Monday, August 10, 2009

on the plate - Sushi Tei, Tropicana City Mall

I'll admit it, I really like Japanese food. Granted, it's not the most affordable, but it's something that can be done on a budget if you order wisely.

Given that Sushi King is really, really bad, and Genki Sushi has died a slow, painful death, the main Japanese restaurant I would have gone to would be Sakae Sushi. Although, it has gone down in its quality (check that though, I hear they've made efforts to up their standards again). Enter Sushi Tei, another Singaporean chain, with its first outlet in Tropicana City Mall.

Tropicana City Mall is fast becoming one of my standard hangout places, mostly because it's near my house and also because it's never too crowded and I can easily find parking (please don't let that change).

Sushi Tei is a decent place that's not really the cheapest around, but it's quite value-for-money considering what you get. Some of my favorite dishes:

Chicken Karaage (RM6.80), juicy, succulent pieces of chicken lightly battered and fried, and it even comes complete with a side salad.

Salmon Sashimi (RM9.80), my perennial favorite. It's one of the most ubiquitious dishes in any Japanese restaurant, and can probably be used as a yardstick of the quality of the place. The salmon sashimi here is top-notch, definitely fresh, with thick, juicy cuts that please the palate rather than the miserable skinny cuts that you get at many other places.

It's firm, juicy and has got nice marbling, and it's very fresh, absolutely no hint of any fishiness at all. This is a close-up look.

All in all, it's not the cheapest, nor would it lay claim to be the best, but to me it's a happy medium of quality and value that is an elusive combination to the F&B industry here. It'll remain one of my favorite hangouts for the forseeable future.

Food: 7.6
Drink: 7.0
Service: 6.4
Value: 7.3

3 comments:

Rayn said...

What about Sushi Zanmai? Did you do a review on them yet or...i dont' remember lol...I had the salmon sashimi the last time there and i would rate the thickness as well as freshness of the meat, and the value-for-money a little above good. Not sure how it is now though...

enochho said...

Honestly I haven't really been impressed by Sushi Zanmai... I've found it pricey, overcrowded and distinctly average. I haven't really tried the watermark salmon sashimi though, I should one of these days. Will post results when I do.

What really weirds me out is the queues to enter that restaurant (Sushi Zanmai). At least after my experiences, I still wonder why anyone would queue for so long for that place when I've always felt that it's nothing special. Kinda like J.Co Donuts... it's nothing compared to Krispy Kreme, and yet they draw huge crowds.

Rayn said...

Arr...yeah. I'm surprised at the queues as well. And yes the portions for meals like Curry Udon or Katsu Don are small. I just hope when you do go it is good lol :P

Just shows the crowd have never had Krispy Kreme before or that they are quite generic even when it comes to taste in food :P