Monday, 2 September 2013

JaBistro


JaBistro's Business Card
Price: 4.5/5
Taste: 5/5 
Authenticity: 4/5
Atmosphere: 3.5/5
Service: 3/5 at the beginning but by the end it was 4/5 (I'll explain later) 

For my birthday, my boyfriend surprised me and took me to JaBistro. JaBistro serves more of a Japanese fusion than authentic Japanese food and even gives sashimi a twist! This place is so busy and popular that my boyfriend had to reserve a table a month in advance just in case. A reservation is definitely needed if you want a seat at the sushi bar. At the sushi bar, you can see the chefs break apart lobsters, taking bones out of salmon, torching sushi and much more 

JaBistro Food Menu
Just looking at the menu, you can tell that this restaurant is pricey but trust me, it's worth it! This is THE best Japanese food I've had in my entire life. Every bite from every dish gave me a food-gasm and I just wanted more and more. Everyone must try this place at least once! 

When we got to the restaurant, the hostess seated us at the sushi bar with the menus quickly and said that our server would be with us quickly. Fifteen minutes passed and no server approached us and we didn't even have water which made us frustrated. Once we flagged the hostess and told her the situation, she was terribly sorry and a server came to us right away and gave us his deepest apologies. After that, the service was amazing so though it was a slow and frustrating start, once the server recognized us as his customers, the service was flawless. 

JaBistro has a calm and inviting atmosphere and its simple and modern decorations fit perfectly with the kind of dishes they serve.

This is what we ordered:

1. Sashimi Platter ($50)

The $50 Sashimi Platter from a bird's eye view
The $50 Sashimi Platter shown from the side
  • description:
    • The chefs decide what fresh fish they want to serve us. 
  • thoughts: 
    • Every slice of fish was so fresh and delicious 
    • One of my favourite things about this dish was the fried fish scales (located at the bottom left corner of the bird's eye view picture). These fish scales were deep fried and basically replicated salt. SO yummy!
    •  Overall, a delicious dish that raw fish lovers would die for!

2. Jalapenocchi 

  • menu description: deep fried mashed potato gnocchi, jalepeno, tianmianjing dip 
  • thoughts: 
    • They had a texture on the outside with the softness of the mashed potatoes within 
    • It had a really good kick to it in the end 
    • The tianmianjing sauce complimented the gnocchi well

3. Salmon Sushi 




  • menu description: atlantic salmon oshizushi 
  • thoughts: 
    • It's a simple menu description but it was THE BEST DISH OF THE NIGHT! 
    • We saw the chef make this dish at the sushi bar and it was breath taking! He first made a "typical" salmon sushi using fresh salmon that he had plucked the bones out of, then he added a secret chef sauce (when the waiter presented the dish to us, he said that he wasn't even allowed to know what the special sauce is and that only the chef knows), then he torched the whole roll 
    • Though the salmon on the top was warm, cooked and crispy, there was a raw salmon piece inside the rice block! Because of this, you could taste and feel the contrast between the two all at once: Warm vs Cold and Flaky vs Slimy  
    • The secret chef sauce was delicious 
    • Conclusion: everyone has to try this dish

 4. Yukke


Creating our own "Yukki Roll" with the ingredients given on the board 

  • menu description: angus beef tartar, gochujang, quail egg, nori seaweed 
  • thoughts:
    • The dish was presented in a unique way where you could prepare or eat it any way you'd like! So we decided to make a Yukki Roll where all the ingredients that were given on the board could be incorporated and eaten together.
    • The flavours complimented each other well and the angus beef tartar was delicious. 
    • The greens give this dish a nice "break" with its freshness because the tartar and raw quail egg can be heavy. 
After coming to JaBistro, it's clear why its popularity and fan base is growing. The chefs prepare each dish with great finesse and give each customer an unforgettable experience. Even if you are not a fan of raw fish, they have a variety of cooked dishes that will blow your mind! Everybody, please try this restaurant because I don't want ANYONE to miss out on amazing food.