Sushi is the staple dish of Japan and has its followers here in UAE. But until some time back, a delicious dish of sushi was relegated to the fancy hotels and hence was always slightly on the costlier end. We at Tempo were on a mission to find sushi that would satiate our taste buds without denting our wallets. Here’s what we found out…
Where: Sushi Central – Khalidiya Street
What: Prawns Tempura Maki Roll
Build: Prawns tempura Maki roll (inside-out roll) with Teriyaki sauce, Iceberg lettuce, topped with crisp tempura shavings; accompanied by staple soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi.
Comment: Sushi Central gives you sushi with a slight contemporary twist. The restaurant has a neat modern oriental decor and a glass kitchen where you get to see your Japanese chef whip up your sushi dish for you. Though I had to wait for about 25 minutes, the food (once I bit into it) was well worth this wait. The prawns were well coated in the tempura and the rice was soft yet had a crunch owing to the crisp tempura shavings. The pickled ginger packed the right punch yet nicely tempered the slightly sweet teriyaki sauce. As I left the restaurant with a smile on my lips, I could see the place filling up with the regulars who undoubtedly kept coming back for an understated yet satisfying sushi experience.
Recommendation: Their cooked tempered sushi makes for a refreshing change.
Rating: 4 ½ stars
Where: Samurai – Al Markaziyah
What: Salmon skin Maki
Build: Salmon skin Maki rolled with cucumber, carrot and enoki mushrooms; accompanied by soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi.
Comment: When I entered Samurai, I must confess, I did not care for their OTT décor at all. But that uneasiness vanished the moment my salmon Maki arrived. Soft and succulent fresh salmon with their sticky vinegar rice literally melted in my mouth. It tasted divine and the dish costs half of what a similar dish would at the big hotels.
Recommendation: Affordable prices and carry a wide variety including the beginner’s sushi combo which has no raw fish at all.
Rating: 4 stars
Where: Fujiyama – Abu Dhabi Mall
What: Sushi Assortment
Build: 2 vegetable sushi (avocado, cucumber and bell peppers)
1 Sha-ke sushi (salmon sushi)
1 Ika sushi (cuttle fish)
2 prawns tempura Maki roll (inside-out roll with prawns tempura)
Comment: Located at the busy Abu Dhabi Mall food court, Fujiyama is your typical Japanese restaurant where people still prefer to order traditional Japanese fare like the Teriyaki and Teppanyaki. They have a very limited selection of sushi (just three combos) probably because there aren’t too many takers for sushi at this food court. The combo arrived pretty quick and had the different types of sushi arranged rather haphazardly. The taste isn’t worth writing home about, and doesn’t give much you reason to return.
Recommendation: Their vegetarian sushi combo is acceptable but the “freshness” of their ‘fresh’ sushi is questionable at best.
Rating: 2 ½ stars
By Diji Shujahi
