/ Reviews / Japanese
Beyond Sushi
by Tom Lee
on Friday, October 15, 2010 12:00 AM
It's probably the most famous of Japan's exports and attributed as part of the reason the country's population attains relative longevity. Sushi, for the owners of Shari, is unequivocally the house specialty. Of course, there are all the typical Western favorites, like California (RMB82) and Philadelphia rolls (RMB82), but the chef has also delved beyond the essential to unveil more unusual fish species to the palate. Served at the sushi bar, upon dining tables or outside on the sizable patio, there's plenty to explore.
A beautiful old mansion, delicately renovated, is the host for the venture. The sheer grandeur suggests to any diner walking up the driveway that a meal here is sure to be something special, as well as expensive. However, the food is - gratifyingly - reasonably priced. Each platter of sushi has eight pieces and generally wavers around the RMB80 mark. Spicy tuna rolls with kanikama, an imitation crab meat, are RMB90, while the Cheese Okaka Roll with dried tomatoes and katsuo (skipjack tuna) flakes dips down to RMB70. Eight, in this case, is a suitable portion, as each is packed with vegetables and condiments, held together by thick cylinders of rice. What they lack in delicacy of taste, they make up for in delicacy of presentation: simple but neat.
Perhaps it's the fact that Shari defines itself as a "sushi bar", or perhaps it's because the environment is so enchanting, but the rolls fail to live up to the expectation. That's not to say they aren't good because they are; it's more that they don't excite in any dramatic way, or stand head and shoulders above the competition.
On the contrary, it's the other dishes that provide the best reason to visit. The creamy rectangle of Mascarpone Cheese Tofu (RMB48), topped with spring onion and katsuo flakes, is a delicious appetizer, even without the accompanying wasabi and soy sauce. Then there's the savory delight of the lightly fibrous Grilled Eggplant with Miso (RMB38), dotted with minced pork. The puddings are also essential tries, whether it's the mousse-like Maccha Pudding made from green tea, or the Black Sesame Panna Cotta (both RMB20). While the maccha is fresh and light, the sesame is sweet and nutty - both make for a nice finale to what is a surprising menu; surprising because the featured sushi is interesting but not incredible, and because the other sidelined items are so ingeniously impressive.
The Bottom Line: A beautiful surrounding in which to munch some good sushi and some great supporting dishes.
