Cape Town Sushi

Cape Town Sushi - News Update #3 - Ferrero-Sushi?...Chocolatier, Confectioner or Dieter?...

2008-03-20T14:01:00.016+02:00

Hi All,

Thanks to everyone for your continued support and positive feedback...and most of all your patience for each of our reviews. It’s been a hectic week, however, we thought we'd have some fun while doing this article.

Well, it’s that time of year again. Rabbits, chickens and egg hunts... that’s right, we're talking about Easter. I know some of you may be thinking, what the heck does Easter have to do with Sushi, after all it’s not a Japanese tradition. Well "Fiona" you certainly have your "ethnicity" finger on the buzzer for that one. You can be sure to "bank" your money on the fact that modern Japan is very open to celebrating Western traditions, however when it comes to Easter in Japan, Fiona's sangria-red hair would be considered the "highlight" of the day.

What more is there to say about Easter in Japan?

Well, let’s see, not forgetting the seriousness of the holiday, the fun side of Easter is of course the enjoyment of all things sweet and yummy. And since we love sushi and chocolate, we thought it would be a good idea to see what’s out there in terms of sweet and creamy. Of course our focus on savouries with a sushi-related theme has made this a rather complicated task. Yes, for once we decided to kick it with Vin Diesel and do some Tokyo drifting off the road of Japanese authenticity. But instead of NOS we purged our taste-budding-engines with 100% liquid cocoa, orange rind and vanilla essence. Hanaya Yohei, the godfather of sushi is probably turning in his grave, but hey, we're a rainbow nation, so loosen those ties and kick off your jester-pointy Carducci shoes.

Our search for sushi-sweets was really hard going. Unlike overseas ventures, treats of this nature and design are really hard to find locally. One could try your hand at following a few such recipes online, however, we were looking for some fairly established local websites, bakers, chocolatiers and/or confectioners who may have produced such unique confectionery or dessert items. Needless to say the pickings we far and few between, and no samples were forthcoming. Some bakers and confectioners offered us some ideas, and were even willing to try their hand at some custom-made savouries, however requesting an upfront deposit was a bit of a put off.

So we had to kick it up a coca-bean or two and look at fine local chocolatiers such as Heugonot Fine Chocolates, The Chocolate Studio, Delux Chocolate, Fouche Chocolates, Kigis Chocolate and Candies, The Chocolate Tree and Taylor and Finlay Chocolatiers. However none of them offered anything sushi-related or appropriate for this themed post, except for Nicolas's Sugar and Chocolate Art Company. Here we found exquisite treats far beyond the scope of our article. Nicolas is certainly a very imaginative and super impressive pastry chef. His passion for his work really shines through in each of his dishes, so be sure to leave room for dessert if ever you are in the area. Located at The Castle Kyalami, this Pastry-Wizard also offers practical training and skills programmes in this fine art. We have sampled some of his work below. See if you can spot a sushi-theme in each of these desserts...without drooling too much over your keyboard.

(pictures compliments of Nicolas's Sugar and Chocolate Art)

Looking abroad we found many offerings in all sorts of sweet-related categories. Of note was a Japanese ice-cream dessert as provided for by Chika from the blog, "She Who Eats" in Japan. This Japanese-themed dessert platter consists of ice-creams presented and complimented by sweet-bean curd, jelly’s and pastries. Don’t you wish your morning breakfast salad looked something like this?

(pictures compliments of Chika from She Who Eats)

Further abroad we have the very well known sushi-candy and cookie manufacturer, Suedy's Koo-Ki Sushi. These girls have been in business since 1995 and have consistently been producing sweet sushi treats in all forms. Their range is broad with items varying from apricot row (like a salmon roe), lemon egg (like a tamago), fruit-o-maki (like a maki - rolled sushi) and many more. Each "sushi" ingredient is hand crafted and offers a unique taste. These wonderful treats are packaged in classical or asian themed gift boxes.

(pictures compliments of Koo-Ki Sushi)

Well we hope this article has brought you some insight, and more importantly inspiration for enjoying, if not creating delectable sushi-themed desserts and snacks. I wonder if sushi-candy and such unique desserts will ever be a hit in South Africa. Regardless, we're always open for sample taste-testing. And folks, don’t worry, winter is slowly creeping up on us, you're going to need all those extra "sweet-stores" to keep warm anyways. So enjoy your Easter-binging weekend, regret it on Monday, and buy your April Mens Health or Shape magazine on Tuesday to stir you back onto the Canderel highway – Grant

Balducci's Royal Sushi Bar (Victoria & Alfred Waterfront)

2008-03-05T10:47:00.017+02:00

Address: Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Shop 6162, Ground Floor, Cape Town
Tel: 021-4216002 / 4216003
Email: info@slickrestaurants.com
Web: www.balduccis.co.za

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 Two Oceans Aquarium.

(pictures compliments of the Two Oceans Aquarium)

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

Cape Town Sushi - News Update #2 - Nigiri [Nigiri-Zushi]

2008-02-25T09:09:00.004+02:00

Hi All,

As promised, we continue to serve by providing our readers with interesting facts and information with respect to the world of Sushi. Many people and potential patrons find Sushi and other Asian restaurants to be very intimidating. For conservative folks, such eateries are often surrounded with mysticism particularly with respect to cultural and dining etiquette. However all is not lost. For those of you who still believe that all meals should be eaten with a knife and fork, we have decided to provide you with quality tips in an attempt to get you to explore in the delicate exotic delights of Sushi.

Today’s focus is on a Sushi serving known as Nigiri. Also commonly known as Nigiri-Zushi, it simply consists of an oval shaped, hand-formed mound of sushi rice topped with a slice of raw fresh fish or other related seafood. This topping is also called Neta. Nigiri is usually served in pairs and depending on the type of topping you ordered, it may by wrapped with a thin band of seaweed (Nori).

Thus to put it plainly, Nigiri is simply fish on rice. The Sushi Chef may occasionally put a light spread of wasabi between the rice and neta. However, we have rarely seen this done in some of the restaurants we have reviewed.

(pictures compliments of istockphoto and sushi-sushi)

Nigiri Sushi can be topped with most seafod items. The most common is of course salmon, tuna or prawn. Other toppings include clams, squid, fish eggs, scallops, mackerel, eel, sea urchins, bean curd, vegetables and even sweetened egg . Depending on your choice of topping, this seafood can either be served raw, cooked, smoked or cured, grilled or batter fried. Don’t be shy to ask the Sushi Chef or waiter if you are unsure about your choice of toppings.

As with most Sushi dishes, Nigiri is accompanied with the usual condiments of wasabi, soy sauce and pickled ginger. Nigiri can be eaten with chopsticks, although the most authentically correct manner of eating this dish is as follows:

Pick up one sushi piece between your thumb and middle finger, putting the index finger on top of the nigiri;
Dip the end of the neta into the soy sauce (not the rice part);
Bring the sushi to your mouth and bite in half; and
Before your next bite, dip the neta side in the soy sauce again.

(pictures compliments of foutz and foodiesite)

We recommend that you start with the more common Nigiri toppings and work you way to the more savoured and sought after toppings after a few visits. Of course like everything else in life, we cant guarantee that you will like them all, however life is too short as the saying goes, and you should be happy in the fact that you at least attempted something different...yes maybe even I learnt something new in the living life happily article in the latest Mens Health (sad to hear the Editor Andy Ellis is leaving though).

Enjoy and remember, the discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star :-)

Grant

Cape Town Sushi - News Update #1

2008-02-21T08:53:00.002+02:00

Hi all ye Sushi-Lovers,

Its almost March 2008!!!! :-)

Where has the time gone since our site launch...
This is just a quick note to say that we have received many requests from our readers to include interesting Sushi and Japanese facts on our site, as well as our sister-site at the Cape Sushi Lounge.
Therefore to compliment our restaurant reviews, we have decided to publish more regular articles and blogs covering various aspects about Sushi, Japanese culture, etc.

We are currently working on our branding (logo, banner, mascot, etc.) and hope to have this done before the end of the quarter.

We trust you will continue to enjoy reading our reviews and spreading the gospel according to salmon :-)

Please do feel free to email us your comments and suggestions, feedback is much appreciated.

And remember not too much wasabi :-p

Grant

Hong Seafood Restaurant and Bar (Stadium on Main, Main Road, Claremont)

2008-01-31T16:37:00.000+02:00

Address: Stadium on Main Shopping Centre, Shop 14, Upper Ground Level (1st Floor), 53 Main Road, Claremont
Tel: 021-6836700
Email: helen.hongrestaurant@gmail.com
Web: None

"Bowling for Columbine?"...well maybe not. Rather "Bowling for Hong Seafood Restaurant and Bar?". Okay, perhaps I should ditch any aspirations of becoming a Hollywood Playwright or the next Gavin Hood. Enough said, Hong certainly has elements that proves itself worthy of potentially becoming the next main attraction. Hong Seafood Restaurant and Bar is secretly located in Stadium on Main in Main Road, Claremont.

Stadium on Main is predominantly recognised for its bowling alley, Lets Go Bowling, Indoor Action Sports arena, Laser Quest arena and Tiger Tiger nightclub. All of which act as a draw-card for the predominantly teenage-to-young-adult crowd, primarily due to the stadium's entertainment facilities. Of course we can’t forget about the occasional Saturday morning group of wannabe adolescent sorcerers performing planetary battles with their fantasy card games. Yes, Yugi Ho is alive and kicking out here. I know what you thinking, teenage boys and girls with spotty skin shouting, screaming and bluffing their way through skirmishes with dragons, mages and orge. Sounds crazy, but how many of us have watched Lord Of The Rings and are looking forward to previews of The Hobbit. So deep down inside all of us, there is a freckled-faced kid waiting to burst out with a magical melee-fireball attack.

Hong Seafood Restaurant and Bar was surely a review by accident. Our initial intention for the evening was to dine at Jimmy's Killer Prawns in Claremont, unfortunately their sushi bar was closed for renovations, much to our dismay. This eventually led us to play a quick game of rock, paper, and scissors for Mainland China, JB's Sushi Bar or Hong Seafood Restaurant and Bar. I still don’t understand how a sheet of paper wins against a hard rock, but we decided to give Hong a try.

The venue was neat and tidy with the bar perfectly located in a corner part of the restaurant. Seating was available in the restaurant or outside in a designated area. Hong has quite an extensive menu of sushi dishes and it took us a while to decide what to order. Their different platter combinations of sushi is truly amazing. At this stage it is still too early to tell if there is method in their science of complimentary flavours and textures for each platter. However, you do get a bit of everything in some platters, whereas other platters consist primarily of one specific type of sushi-fish. On a side note, and to some of our reader’s request, we unfortunately did not see any vegetarian sushi on the menu. However, the staff appeared very friendly and accommodating, and I would expect that a specially prepared vegetarian sushi meal could be catered for upon request.
Hong also provides you with a fair selection of wines and other alcoholic drinks at reasonable prices. We would have liked to see a little more creativity in the cider and cocktails department.
Our order consisted of a little bit of everything. These were salmon and tuna maki rolls, prawn and tuna california rolls, and rainbow rolls. We certainly couldn’t also forget about our usual serving of delicate salmon roses, and to top it all off, we had some tempura prawns. The tempura prawns was an experimental order, as we had churning memories of our last order of tempura prawns from Willoughby and Co in the V&A Waterfront.

For a Friday evening, the stadium appeared a bit desolate, but this was only on the level where we were seated. This is arguably a good thing as patrons do not always enjoy the hustle and bustle of people walking around, while enjoying their meal. What was constant and clearly audible was the occasional hollow echoes of hard-rock maple wood pins crashing, preceded by the infamous rolling, countdown-sound of the bowling balls. This certainly was not annoying, and I imagine if I were still in my teens (with my Nike velcro-takkies, ruffled Pepe denim jacket and Ewing roundhouse-kicks pants), that the bowling alley and Hong would be my weekend territorial spot for fun and eats. Parking at the Stadium is also quite cheap compared to parking at Cavendish Shopping Centre, just on the opposite side of the main road to the Stadium.

Our order arrived in good time. The sushi was of good quality and the serving sizes were fair. The serving plates were not the most elegant, but then again we weren’t looking for porcelain crowns, but rather generous boosts of fresh protein and omega. The salmon roses in terms of its portion size was really generous when compared to some of the roses we have seen from the competition. Healthy portions of salmon wrapped around each portion of sushi rice. Had the salmon cuts been slightly bigger, Balducci's Royal Sushi Bar may have had a challenger in that department. The rainbow rolls were also quite good. However, when it comes to rainbow rolls, personally, I prefer no cucumber in the centre. Having the tasty soft rice, soft avocado and delicate soft sushi fish flavours combine and meld in your mouth is indescribably yummy. The last thing you need is to have to chew through a piece of crispy cucumber slices. I don’t think the cucumber slices work well in certain sushi rolls.
In terms of condiments, we quickly ran out of pickled ginger. There was not enough ginger to accompany each serving of sushi. As always, and I'm sure everyone will agree, there will always be plenty of wasabi. The lack of the light-soy sauce left a bit of a smudge on the evening.
The tempura prawns was probably the best we have tasted in a while. We usually do not order anything other than sushi, but the opportunity provided our palette with some alternative flavouring. We have to mention, that the queen-sized tempura prawns were very good - light and crispy with just enough batter, so as not to hide that succulent taste of fresh prawns. The accompanying broth of dipping sauce was really tasty and also very, very light. A dish perfectly done.

In terms of pricing, Hong steers well clear of the foul line. Our total bill came to a very reasonable R194, including drinks and excluding a tip. It was somewhat surprising to be able to enjoy a hearty good quality sushi dinner for two for under R200. And when we say good quality sushi, we mean good quality sushi, at expected sushi portion sizes that are really satisfying. In this category, thoughts of 1890 House Sushi and Grill in Observatory and Noodlebosch in Long Street, cbd spring to mind. With Valentines Day approaching, Hong have taken the initiative to offer its patrons some great specials for this period. We have alternative arrangements for Valentine's Day, but perhaps our readers can forward us some comments on Hong's specials, such as the Lovers platter or the Buffet specials. We look forward to hearing more about these specials.

Hong Seafood Restaurant and Bar provides great sushi and Japanese dishes at excellent value for money while still maintaining high standards in simplistic quality and taste. They further compliment their cuisine by stocking a fair selection of wines and alcohol. Hong is certainly bowling in the fast lane to become the next kingpin of good quality sushi - Grant

Sake House Restaurant and Sushi Bar (Old Stanhope Road, Claremont)

2008-01-09T09:12:00.000+02:00

Address: 17 Old Stanhope Road, Claremont
Tel: 021-674 7600
Email: None
Web: None

Sake House, a somewhat hidden-away, upmarket and trendy restaurant, close to the heart of Claremont. The environment is relaxed and friendly, which does not deter from the distinct ambiance of sophistication offered by the staff. The venue is always tidy, and neatly presented. A smoking section is available towards the backend of the restaurant, separated by what looks like a large "fish-tank" glass screen.

During all of our visits, we hardly ever took much notice of the odd speckled "smog-hog" or elusive "(smoke)-pipe fish" in this "aquarium". This may be due to the fact that most people, regardless of smoking preference, want to enjoy good sushi in a clean environment, that isn’t stained by the overpowering odour of nicotine.

Sake House offers its patrons an expansive menu of seafood, and other fusion delights. There is certainly a large variety of dishes to choose from. The sushi selection not only comprises of your most common sushi cuisine, but "boldly goes where no Sushi-Chef has gone before". Here lies a galactic experience of flavours, aromas and textures. The menu selection is most certainly adventurous and promises to lavish your palette with unique and surprising combinations of very good sushi.

Regular patrons, may occasionally be treated to juicy complimentary mini-tuna frikkadels dressed in a sweet and sour sauce or other little treats, while waiting for their starters or mains. Sake House truly shows an appreciation for customer loyalty and friendliness. Lets hope they continue to honour that tradition.

I decided to stick to my usual favourite, the Rainbow Nation Platter, while my girlfriend enjoyed her a la carte' selection of salmon roses and caviar nigiri. We were very interested in a new addition to the sushi menu, namely Spider Rolls. Spider Rolls are an American style of sushi consisting of sushi rice wrapped around soft fried crab. When sushi first made its introduction to America, most locals were turned off by the idea of eating raw fish. This gave rise to "fried" sushi dishes such as the Spider Roll, Boston Roll, Philadelphia Roll, etc. Since then, many variations of these sushi dishes were made and some of them "crossed-over" from fried to raw. So be sure to ask the waiter what you are getting when ordering these specific sushi items.

In our opinion the Spider Rolls tasted great. It provided us with some variety to an already "raw" variety of sushi cuisine. The Spider Rolls, by design, were somewhat awkward to eat, considering the crab arms were sprouting-wickedly out of the neatly packed sushi rice, but this added to the experience and fun of enjoying a great meal. Critics and sushi connoisseurs may not be as open-minded about enjoying "fried" sushi, but hopefully our readers are keeping an open mind. Don’t get me wrong, "raw" sushi is still the best and honours the much-respected tradition and authenticity.

The accompanying condiments were more than enough. We had generous servings of wasabi, pickled ginger and strips of carrot and cucumber. A perfect presentation.

In terms of price, Sake House offers reasonably-priced, good quality sushi. Our bill, including drinks and a 10% tip amounted to R400. Not too bad especially considering the quality and visionary delights presented by the Sushi-Chefs, however we still felt that around R350 would have been a fair price. Sake House also offers a fair selection of wines, which appears to be the predominant thirst-quencher to compliment your meal. Not necessarily a bad thing, however, we would have liked to see a bit more variety in the cocktails department.

On the downside Sake House did not have the light-salt soy sauce that we always prefer. Their salmon roses are also a bit small compared to the exploding-mouthful-roses we have enjoyed at other establishments, such as Minato's and Balduccis Royal Sushi Bar.

While most of their sushi dishes are served on porcelain dishes, the Rainbow Nation Platter is presented in what looks like a cheap "compartmental" military-style serving dish. Not really my style, however after pondering it for a while, I realised that there is method in their "madness". By "dividing" the different types of sushi presented, you subconsciously differentiate the different flavours of each sushi serving. Maybe its just coincidence, but then again we're just crazy about sushi!

Parking at Sake House, could at times be an issue, especially during the day, as space is quite limited and there is no designated parking area for patrons. However, after hours there is more than enough parking available.

Overall, Sake House Restaurant and Sushi Bar provides its customers a very well orchestrated fusion of traditional sushi dishes with a modern, and arguably rebellious, adventurous twist of exciting and alluring flavours. They serve up brilliant, adventurous sushi bursting with unique flavours and taste. Definitely Claremont's best kept secret – Grant

Jimmy's Killer Prawns (Kloof Street, Cape Town)

2007-12-07T09:39:00.000+02:00

Address: Corner of Kloof Street and Union Garden Street
Tel: 021-4260327
Email: kloof@jimmyskillerprawns.za.net
Web: www.jimmyskillerprawns.za.net

Jimmy's Killer Prawns - another well-known seafood franchise. Their specialty, is of course prawn and seafood dishes. They have also expanded their menu to include sushi and much to my girlfriend's dislike, a hearty selection of "Buffalo-Bill" portioned meaty (red meat) dishes.

We recently attended a birthday party at the Kloof Street franchise. Not everyone will appreciate the home-restaurant feel about the place and seating is sometimes a little awkward, especially if you are a party of more than 6 people. Finding parking is also at times an issue. The venue does feel a little cramped, or as some estate agents will debate, somewhat "intimate". Personally, overhearing echoes of personal gossip and insider-company information from my neighbours table is a little awkward. Made me wonder if they in turn, could hear my imaginary shrieking with respect to the red wine a particular group were savouring with their garlic-buttered prawns. A sinful combination really. But folks, my apologies, I digress as our primary concern here is the quality and presentation of the sushi at Jimmy's Prawns.

The Jimmy's selection of sushi platters is fairly broad and well presented. Unfortunately no particular platter bowled us over with much excitement. We decided to add a bit of "pizazz" to the standard platter by opting for additional complimentary orders of salmon roses, salmon rainbow rolls and salmon sashami. Yes, that's quite an omega boost for one evening - I'm sure my friends at Men's Health would have been proud, or disgusted with the excess kilojoule intake. But hey, "tis the season..." as the saying goes.
Our sushi arrived in good time and was very well presented on a large round wooden serving board. As hungry as we were, we took a moment to appreciate the intricacy and effort that was taken to prepare such an eye-catching, tasty feast. Our excitement was shared by the rest of our party, who sat and stared in awe of our sushi delights. If dining protocol was unfounded, the lesser reserved would have stopped what they were already eating to order a similar main dish.
The sushi and sushi rice was very good. The salmon and prawn was of course very fresh. However, the salmon lacked a little of that "melt-in-your-mouth" quality that is often followed by an explosion of fresh, tasty, deep-sea, woody aroma's, all concluding in a buttered avocado aftertaste. Notwithstanding, the sushi overall were quite good, and the prices were fairly reasonable.
For some reason, it appeared as if the sushi-items as offered by the platter we ordered had more salmon and prawn portions as opposed to equal tuna portions. This could have been from the influence we may have had on the Sushi-Chef due to our additional "side" orders of salmon sushi. We have to mention that the tuna portions we had, were not the best. It tasted somewhat lumpy, and its texture was far too soft.

Presentation and condiments are often overlooked by many sushi bars and restaurants. We already gave praises for Jimmy's presentation, however when it comes to condiments, they were somewhat lacking. In my opinion, we had just about enough pickled ginger for the entire platter, which we already started using sparingly since the first bite. The surprise to our condiment-selection included mayonnaise and needle-strip sliced cucumber. The only other sushi bar or restaurant where I have seen these "extras" is at Balducci's Royal Sushi Bar.

After enjoying some good sushi, we still felt as if something was missing in terms of the overall experience. It took us a while to figure it out, and that was that we had no view or contact with any of the Sushi-Chefs. At most sushi bars and restaurants, patrons would have some direct or indirect contact with their chef. This we believe adds tons of enjoyment to the overall experience. Regardless of if you strike up a conversation with the Chef or not, or if you quietly and tentatively appreciate the skill that goes into the preparation. This is certainly an oversight on the part of Jimmy's management in terms of their floor planning. Every Sushi-Chef, whether they want to admit it or not, wants patrons to appreciate their skill and experienced hand. Critics would argue that watching an experienced Sushi-Chef at work, is certainly a performance of fine art.

After enjoying some good sushi, why not treat yourself, or preferably your better half to an exhilarating head, neck and back massage for R30 (10 - 15 minutes long) from the resident masseuse. Try ignoring the stares and grins from your jealous neighbours, as you will be receiving an enjoyable, rejuvenating massage.

Overall Jimmy's managed to serve up some good quality sushi, barring the poor sushi tuna portions we had. Their sushi menu is passable and their prices are very reasonable. On the evening, and thanks to a well presented platter, we managed to baptise some more friends into sushi-lovin-newbies. Jimmy's Killer Prawns in Kloof Street should definitely be on your shortlist, amongst all the other, ever increasing sushi-establishments in Cape Town's central business district - Grant

P.S. Someone should inform Jimmy's website administrator that he/she has the wrong Cape Town area code for the Kloof Street contact details. Hope he/she is reading.

Noodlebosch (Long Street, Cape Town)

2007-12-04T15:41:00.001+02:00

Address: 192 Long Street, Cape Town Central Business District
Tel: 021-4230569
Email: longstreet@noodlebosch.com
Web: www.noodlebosch.com

Noodlebosch, the somewhat new kid on the block. Neatly situated in the ever buzzing and clubbing Long Street. Founded in 2005 at the University of Stellenbosch. Noodlebosch is certainly one of those establishments that has popped out of nowhere, much to the surprise and liking of many Cape Town sushi lovers. Dine in the restaurant or peruse their take-away menu, and you get the distinct feeling that here lies quality with a degree of authenticity.

I often think of Noodlebosch as the "Polka" of sushi bars, because of their simple, unpretentious, yet very colourful and unique theme and menu on offer. You know you going to get good sushi at a good price and that's that. This is of course, not a bad thing. They offer good noodle dishes, however we were only interested in the quality and expansiveness of their sushi menu, of course. Their sushi is very good!

My favourite is the salmon fashion sandwiches, salmon California rolls and salmon nigiri. The sushi is always fresh, and the sushi rice is quite good as well. I am certainly very pleased to notice that their portions are hearty, and you always feel satisfied after an average sushi meal of 10-15 sushi portions. Another positive point is that their prices are very reasonable, and certainly is value for money. Added to that the choice of either 4 or 8 pieces of sushi per sushi-dish.
Noodlebosch do not skimp on their condiments of pickled ginger, wasabi or
soy sauce, including packaging (for take-aways). I have always had left over condiments after a good meal of sushi.

On the topic of organics and chemicals, Noodlebosch's commitment to serving fresh ingredients with no preservatives or MSG is certainly a very, very welcomed and well-worthy bonus (We hope other Sushi-Chef's and Restaurant-Owners take note of that fact). This is more than enough reason to lure any grass-eating Kauai-patron to their doorstep.

As mentioned, Noodlebosch is quite a small venue. The downside of being that good and small (or customer-focused as the intellectuals call it) is that the Sushi Chef is always busy. Noodlebosch, as the name eludes to, is primarily an establishment offering noodle cuisine. The addition of a sushi offering, which in my opinion far outsells their other dishes, does place significant pressure on their staff to keep a reasonable consistent pace with serving customers. That said, it may also explain why our orders are sometimes a little late (approximately 20 minutes in the restaurant and at least 1 hour when ordering take-away). It could further explain why they only receive take-away orders
during certain business hours.

Regardless, Noodlebosch has been quite an impressive and pleasant surprise to our review. We can understand why Capetonians are going "noodles" for Noodlebosch. This one is definitely a "keeper" and they are quietly making their way up the Cape Town Sushi-Leaderboard, as long as they continue doing what they do best, providing good quality sushi at value-for-money prices - Grant

Tong-Lok (Voortrekker Road, Parow)

2007-12-03T12:14:00.000+02:00

Address: Parow, Don Centre, Voortrekker Road
Tel: 021-9304791
Email: tak@mweb.co.za
Web: www.tonglok.co.za

I have long since been skeptical of the Tong-Lok franchise, however we decided to treat our taste buds on what they had to offer. Tong-Lok is considered a household name as far as take-away sushi goes. The Goodwood venue was not the best, nor was it the cleanest that I have seen, even considering that it is really a take-away restaurant. A very dirty and poorly maintained back-end kitchen could be seen through the serving windows. The venue was tacky and is in serious need of cleaning and maintenance to the decor. Personally the red on yellow theme doesn't really do it for me.

I always find it a bit weird when a predominantly Chinese restaurant serves sushi on their menu. Politics and authenticity aside, we ordered prawn and salmon california rolls, together with salmon and tuna nigiri. Much to our disappointment, we were told that they were low on sushi rice, and we would have to wait 30 minutes in order for them to prepare more rice. Yes folks, like you, my initial thoughts were, how would they prepare sushi rice, which normally takes 1.5 hours in 30 minutes?...Our response was for them to do the best that they can do with what they had available. I wish that they would have taken us up on our offer. I was further disappointed to see that the rice was stored in an empty ice-cream bowl in the fridge. It made me wonder how old or how long this rice had been stored.

Regardless, we ignored that fact that a lethargic-looking sushi chef prepared our order. He at least was well dressed in the appropriate attire, keeping to tradition, and his fairly skilled and experienced hand was well noted. And at least he washed his hands and used clean utensils and kitchenware. At this point, we were still fairly optimistic as what would be produced.

In terms of pricing, Tong-Lok is value for money. In other words, if you looking for average sushi at a good price, then their menu would always be found on your refrigerator door or close to the telephone. However, this is not a place where you will find premium quality, artistic perfection and cultural authenticity.

Our order arrived in 25 minutes. A bit late in my opinion. However we paid our respects to the chef (always good etiquette I believe, regardless of any issues).
When we arrived home to savor on the raw delights, we were found ourselves wanting. No, I don't mean wanting more, but rather a wanting of disappointment. The sushi rice was undercooked and cold. The salmon and tuna were "sweating" and quite limp. A sign that it had been standing out for too long. The only item that met a reasonable standard was the prawn california roll.
The portions of pickled ginger, avocado, prawn, salmon and tuna were small in proportion to the sushi rice it was served with, giving us a distinct impression that the franchise was skimming in order to increase profits. The soy sauce supplied was very, very salty. I personally prefer the light sauce.

Overall, I was left very disappointed in what this well known local restaurant had to offer in terms of sushi. They definitely do provide you with a value for money sushi meal, but at a great cost to quality. Therefore do not expect any customer satisfaction from this establishment. I would not recommend the Goodwood Tong-Lok to any of our sushi-lovers out there.

Lastly, the Goodwood franchise can learn a lot from its "big brother", Tong-Lok in Long Street with whom I am somewhat impressed with. Look out for my review on the Tong-Lok Long Street restaurant - Grant

Upcoming Cape Town Sushi reviews...

2007-11-26T22:15:00.000+02:00

Tong-Lok (Kloof Street, Cape Town)
Kubo's (Riebeeck Street, Cape Town)
Beluga Restaurant (Prestwich Street, Greenpoint)
Tank Restaurant and Sushi Bar (Waterkant Street, Greenpoint)
Surfside Restaurant (Beach Road, Strand)
Asu-Ma's Sushi Bar & Asian Restaurant (Main Road, Houtbay)
Balducci's Royal Sushi Bar and Cafe (V&A Waterfront)
Benkei Japanese Restaurant (Main Road, Greenpoint)
Blowfish Restaurant (Marine Drive, Bloubergstrand)
Cape Town Fish Market (Camps Bay)
Cape Town Fish Market Sushi Bar (V&A Waterfront)
Cape Town Fish Market Sushi Bar (Century City, Canal Walk)
Sake House Restaurant and Sushi Bar (Claremont)
Jimmy's Killer Prawns (Kloof Street, Cape Town)
Jimmy's Killer Prawns (Bloubergstrand)
JB's Sushi Bar (Claremont, Cavendish Centre)
Wasabi (Constania, Constantia Village Shopping Centre)
Mainland China (Main Road, Claremont)
Tuscany Beach Restaurant (Victoria Road, Camps Bay)
Thirty7 (Arabella Sheraton, Cape Town)
Wakame Restaurant (Beach Road, Mouille Point, Cape Town)
Wafu Restaurant (Beach Road, Mouille Point, Cape Town)
Paranga (Victoria Road, Camps Bay)
The Square Restaurant at The Vineyard Hotel & SPA (Clinton Road, Newlands)