Feb 08 2017.
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Japanese cuisine has risen from relative obscurity to considerable fame over the past few years introducing us Sri Lankans to the concept of raw food based gastronomical experiences. Maki Sushi (rice, fish and other ingredients rolled up in seaweed) holds a special place in our hearts and is especially popular with those who find sashimi a little too difficult to stomach.
So without further ado, here's the roundup of our favourite spots to grab maki sushi in and around Colombo.
1. Ginza on the Edge
Tekka Maki (Rs.730 with SC & taxes)
Sarah: The spicy tuna maki at Ginza holds a dear place in our hearts owing to the soft, and incredibly fresh tuna in the roll. It's not make-your-ears-warm spicy, which we appreciated but just very mildly, so you can enjoy a bit of heat in the roll. The only gripe we had was that the roll was too large to eat in one go.
Rihaab: The Tekka Maki tasted amazing and was one of my favourite maki rolls from the round up. The fresh tuna, the vibrant flavours and the added texture all worked together perfectly to make it a maki roll you would keep going back for. I agree with Sarah in that the rolls could have been smaller in size.
Ebifurai Maki (Rs. 1750 with SC & taxes)
Sarah: The Ebifurai Maki didn't do too much in terms of flavour as I found it slightly bland, but did enjoy the crunch from the crumbed and deep fried prawn in the roll. Nothing a bit of soy sauce can't do to help with flavour! Again, the roll was too large to eat at once, so we found it cumbersome when the roll fell apart with two bites. (On a side note, it's a bad idea to wear lipstick when eating sushi. You can expect to resemble a clown after your meal)
Rihaab: If we thought the Tekka Maki was large, this one was larger in size and thus required more than one bite (which can messy when using chopsticks). While I felt that the prawn had an interesting flavour to it, it didn't do much in terms of overall flavour. But paired with wasabi and soy sauce, it tasted a lot better. But overall, Ginza has been consistent in its offering of yummy sushi.
Ginza on the Edge is open everyday from 11:00AM to 11:00PM.
Address: 2nd Floor, Waters Edge Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Contact details: (011) 2 887088
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GinzaHohsen
Website: www.ginzaontheedge.com
2. Mizu
Cheese Maki (Rs. 500 with SC & taxes)
Sarah: I've never eaten sushi that isn't salty or spicy, so when Rihaab recommended this, I was a bit skeptical, but was I ever wrong! Cubes of mango, pineapple and cream cheese in a maki roll topped off with sesame seeds and drizzled with a light strawberry sauce. The flavours amalgamate well, and we would recommend this 10/10. We opted to eat our sushi at the Gardenia Coffee Shop, and service was a bit slow, but the staff was friendly and helpful nonetheless.
Rihaab: Never thought I'd see the day I would enjoy a maki roll that didn't have meat in it, but this maki roll would satisfy even a hardcore carnivore. The sweet cubes of mango and pineapple are elevated thanks to the cream cheese making this roll an absolute delight. This was also the most visually pleasing maki roll presentation we came across in our roundup. We couldn't try more options due to time constraints, but Mizu definitely deserves a top spot among the many sushi establishments because their sushi has always tasted great whenever we have dropped by.
The Mizu menu is available everyday from 11:00AM to 11:00PM. You can opt to order from the menu wherever you prefer to eat at, even at the poolside, if you fancy a bit of people watching.
Address: Ground floor, Ramada Colombo (30, Sir Mohamed Macan Markar Mawatha, Colombo 03)
Contact details: (011) 2 422001
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ramadacolombo
Website: www.ramadacolombo.com
3. Kuuraku Colombo
Crunchy Ebi Roll (4 pieces at Rs. 680 with SC & taxes, 8 pieces at Rs. 1280 with SC & taxes)
Sarah: The crunchy prawn roll at Kuuraku Colombo was delightful. The crunch from the deep fried prawn inside the roll combined with the sauce was quite flavourful, and while we couldn't seem to identify what the sauce was, we definitely enjoyed this. This would make a good starter.
Rihaab: I agree 100% on this with Sarah. I enjoyed the flavours and the crunch of this ebi roll. All the rolls we had here were on the sweeter side with added elements that made it possible to discern between them.
Spicy Maguro Roll (4 pieces at Rs. 580 with SC & taxes, 8 pieces at Rs. 980 with SC & taxes)
Sarah: So, this was definitely not for the faint of heart. The Spicy Maguro Roll involves a kochchi miris and mayo sauce, which very easily will knock your socks off, because it is very, very spicy. Despite the intense chillie heat, we loved this roll because it was incredibly flavourful (what can't kochchi do?) and the tuna was fresh.
Rihaab: Loved the melange of spicy and sweet flavours that I thought were pretty well balanced. The fresh tuna simply upped the ante. Would definitely go back for this one.
Aburi Salmon Cheese Maki (4 pieces at Rs. 680 with SC & taxes, 8 pieces at Rs. 1280 with SC & taxes)
Sarah: A lightly grilled slice of fresh salmon holding together the rice, cheese, lettuce and avocado, this maki roll didn't deliver much in terms of flavour, but what I did like was that you could taste how fresh everything was, and presentation was quite impressive.
Rihaab: I was a huge fan of the subtle flavours of the fresh salmon and the cheese, which proved to be a perfect marriage in my opinion. There was also plenty of texture thanks to the lettuce in the roll.
Kuuraku Colombo is open everyday, except for Monday, from 11:30AM to 3:30PM for lunch, and 6:00PM to 11:00PM for dinner. Do note that they take their last order at 10:30PM. Service is GREAT, and we really stress on this, because they're very friendly, helpful, and overall very pleasant. (Also, the ladies' room here is possibly one of the best we've come across in Colombo, as it comes equipped with plenty of hand towels, air freshener, cotton swabs, sanitary napkins, mouthwash and toothpicks).
Address: 48B, Park Street Mews, Colombo 02
Contact details: (011) 2 307600
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kuurakucolombo
Website: www.kuuraku.co.jp
4. The Ocean
Kingsbury Maki (Rs. 1100 with SC & taxes)
Sarah: Prawn tempura and cucumber in a roll topped with carpaccio sauce, this roll comes from the House Specials Maki section on the menu at The Ocean, and is a real treat. Flavours are subtle, and comforting, and the rolls are perfectly sized.
Rihaab: The sauce reminds you of a warm, hearty meal, and while the sushi rolls definitely weren't warm, they had a very comforting look and feel, so to speak. Tasted as just as good, but wasn't my favourite.
Khalid Maki (Rs. 1100 with SC & taxes)
Sarah: This roll is made with prawn tempura stuffed inside between the rice and seaweed wrap, with a sliver of salmon and avocado enveloping each roll, and drizzled with a teriyaki and palm sauce. The sauce really elevates the flavour of this roll, and again, you can't go wrong with the combination of salmon and avocado.
Rihaab: The sushi at The Ocean all proved to be quite tasty, and this one didn't disappoint. The sauce supplemented the salmon and avocado perfectly and surprisingly didn't overwhelm the fresh flavour of the salmon.
Caterpillar Maki (Rs. 1100 with SC & taxes)
Sarah: Avocado, cucumber, carrot and crispy crabstick with teriyaki sauce and topped with a tempura prawn, this does feel like there's a lot going on for the Caterpillar Maki, but it was flavourful, and we could taste every ingredient well. The avocado was firm yet soft, while the carrot and cucumber was crunchy.
Rihaab: This was one texturally varied maki that was beautifully presented. While the Kingsbury Maki and the Khalid Maki were both perfectly sized, this one was slightly bigger and proved to be a bit of a challenge - which I learnt the hard way having attempted to stuff it in my mouth in one go.
The Ocean is open everyday from 11:30AM to 11:30PM.
Address: Ground floor, The Kingsbury, 48, Janadhipathi Mawatha, Colombo 01
Contact details: 0771087720 for reservations and inquiries
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheKingsbury
Website: www.thekingsburyhotel.com/dining/the-ocean
5. Café Nihonbashi at Alexandra & Ward
Wasabi Crab Maki (Rs. 800)
Sarah: The subtle hint of wasabi stands out in these simple rolls, while the crab meat is fresh and soft.
Rihaab: I would best describe this as no frill, stripped back maki rolls. I was glad they used fresh crab instead of the oft used crab stick which usually doesn't do much for the flavor. Instead, the crab roll stood out in its simplicity aided by the subtle flavouring of the wasabi.
Salmon Salad Maki (Rs. 600)
Sarah: The chargrilled salmon with Japanese mayo was a delightful second pick at Café Nihonbashi, packed with flavour. Nihonbashi does simple, no-frills food, and doesn't attempt to go overboard with presentation so as to deviate customers from the actual taste and flavour of the dish served, and we really appreciated this.
Rihaab: Absolutely loved the flavour of the chargrilled salmon. Both maki rolls we had here stood out in their simplicity that really allowed the flavours to shine through.
Café Nihonbashi at Alexandra & Ward is open everyday from 12:00PM to 11:00PM.
Address: Located inside the ODEL Promenade, 5, Alexandra Place, Colombo 07
Contact details: (011) 4 718758
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Café-Nihonbashi-560774490774772
Website: www.nihonbashi.lk
6. Tsukiji Uoichi
Avocado Maki (4 pieces at Rs. 380 with SC & taxes)
Sarah: Simple and light maki. This would make a good starter to share before going for your mains.
Rihaab: This maki roll may not be everyone's cup of tea because of its subdued flavours, but makes for an ideal option for vegetarians. Without the wasabi and the soy sauce it understandably comes across as quite bland. The rolls here though were all perfectly sized.
Spicy Tuna Crispy Roll (4 pieces at Rs. 720 with SC & taxes)
Sarah: Very spicy, but the flavours were on point! Kochchi miris was used in this preparation as well, and we really loved how perfectly sized the rolls at Tsukiji Uoichi were.
Rihaab: Perfectly spicy (and by that I mean pretty darn spicy), crunchy and flavourful, this maki roll was meant for our spicy food lovin' Lankan palates.
Crunchy Ebi Tempura Roll (4 pieces at Rs. 660 with SC & taxes)
Sarah: We found this slightly sweet, but quite tasty.
Rihaab: Although I preferred the Spicy Tuna Crispy Roll here, I found the Ebi roll a pretty close second. The topping on the roll was extremely flavourful - sweet with a hint of salty tang.
Tsukiji Uoichi is open everyday for lunch from 12:00PM to 3:00PM, and for dinner from 6:00PM to 11:00PM.
Address: First floor, Arcade Independence Square, Colombo 07
Contact details: (011) 2 670707
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TsukijiUoichi
Website: www.tsukijiuoichi.com
Email: [email protected]
7. Yumi
(Since we ordered 4 dishes, we requested for it to be plated on a platter, but otherwise they are served on separate platters)
Dragon Maki (Rs. 1350 with SC & taxes)
Sarah: These maki rolls consisted of batter fried prawns with avocado. Tasty, but nothing immense in flavour considering the ingredients.
Rihaab: The biggest plus here was the texture provided by the prawn. It certainly wasn't among the best maki sushi we had, but it wasn't too bad either. Nothing to write home about, though.
Special Volcano Maki (Rs. 1750 with SC & taxes)
Sarah: Spicy crabmeat, tempura prawn and a spicy sauce. Possibly one of the best items off the menu at Yumi.
Rihaab: The use of fresh crab, tempura prawn and spicy flavours certainly elevated this maki. It was flavourful, crunchy and perfectly sized. Like Sarah, I thought this was the best among what we had here at Yumi.
Rainbow Maki (Rs. 1350 with SC & taxes)
Sarah: Involving modha fish, alongside salmon and tuna, I thought I wouldn't enjoy this cos I really hate modha (this really boils down to personal preference, guys), but this was surprisingly good. What really stands out is how fresh the fish is.
Rihaab: What this maki lacked in texture it certainly made up in terms of flavour (yes, I’m a huge fan of texturally vibrant maki sushi). The rolls here score especially thanks to their freshness, which actually makes a huge noticeable difference.
Yumi Special Maki (Rs. 1250 with SC & taxes)
Sarah: Tempura prawn, crabstick and cucumber are the primary ingredients in this roll, with 'rainbow rice', which is tobiko, also known as flying fish roe. Not your typical maki roll in appearance, this was very flavourful, especially with the crabmeat giving off a lovely smoky flavour.
Rihaab: I found the Yumi Special Maki full of flavour and texture, and I thought it tasted pretty good. Definitely worth a try.
Most of the ingredients used at Yumi is imported, including rice which we were told comes from Japan, and the salmon from Norway. While prices are a lot higher than most places in Colombo, we feel that it's justifiable given the high quality of ingredients used, and excellent craftsmanship in execution with dishes. Service was friendly and helpful.
Yumi is open everyday from 12:30PM to 3:00PM for lunch, and again from 7:30PM to 11:30PM for dinner. The kitchen remains closed from 3:00PM to 7:00PM, but we were told that guests can order light snacks during that time period (we're still not sure how light snacks can be prepared if the kitchen is closed but maybe we'll test this out on another day!).
Address: Ground floor at the Taj Samudra, 25, Galle Face Centre Road, Colombo 03
Contact details: (011) 2 446622
Facebook: www.facebook.com/YumiByTajSamudra
Website: www.taj.tajhotels.com/en-in/taj-samudra-colombo/restaurants/yumi-restaurant
TEXT by Sarah Kellapatha and Rihaab Mowlana
PHOTOGRAPHS by Zeeshan Akram Jabeer
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