in more details. But suffice to say it was all very nice. The tempura was fried without any oily and checking on the paper beneath you won't find any oil stain which really showed the skill of the chef again.
To the main course now we got a Ribeye steak that was paired with different sauces and sea salt, which was surprisingly big in portion. Personally I would rate this as so-so probably because there were quite a bit of tendon making it a bit too chewy in certain parts, but the seasoning was done superbly and the beef was also juicy.
The other main was a Grilled Seabass, with a nice sauce complementing. Again the grill was perfect with the fish, despite its thick size, seared well on the surface but not overcooked, while inside the fish was well cooked but still tender.
On the side there was also a Grilled Maitake mushroom which we had added some lime juice to give a bit of acidity and citrus taste. A nice side-dish by itself.
Finally on the dessert it was a platter which included a chocolate lava cake, two home-made ice-cream of vanilla and sesame, a raspberry panna-cotta, and some assortment of fresh fruit. Already very full by then, I could not finish all but also comparatively the dessert was relatively standard and did not have much wow factor for us.Service was fairly good, with the waiter friendly and attentive, but my suggestion was to explain further the dishes in more details to customers. On the night I had also a bottle of Dassai 23 sake and a bottled water, with the total bill being $3,724. Considering the amount of food, its quality, atmosphere and service, I would say it was a much higher value for money than I would expect.
My overall rating is 78/100.
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