Restaurant Review - Wasabi
Wednesday 24 October 2012
I am never quite sure how I feel about Japanese food. I love sushi and the lightness and crispness of Tempura but, after that, I sometimes flounder around wondering what to have. Likewise, when I ask my friends would they like to come to try a Japanese restaurant, they suddenly have a list of engagements that would rival the Duchess of Cambridge. So, Sir gets a dusting off and is dragged out. The man is a Saint! “A trip to Malahide for lunch and a look at the shops will make a lovely day out” I cajoled. “You can have those nice Gyoza dumpling things – you know the ones you liked in such and such a place in the nether regions of Parnell Street” – to get his brain off raw fish! “Don’t remind me”, he said.
Wasabi, a new Japanese eatery on Malahide’s Main Street, was in my sights, so off we set. Malahide is a village that is well catered for, from Indian to Mexican, Chinese to Seafood, Greek to Italian eateries, but a Japanese addition is bound to add a further multicultural dining frisson.
Located on the first floor over An Seomra Tae Café Bistro, which also opened only very recently, the welcome, something I’ve been short of recently, from an Oriental girl and a local girl, was warm as we were brought to a nice table by the window. Little cups of green tea ensued, followed shortly afterwards by miso soup with tofu. The menu offers a very big range of Sushi from Nigiri – the familiar oblong block of rice topped with raw fish - to Maki – rolls of rice, fish and vegetables enclosed generally in Nori seaweed wrappers. There is Sashimi – a Japanese delicacy of raw fish, and Tempura - lightly coated fish and vegetables deepfried. Teppanyaki tables have been popular in recent years, where the diners sit around and watch the chef give a performance with much waving of knives and cleavers of tossing meat and fish onto the hot grill table. It is great for groups and fun evenings but at Wasabi instead they had a ‘Teppanyaki Set” on the menu with meat and fish cooked by the same method in the kitchen on an iron grilling pan. Their three course lunch menu at €15.90 offered a great choice from an a la carte menu, sporting twenty plus dishes such as Yakitori, and Salmon Roll, which dishes would be individually priced between €4.90 and €8.90. Brendan went with the aforementioned Gyoza (€6.90) whilst I opted for Tempura Moriwase (€8.90) – moriwase means selection. I was also curious about Pari Pari salad (€6.50) because it sported sweet potatoes and glass noodles, both of which I like.
The Gyoza proved five little tasty dumplings with a dipping sauce, but I particularly liked the Tempura containing big prawns, a mini crab stick, squid, salmon, aubergine, peppers, onion, and green beans. These were all sparklingly light and crisp, really good specimens, which is more than could be said for a similar dish in a Japanese restaurant in Capel Street, which had been memorable for its greasy heaviness. The Pari Pari salad looked amazing, with threads of deepfried sweet potato on top of a big pile of crispy leaves, whilst the glass noodles were scattered over and looked like puffs of snow. His Excellency followed up with Salmon Teriyaki (€13.90), two delicious tranches of fish covered with Teriyaki sauce and served with stir fried bean sprouts and came also with boiled rice. I had Seafood Chahan (€13.90), which proved a dome of Japanese fried rice mixed with chunks of pak choy, some prawns and squid, and large decorative Tempura prawn on the side. A bit bland for my taste, I asked for chilli and soy sauce to liven it up, but that I guess is a matter of taste. Coffees were included in our lunch package price of €15.90 each and, with one glass of red wine for Himself, the Pari Pari salad, and optional service our bill came to €49.
Crisp, fresh, value, really nice service, I’d go again – and its close to the DART!
Wasabi,
1 Main Street,
Malahide,
Co. Dublin.
Tel: (01) 845-7575
www.lucindaosullivan.com