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

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)

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]

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

Noodlebosch (Long Street, Cape Town)

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

Upcoming Cape Town Sushi reviews...

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)