Sushi nya Kita impresses during its opening week<\/p>\n
It started out like a chapter from Epicurus' Bad Days journal.
\nIt was 9 p.m. on a Friday night and there was practically no
\nvacant parking spot in sight on Jl. Kemang Raya, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"Does it have to be Kemang?\" groaned my partner, who claimed
\nhe hadn't eaten all day. But he knew only too well how to
\ninterpret my silence. Yes, it had to be Kemang.<\/p>\n
After several unproductive U-turns, a parking spot on a
\nseemingly vacant lot sprung up on us like Perrier in the middle
\nof a sandstorm. What's more, it was wedged between the Sundanese
\neating house Warung Bit Bet and the popular Raja Thai restaurant,
\nboth high on my secret priority list.<\/p>\n
It was only after we were out of the car that I realized that
\nthe lot wasn't an extension of either restaurants. A white cloth
\nsign, buoyed ever so slightly by the light evening breeze, glared
\nat me, almost obscuring the flurry of activities inside the
\nbuilding before us. On it was artfully printed in black brush
\nstrokes: Sushi nya Kita. From outside, it looked more like an art
\ngallery, more deserving of Berber's signpost. Yet, as I was to
\nfind out, this roughly one-week-old establishment houses one of
\nthe most promising Japanese kitchens in town. Better still, it
\npromised a 20 percent discount.<\/p>\n
Hipness seems an unwritten rule in the \"eatertainment\"
\nbusiness these days, and this new outfit is no different. At
\nleast in its intentions, that is. Combining typically clean-cut
\nand well-scrubbed Japanese-style efficiency and a liberal
\nsplashing of eclectic asymmetry, it tries a bit too hard to make
\na point.<\/p>\n
The wall itself is a playful mix of gray limestone and blended
\nyellows with a rough finish -- a tribute to Laras philosophy, no
\ndoubt. Twelve or so still-life floral paintings adorn two sides
\nof the wall, a tad too clustered and the worse possible
\nembellishment for a Japanese-theme den, if you ask me. Though the
\nblue and mauve dining ensemble is no contender for an ergonomics
\naward, the 12-seat floating sushi bar is actually a rather cool
\nconcept, especially if it serves its function of displaying the
\nestablishment's every single delicacy on a crowded day. Call it
\nBalemang Cafi on a minor scale.<\/p>\n
Yet the overall impression was that of colorful, casual,
\nyuppefied inventiveness that definitely cuts ice with the young,
\nvoguish, mainstream set. As we braved our way through the sea of
\nenthusiastic corporate first-timers, all of whom practically
\nscreamed \"the new middle class\" in their DK ensembles, we felt
\napologetically old and old-fashioned. OK, so society's beau monde
\nmight still favor their weekly seats at Aryaduta's Shima or Sari
\nPacific's Keyaki, but the trend now is to go for the same quality
\nfor less money.<\/p>\n
The menu is comprehensive and decipherable. The Nigiri sushi
\nsection boasts standard favorites of Tae (snapper), Unagi (eel),
\nHamachi (yellowtail fish), Toko (Octopus), Torigai (clam),
\nHokatagai (scallop) and much, much more. The Hosomaki\/Temaki
\nsushi section offers a similarly exhaustive selection including
\nthe ubiquitous California Maki (crab stick, avocado, and fish
\nroe).<\/p>\n
As is commonly the case with Japanese restaurants, the sushi
\nis rather expensive, with one order of nigiri sushi costing
\nbetween Rp 6,000 (US$2.45) to Rp 15,000 for only two meager
\nslivers, and the California Maki costing up to Rp 18,000 per
\norder. But these are excellent sushi, needing only a hint of
\nwasabi for enhancement. Small wonder, given that the seafood is
\nimported from Japan and is so wonderfully fresh. A deliciously
\npractical choice is the Sushi Moriawase (Rp 29,000), which
\nconsists of nine varieties, including Sake (Tuna), Tamago (egg)
\nand Tobiko (flying fish roe, which in itself is Rp 15,000 per
\norder).<\/p>\n
Equally recommended is the Sashimi Moriawase. To avoid making
\ncostly mistakes, Rp 26,000 for seven carefully-selected
\nconservative varieties should do the trick. For the more
\nadventurous, the restaurant's \"Original\" list seems to be the
\nanswer.<\/p>\n
Sporting snappy titles like Just Cause and It's All About
\nKemang, these dishes are the restaurant's original culinary
\ninventions.<\/p>\n
\"What do they look like?\" I asked the ultra-hip female owner.<\/p>\n
\"Oh, they generally look like sushi,\" she said in her
\ninfectious cheerfulness, \"But with a difference.\" Which is the
\nonly way one can describe a mouth-watering combination of smoked
\ntuna, cream cheese and avocado.<\/p>\n
If anything, Sushi nya Kita buttressed the fact that there is
\nno substitute for a) food quality, and b) personalized service.<\/p>\n
First of all, every meal we ordered was light and scrumptious,
\nwith the Salmon Teriyaki set menu topping the lot. The broccoli
\nmay have been a tad overcooked, but it didn't even merit
\nconsideration once we got to the salmon -- an ambrosial blend of
\nsucculence and a perfect sauce. The Ebi Tempura, another set menu
\naccompanied by rice, miso soup and fresh fruits, was lightly
\nbattered and very tasty.<\/p>\n
When the owner came to clear our table, I practically
\nbeseeched her: \"Think what you like, but we can't seem to stop.
\nPlease, recommend us something else.\"<\/p>\n
Her whole face lit up like a Christmas tree, happy but in a
\nnice, self-effacing way. Leafing through the menu, she finally
\npointed at Gindara Tareyaki (Grilled Halibut) in the Robatayaki
\n(barbecue) section. \"At a paltry Rp 4,000, this is our cheapest
\ndish. Yet it is quite possibly the nicest of them all.\"<\/p>\n
Subjectivity aside, she was dead-on. The fish was supremely
\ntender, the sauce delicious -- a fitting bonus to the
\nunforgettable teriyaki experience. Who cares about dopey waiters
\nwho still struggle with the menu, or the erratic, \"forgive-us-
\nfirst-timers\" food delivery system? There's much to improve on,
\nbut if the food is anything to go by, it will hopefully come with
\ntime.<\/p>\n
Which brings us the point B, of course. I hate sounding like a
\npromotion board, but look out for that lady with the beautiful
\nsmile who greets, serves and pampers you. Just like the food,
\nwhich leaves us pining for more and in love with life, she really
\nmakes a difference.<\/p>\n
-- Epicurus<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sushi-nya-kita-impresses-during-its-opening-week-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }