Giving A Thumbs Up To Sakae’s New Menu
Its been quite some time and I am very excited of Sakae Sushi’s new menu. A new design on the menu with refreshing dishes of both past and present, I’d reckon that this is a step in the right move. After all, Sakae Sushi is simply more than just an affordable all you can eat buffet. It is about casual yet contemporary Japanese dining in a comfortable setting for everyone.
First up for starters, I had the Maguro Tataki Salad. The tuna slices are presented Aburied style giving it a nicely grilled meaty texture that is both pleasing and tantalizing. It sits in a braising of salad dressing that adds strong flavour to the fish. While the salad might be presented with a sprinkling of potato salad, fried kakiage and an egg topped with ikura, the entire salad as a whole is more apart than together. Still quite good, though my only other gripe would be that the salmon roe made the specialty egg a little too salty.
$9.99 for a serving.
When it comes to a desire for tofu, there is the Lobster Salad Tofu. I found the dressing to be similar to that of the Maguro Tataki Salad and in this case a bit of a high blood pressure frightener. The cold tofu does not give an entirely good contrast with the dressing though it is hard to deny the lusciousness of the lobster salad. Yet, while I may deplore the dressing, the last bite was rather addictive.
Lobster Salad Tofu $7.99
As simple as it looks, Ikura Chawanmushi is surprisingly a good combination. The soft silken chawanmushi goes very well with the crunchy and burstful flavour of the salmon roe. And for $4.99, I think its worth it.
For maki, I found the Unagi Avocado Maki to be unpretentious and appetizing. Creaminess from both the avocado and the eel leaves a strong lasting taste that is not overwhelmed by the vinegared rice. $8.99 for a serving.
Aburi Salmon Maki leaves a certain portion of the salmon flame grilled and drizzled with cracked ground black pepper. A mouthful of smoky fragrance, a little saltish from the coarse salt, otherwise nothing impressive. $3.99.
This time round, Sakae Sushi is presenting a decent slew of Inari sushis that add both colour and unique taste. I first had the Lobster Salad Combo ($3.99). It was sweet from the beancurd skin, saltish from the salmon roe and creamy from the lobster salad.
The Ni Hotate with Tobiko ($3.99) was not as astounding. Though it was a good complement of eye catching colours.
The picture of the Taiyou Oshizushi looked good in the menu, but the actual serving was a little lackluster in both colour and flavour. It was lightly flavoured and the topping was a tad like scrambled egg, Japanese style. $3.99 for a serving.
I was innately surprised with the Soft Shell Crab Sushi ($3.99). Looks good, tantalizing with the idea of crab but strictly for soft shell crab lovers as it is oily.
The Butterfy Mentai was simply oily but it tasted good because of the grilled mentai and the prawn being very crispy. $5.99 for a serving of three. Though I don’t think $6 is worth it for that fat which will adhere to your hips.
Bentos are also different this time round. I ordered the Black pepper Beef and Tempura Bento. The peppered beef is not very hot with the meat being tender and slightly chewy. No complains for the sauce.
For the tempura, I would have to agree that it is a little oily. Not a good sign for a shiny tempura. $16.99 for the set with miso soup and rice.
As a winner for the new menu, what stood out the most was the Seafood Kimuchi Binbinba Don. With roots from Korean cuisine, this dish is served scalding hot in a stone pot. The rice is well blended with kimchi sauce leaving a smoky saltish fragrance as it continues to cook. The choice of seafood is also decent with the prawn being appealing but the squid a little overcooked. While I may say this is the best dish of the lot, I would have reckoned the stone pot to be heated a little more so that parts of the rice can char for a more seductive taste.
The dessert menu has also increased in variety. But where quantity is given, colour is still compromised. Most of the desserts bore the three tone colours of green, brown and white, distinctive of the company’s colours. Apart from that, I enjoyed the Tai Yaki. It was ordinary looking but deceptively delicious with the stuffing of vanilla ice cream and red bean paste. Very nice. $4.99 for a serving.
It is nice to see Sakae’s introduction to a new menu. And there is an obvious choice to present more colourful varieties of sushi, sets and appetizers. Though while there is an improvement in most of the items, the desserts still leave something to be desired. I take it that since this is a new menu, some time will be needed for the chefs to adapt. But where simple thoughtfulness is needed, I think it is about time that the oil be wiped away from that serving of Butterfry Mentai.
Compliments to Sakae Sun Plaza Branch Manager Irene and her staff for the excellent service provided.
Meal Compliments of Sakae Sushi.
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