A cool, funky vibe melds with Japanese fusion dishes.
PARTNER CONTENT: Friday evening and the beats of Shingo Nakamura’s ethereal deep and progressive house play out. The vibe is cool, chic, funky and a hedonistic weekend is well and truly underway, yet the venue is no new kid on the block; it already comes with culinary accolades and is known across the city for its sheer style.
Tori No Su, Japanese for ‘bird of the nest’ or ‘birds’ nest’, has well and truly flown the nest. Soaring to new heights, this stylish restaurant-bar is already transforming Abu Dhabi’s culinary scene to create an uber-cool space whose ambiance and menu offering provide the perfect twist as its doors open once again.
For the Japanophiles among you, there is no need to be concerned since Japanese cuisine is still under the spotlight. This time, though, the artistically presented dishes cleverly reflect the people of Abu Dhabi in their myriad of diverse cultures.
At the helm is Yosuke Matsuoka, Tori No Su’s stylish Chef de Cuisine. A graduate of Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka, Japan, he has honed his craft in kitchens the world over, including in the United States, Spain, Germany, Italy, India and his native Japan. And now in the UAE capital, his international flair is apparent in the fusion of modern Japanese dishes that punctuate the restaurant’s new menu.
Yosuke stands in full view behind the contemporary serving counter. Plating up works of art before the servers sporting t-shirts emblazoned with Doraemon, an earless robotic cat character from Japanese animation series, deliver the dishes to expectant diners.
Wandered the city streets of New York City, Yosuke got to absorb an array of tastes and flavours. It is a story that was repeated as he relocated from country to country, working in top hotels and restaurants en-route.
A three-year stint in India heightened his love for curry. “It’s a popular dish among the Japanese back home,” he reveals. Here in Abu Dhabi, he is bringing his culinary discoveries to Toro No Su where he is throwing off the cloak off traditional Japanese cuisine and fusing it with the flavours of his world travels. “It widens the scope of Japanese cuisine for a more diverse palate,” he says.
The menu is a delight and builds on a sharing concept, great for nights out with friends who are looking to dine on contemporary cuisine while swaying to the sets of Japanese house music. Starters include Yuzo Miso Burrata, with heirloom cherry tomatoes, baby spinach, cashew nuts, dried figs and balsamic vinegar.
The Bluefin Tuna Sashimi Pizza created from a corn tortilla topped with a blue fin tuna sashimi, wasabi mayonnaise, tomato and a sprinkle of calamata olive give a nod to Mexican cuisine, a favourite of Yosuke’s. For the traditionist, Classic Shrimp Tempura awaits topped with tempura dashi broth, volcano mayonnaise.
The mains serve up Traditional Grilled Miso Black Cod that has been marinated in miso saikyo miso. Chargrilled, the cod is perfectly succulent and the sweetness compliments the spicy Japanese radish. There is Grilled Octopus served on mashed Japanese pumpkin with green shiso sauce and cayenne pepper. The classic organic Cornfed Chicken Teriyaki with shichimi pepper sauce and lotus root chips is tender and flavoursome.
Fusion reigns supreme in the dessert offerings too. Japanese and French culinary forces meld to deliver a unique twist on recognisable flavours such as the Okinawan Brown Sugar Caramel Custard infused with Earl Grey tea, the chef’s twist on crème caramel, or the Japanese Chestnut Cream tart that has roots in the Mont Blanc, a dessert of sweetened chestnut purée in the form of vermicelli. The Japanese Mochi stands strong to its far eastern roots, adding a burst of colour and flavour to end a perfect evening.
To make a reservation, call 02 811 5666
