First impressions was that this was a large restaurant with expensive decor and an open layout. Offering small plates as well as mains; classical Japanese as well as fusion dishes, this restaurant seems to be having an identity crisis.
Seafood salad with spicy sauce. The sauce and the seaweed was served in a fried wonton cup. Presentation aside, the fish was fishy tasting, an indication that they were not using very fresh fish.
Tuna toro.
spider roll. A good roll, available at most sushi restaurants.
Kiwi tuna and the shrimp rice roll. The kiwi tuna had good visual appeal, but I did not really find the kiwi adding any flavor to the roll. The shrimp rice roll was reminiscent of a Vietnamese salad roll, but without any dipping sauce, the rice roll was a little dry.
Grilled Veal Chop with marinated king mushroom. By far the best dish on the menu. Shiso did no really add to this dish. The veal was cooked to a perfect medium rare. Juice and tender.
Creamy Miso Chowder with assorted seafood. Good balance between the cream and miso.
grilled shrimp and scallop skewer with mango sauce. Grilled just right. Sauce adds a sweetness which I found unnecessary as the seafood itself was quite flavorful already.
Grilled pork belly. This is more Chinese than Japanese. The pork pieces were too think making the dish too heavy. Thinner slices might have had a better effect.
Japanese Style Ceviche with sake, saba and amaebi. IMO the saba was too fishy to go into this dish. It overpowers the sweetness of the shrimp.
In conclusion,
- Liked the decor, the veal and the chowder.
- Did not like the pricing and many of the fusion dishes. Too much fluff that did not add to the flavor.
- This place may have been better marketed as a western restaurant than as a Japanese restaurant, as the better dishes all had little Japanese influences.
- Too overpriced to be worth a revisit. With Market just next door offering a $29 3 course lunch that is hard to beat, no wonder this place is so quite during lunch hour.
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