[An apology to my readers: I have been on hiatus for about 2 months getting some much needed work done on the Art side of my career, and dealing with the things that "Real Life" presents. I do have a bevy of reviews and recipes I will be rolling out in the next 3 to 4 weeks, and even 2 new episodes of my Cooking Webshow. please accept my apologies and enjoy the following review.]
If you hadn’t guessed
by now, I am a huge fan of Asian cuisine. I love to make it. I love to eat it.
I have been enamored of all things Asian since I was a teenager preparing to
enter into college to study that part of the world. As a result, I am
continually looking for new Asian restaurants to try and experience the wide
array of delicacies and fare. Once you begin experiencing food from the Far
East you soon begin to realize that there are vast differences between the
types of food, the kinds of seasonings, and preparation methods among the various
Asian nations. Which brings me to this review of a wonderful little store-front
restaurant in Louisville, KY called The Tokyo Restaurant.
Situated on the
Northeast side of town, this is a great “Mom & Pop” Sushi Bar and
Restaurant. I eat sushi often, and I have been to plenty of Japanese
restaurants. But The Tokyo Restaurant served me up some surprises on my visit.
As usual, it was my friend Ken and I visiting this establishment on a Saturday
afternoon around 4:30. One is immediately struck by the exceptional ambience
despite the strip mall façade outside. Large, colorful banners and décor.
Comfortable chairs. Very cozy.
Since this was a
new restaurant and a new experience for us, we were definitely going to do the
full meal top to bottom to get a good perception of the range and quality of food.
We both started with a House Salad with fresh Ginger Dressing. It looked like
you standard Ginger Salad, until we took the first bite: incredibly ginger
taste, unlike what I have tasted before. It was quite more than I expected.
For the appetizer,
I chose a Green Onion Beef Roll. I do have to say that the flank skirt beef was
a little tough; it seemed to me that it had been just slightly overcooked. But
it certainly did not detract from the flavor. I had never actually seen
anything like this before, scallions and seasoning rolled inside grilled beef.
As for Ken, he opted for the fried calamari, and reported that it was exactly the way he preferred his squid:
crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. His only complaint was there were
too few pieces to enjoy.
 |
| Yakinuki |
 |
| Tokyo Roll & Negihami Roll |
On to the main course, Ken eyed the Yakinuki, a dish of tender, sizzling beef with carrots and scallions in a sweet and tangy sauce, and served with fried rice. When his entrée hit the table I was immediately consumed by the smell of it. For a second, it made me wish I had ordered it as well. But I was eager to try some “signature” sushi from our host. In this matter, being the house specialty “Tokyo Roll”, and the Negihami Roll. The Negihami Roll is a simple Yellowtail and scallion roll, which I found extremely tasty as it is one of my favorite types of fish. The Tokyo Roll, however, was incredible: cucumber, shrimp and egg surrounded by fluffy rice and then layered outside with avocado and cavier. An absolutely exquisite taste. And of course- in Japanese tradition- it was well presented on the sushi plate in a colorful, beautiful way.
Now comes my one
issue with our visit. I was a bit disappointed in the portions. Perhaps I am
spoiled, and too use to magnanimous offerings of food, but I think the portions
could have been a little bit bigger overall. As a result, I found myself still
hungry and needing something else to sate my need. No matter, I perused the
menu for another unique dish and settled upon an appetizer of Green
Mussels. Again, a surprise. The Green
Mussels were broiled in a spicy mayo sauce, perfectly cooked and then cut in
half. Each bite was spicy and tangy at the same time. It was a taste I had
never experienced, and left me wanting more.
But our Saturday
afternoon food journey was coming to an end, and it was time to enjoy something
sweet before going. Ken opted out of the dessert, but I set my desire on a
sweet rice bun encasing a red bean filling. Upon first cutting into the bun, I
didn’t know what to expect. My eyes told me there was no way this thing could
be a sweet dessert. But my taste-buds were treated to a mellow, creamy
sweetness much like a sugared purple yam. Again I was surprised by the taste and
the exquisiteness of the dish.
Clearly, all
around, it was one of the most wonderful culinary experiences Ken and I have
ever enjoyed. And The Tokyo Restaurant will certainly be on our repeat list. It
didn’t hurt, as well, that the service was on par with excellence. A woman who
I assumed to be the “Mom” in the “Mom & Pop” and a young gentleman were
very attentive to our gourmet needs, helpful with details, and completely
personable in every way.
Ken and I both
agreed that The Tokyo Restaurant is one of the
best places you can eat in Louisville. We were torn on our rating due to our
minimal issues as described above. But no matter, the recommendation is GO, and
experience a unique, tasty, satisfying slice of Japanese cuisine. You can visit
their official website beforehand to start planning your meal here: http://www.tokyosushis.com/index.html
Rating: * * * * 1/2
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