Nov 12 2014.
views 1419Japanese cuisine has been gaining popularity in Colombo over the past few years and among the latest to this growing trend is Tsukiji Uoichi. Situated at the Clock Tower building of the Arcade at Independence Square, they serve affordable Japanese dishes. The setting in itself is inviting and comfortable and if you have the time to head over there for lunch, the view of the Arcade on one end and Independence Square with all the greenery around is quite soothing. The service and the friendly staff headed by Lasantha Fernando, the restaurant manager make your experience at the restaurant well worth it.
The team of chefs are headed by Sampath Gamagedara and Asela Rajasekara the Executive Chef and Executive Sous Chef, respectively. The two of them have many years of experience in Japanese cuisine here in Sri Lanka, which reflects through the taste and intricate detailing of the delicious dishes they prepare.
Tsukiji Uoichi is the first international location for what is said to be Japan’s finest restaurant chain of the same name which was established in 2010. They currently have four successful restaurants in Tokyo.
The restaurant which opened in Colombo in mid July already has a number of regulars and it is easy to understand why as the food is fabulous. They serve some delicious fruit drinks of which my pick was the Minty Uoichi (Rs 280). This juice of mint and lime was refreshing thus making it the perfect way to cool down on a warm and balmy Colombo afternoon. Among their more colourful juices is the Tsukiji Special (Rs 380). It is essentially a mixed fruit juice which comes to you in shades of yellow, orange, red and green it looked like a sunny tropical dream and tasted pretty good too.
Tsukiji Uoichi serves a delicious Classic Miso Soup (Rs 380). This simple soup if not made properly can be quite a letdown but this one just didn’t disappoint. It was full of flavour and just gave me that satisfied fuzzy feeling inside as I sipped on it.
Among their fusion dishes is Warm Tofu (Rs 680). Tofu on its own can be quite bland, unless you have a taste for it. However this simple dish one comes topped with tomato sauce and fresh basil. Therefore the sweetness of the tomato and the peppery earthiness of the basil compliment the bland tofu.
The restaurant’s maki dishes are said to be popular and among them are the Caterpillar Roll (Rs 2,800) and the Crunchy Ebi Tempura Roll (Rs 1,200), both come with eight delectable pieces each. The former is a roll filled with salmon, avocado, crab, cucumber, iceberg lettuce and topped with salmon roe. Apart from it being absolutely delicious it is also so pretty to look at in all its pink and green glory while the salmon roe look like little bright orange jewels. The Crunchy Ebi Tempura Roll is also a filling and tasty option made with tempura prawn maki inside and out and then coated with crispy karapincha leaves.
The sashimi they serve is fresh and a treat to dig into. We tried out the Assorted Sashimi (Rs 1,880). It had five types of fish which included tuna, salmon, crab, white fish and cuttlefish.
Among the teppanyaki dishes on offer is the delicious and juicy Jumbo Prawn Teppan (Rs 1,990). This massive grilled lagoon prawn is served on a hot plate with crunchy grilled vegetables and mashed potato.
A meat I absolutely enjoy eating is pork and I was thrilled that they serve a delicious Ton Katsu Don (Rs 880). The crumbed and deep fried pork was crunchy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. Served in a hot stone bowl the rice was almost milky. It was such a fabulous, reasonably priced, filling dish easily enough for two.
We had nibbled on so many dishes but I just couldn’t say no to what looked like an amazing chocolate dessert – Chocolate Fondant (Rs 780). It can be best described as a really rich chocolate cake meets pudding and is served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and a sprig of mint. The warm and cold combination of the dessert creates the perfect marriage. Another dessert which looked interesting was the Matcha Brûlée (Rs 480). It is a fusion dish as brûlée itself is French. We were too full to give it a try but it looked pretty.
Address: WP- 07, No 30 Arcade Independence Square, Independence Square, Colombo 7
Hours of operation: 11.00am to 3.00pm and 6.00 to 11.00pm (right through the week)
Facebook: http://https://www.facebook.com/TsukijiUoichi?fref=ts
Ratings:
Taste – 5 stars
Value for money – 5 stars
Friendly staff – 5 stars
Cleanliness (Restaurant) – 5 stars
Parking – 5 stars
Cleanliness (Toilets) – 2 stars
By Natasha Fernandopulle
Pix by Kanishke Ganewatte
0 Comments
Honestly says:
Nov 13, 2014 at 12:00 amI'm glad this place is serving pork, and traditional dishes with pork... omg yes! Can't wait to go there!