Address: Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Shop 6162, Ground Floor, Cape Town
Tel: 021-4216002 / 4216003
Email: info@slickrestaurants.com
Web:
Balducci’s is well known for achieving, if not greedily snapping up, numerous awards in fine wine and exceptional food since 1998. Its sophisticated style, complimented with impressive service-orientated chefs and waiters, certainly does make it a hard one to critique.
Balducci's Royal Sushi Bar is situated just outside the main restaurant. Surrounded by familiar cosmopolitan retail stores bustling with activity, it is easy to overlook this upmarket elegantly comfortable "shark cage" as you scurry your way through the shopping mall.
The Sushi Bar is definitely an innovative idea, and there is certainly no feeling of detachment. The environment is warm and inviting, although some folks may not like sharing too much of their personal space or unintentionally overhearing the latest petroleum takeover gossip. However the entire decor together with the enjoyment of fine quality Sushi contributes to a really personal soothing intimate experience. We hope management do not change a thing.
Balducci's Royal Sushi Bar is certainly what one would call an “extreme dive” into fine quality Sushi. Leave all thoughts of shark-chum or stink bait at the magnificent .
(pictures compliments of the )
In this structured island getaway you will get nothing but the absolute taste-smacking best. Nothing describes Balducci's Sushi better than the echoing words "quality, quality, quality." Arguably Balducci's Royal Sushi Bar is a contender for being the very best that Cape Town has to offer.
Regular patrons may be treated to a few portions of seared tuna while they await their order. The Balducci's Sushi menu can be described as simplistic, yet very chic and informative; sushi dishes on the one side and picturesque descriptions of the various types on the other. A very good concept that demystifies this sought after Japanese cuisine for sushi-newbies.
Don’t expect to find overly-extravagant Sushi rolls or new Afri-Japanese fusion items served at this establishment. Balducci's really focuses on delicious, succulent basic flavours. But let’s not forget about presentation, after all, this is probably the second reason most of us fell in love with this cuisine. The Sushi served at Balducci’s is visually stunning. Ever had Sushi so stunning, that you feel guilty you might be destroying a Mona Lisa? At Balducci's, just imagine sushi presented in HDTV (high definition television). The experience certainly makes for a photographic excursion as well. The Rainbow platter is probably the most stunning dish of them all...I wonder if I am the only one who also thought the decorative flower was edible.
And that people, is what sets Balducci’s apart from the competition. Their direction for keeping it simple while offering the absolute very best quality sushi ingredients and accompanying artistic skill is what makes them one of the best. Their standard portions are very generous. I absolutely love their Rainbow Platter, and yes when I have reached the end of that “rainbow”, I do feel like I have found a pot of sushi-shaped gold trinkets.
Every visit to Balducci's only reconfirms all the things we have come to love about Sushi. Not put off by a brief Eskom blackout scare, I ordered a Rainbow Platter (what else) and my girlfriend Selene ordered some salmon roses, prawn california rolls and a prawn hand roll. The Rainbow Platter consisted of 4 roses (salmon and tuna), 4 rainbow rolls (prawn and avocado in the centre, topped with salmon, tuna and avocado slices) and 4 salmon fashion sandwiches.
Other establishments offering a Rainbow Platter have some variations on the former, but essentially they are made up of the same flavours. We'll have to investigate the birth of the Rainbow Platter and do a report back to you guys in a future article.
Generally 12 pieces of sushi may still leave you a little bit peckish for more, however at Balducci’s, the generosity and dense solidity of each serving is undeniably noticeable. Somehow the Sushi Chefs manage to pack all those succulent bursting flavours into a mouth exploding serving.
On rare occasions you may find the ever elusive Head Sushi Chef vigorously at work. His skilled hand and the precision of his work is really impressive and appreciative. His assistants certainly have impressive skill as well, and their “works of art” certainly do him proud.
In terms of condiments, pickled ginger, cucumber strips and mayonnaise there is plenty of. The more sought-after light salt soy sauce is always present. Their mayonnaise, we have to say has quite a unique taste. It is a much more “tastier” mayonnaise than we are used to. Not as creamy as Cross and Blackwell or Nola, neither as watery or salty as the No-Name brands. We can only assume that it must be an imported brand, although it wouldn’t surprise us in the least if this is home-made from their kitchen. Any comments from our readers on this one?
As part of the drinks menu, you will always be provided with a seasonal wine magazine, as opposed to a few meager laminated pages. The quarterly magazine also contains a few general articles and offers a brief history of featured vineyards and wine farms. They also manage to serve up some mean cocktails that certainly pack an unsuspecting punch, visions of me spilling my mojito (yes folks, it was only my first one for the night) still haunt me.
The Royal Sushi Bar dessert menu does lack some creativity, although patrons are welcomed to order from the main restaurant menu. I would think that the Sushi Chef may find it offensive ordering food or dessert items off the sushi menu.
It terms of pricing, Balducci's is on the expensive side. Our order, including drinks, coffees and excluding gratuity came to about R450. I know some of you are saying ooouuccchhhhh!!... but enjoying Sushi that good, in such a pleasant environment makes it all worthwhile to miss your levies payment for the month. One has to weight the costs against what you are getting at the end of the day. Their portions are very generous, the quality of their sushi is undeniably superior to the competition, the presentation is top class, their expansive cocktails and wine selection speaks for itself, the waiters are very attentive, friendly and well-informed and the environment is intimate, making it a somewhat exclusive dinning establishment.
A further point to note is that making an online reservation at Balducci's is a breeze. Their turnaround time and follow up confirmation thereof is usually under an hour.
So what more can be said about Balducci’s Royal Sushi Bar. All that’s left is for you to hop over there and sink your teeth into the best Sushi in town. Come face to face with the most delectable Sushi you will ever taste.
Balducci's Royal Sushi Bar is certainly a treasured find – Grant
Tel: 021-4216002 / 4216003
Email: info@slickrestaurants.com
Web:
Balducci’s is well known for achieving, if not greedily snapping up, numerous awards in fine wine and exceptional food since 1998. Its sophisticated style, complimented with impressive service-orientated chefs and waiters, certainly does make it a hard one to critique.
Balducci's Royal Sushi Bar is situated just outside the main restaurant. Surrounded by familiar cosmopolitan retail stores bustling with activity, it is easy to overlook this upmarket elegantly comfortable "shark cage" as you scurry your way through the shopping mall.
The Sushi Bar is definitely an innovative idea, and there is certainly no feeling of detachment. The environment is warm and inviting, although some folks may not like sharing too much of their personal space or unintentionally overhearing the latest petroleum takeover gossip. However the entire decor together with the enjoyment of fine quality Sushi contributes to a really personal soothing intimate experience. We hope management do not change a thing.
Balducci's Royal Sushi Bar is certainly what one would call an “extreme dive” into fine quality Sushi. Leave all thoughts of shark-chum or stink bait at the magnificent .
(pictures compliments of the )
In this structured island getaway you will get nothing but the absolute taste-smacking best. Nothing describes Balducci's Sushi better than the echoing words "quality, quality, quality." Arguably Balducci's Royal Sushi Bar is a contender for being the very best that Cape Town has to offer.
Regular patrons may be treated to a few portions of seared tuna while they await their order. The Balducci's Sushi menu can be described as simplistic, yet very chic and informative; sushi dishes on the one side and picturesque descriptions of the various types on the other. A very good concept that demystifies this sought after Japanese cuisine for sushi-newbies.
Don’t expect to find overly-extravagant Sushi rolls or new Afri-Japanese fusion items served at this establishment. Balducci's really focuses on delicious, succulent basic flavours. But let’s not forget about presentation, after all, this is probably the second reason most of us fell in love with this cuisine. The Sushi served at Balducci’s is visually stunning. Ever had Sushi so stunning, that you feel guilty you might be destroying a Mona Lisa? At Balducci's, just imagine sushi presented in HDTV (high definition television). The experience certainly makes for a photographic excursion as well. The Rainbow platter is probably the most stunning dish of them all...I wonder if I am the only one who also thought the decorative flower was edible.
And that people, is what sets Balducci’s apart from the competition. Their direction for keeping it simple while offering the absolute very best quality sushi ingredients and accompanying artistic skill is what makes them one of the best. Their standard portions are very generous. I absolutely love their Rainbow Platter, and yes when I have reached the end of that “rainbow”, I do feel like I have found a pot of sushi-shaped gold trinkets.
Every visit to Balducci's only reconfirms all the things we have come to love about Sushi. Not put off by a brief Eskom blackout scare, I ordered a Rainbow Platter (what else) and my girlfriend Selene ordered some salmon roses, prawn california rolls and a prawn hand roll. The Rainbow Platter consisted of 4 roses (salmon and tuna), 4 rainbow rolls (prawn and avocado in the centre, topped with salmon, tuna and avocado slices) and 4 salmon fashion sandwiches.
Other establishments offering a Rainbow Platter have some variations on the former, but essentially they are made up of the same flavours. We'll have to investigate the birth of the Rainbow Platter and do a report back to you guys in a future article.
Generally 12 pieces of sushi may still leave you a little bit peckish for more, however at Balducci’s, the generosity and dense solidity of each serving is undeniably noticeable. Somehow the Sushi Chefs manage to pack all those succulent bursting flavours into a mouth exploding serving.
On rare occasions you may find the ever elusive Head Sushi Chef vigorously at work. His skilled hand and the precision of his work is really impressive and appreciative. His assistants certainly have impressive skill as well, and their “works of art” certainly do him proud.
In terms of condiments, pickled ginger, cucumber strips and mayonnaise there is plenty of. The more sought-after light salt soy sauce is always present. Their mayonnaise, we have to say has quite a unique taste. It is a much more “tastier” mayonnaise than we are used to. Not as creamy as Cross and Blackwell or Nola, neither as watery or salty as the No-Name brands. We can only assume that it must be an imported brand, although it wouldn’t surprise us in the least if this is home-made from their kitchen. Any comments from our readers on this one?
As part of the drinks menu, you will always be provided with a seasonal wine magazine, as opposed to a few meager laminated pages. The quarterly magazine also contains a few general articles and offers a brief history of featured vineyards and wine farms. They also manage to serve up some mean cocktails that certainly pack an unsuspecting punch, visions of me spilling my mojito (yes folks, it was only my first one for the night) still haunt me.
The Royal Sushi Bar dessert menu does lack some creativity, although patrons are welcomed to order from the main restaurant menu. I would think that the Sushi Chef may find it offensive ordering food or dessert items off the sushi menu.
It terms of pricing, Balducci's is on the expensive side. Our order, including drinks, coffees and excluding gratuity came to about R450. I know some of you are saying ooouuccchhhhh!!... but enjoying Sushi that good, in such a pleasant environment makes it all worthwhile to miss your levies payment for the month. One has to weight the costs against what you are getting at the end of the day. Their portions are very generous, the quality of their sushi is undeniably superior to the competition, the presentation is top class, their expansive cocktails and wine selection speaks for itself, the waiters are very attentive, friendly and well-informed and the environment is intimate, making it a somewhat exclusive dinning establishment.
A further point to note is that making an online reservation at Balducci's is a breeze. Their turnaround time and follow up confirmation thereof is usually under an hour.
So what more can be said about Balducci’s Royal Sushi Bar. All that’s left is for you to hop over there and sink your teeth into the best Sushi in town. Come face to face with the most delectable Sushi you will ever taste.
Balducci's Royal Sushi Bar is certainly a treasured find – Grant
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