Japanese cuisine is embellished with heritage and flavour offering a boundless variety of regional dishes. One does not find many venues in Colombo for authentic Japanese. I made my way to the new restaurant at Movenpick. The ambience was sustained with bold tones of red and black. The seating was spaced out and gave each table a sense of privacy. The venue has a grill which delights customers during dinner. The beverage menu was presented, and I opted for sake- the beverage of Japan. I was happy to see it served hot, which leaves a scintillating taste in your mouth.
Sake is really a refined beverage, consumed in small portions with a history in itself, although many Sri Lankans have not come to fully understand and appreciate its essence. Miso soup is another hallmark of Japanese cuisine, and was served with a strand of seaweed. Seaweed may sound awkward to many locals but it has its own unique taste. The salmons sashimi starter arrived next neatly laid out on a board with a dash of wasabi. Wasabi is perhaps the queen of Japanese accompaniments, somewhat like a mystery which suddenly releases an intensely invigorating fiery flavour. Yet, the wasabi supplements the food.
I had not used chopsticks for a long time, and it was fun using them! The main courses for lunch have a well-balanced representation on the menu. I decided to try a sushi box- laden with dishes inside. The red interior of the box gives it an opulent aura. The beef, well done as requested was the right consistency with the desired levels of juiciness still retained.
Beef became a vital part of Japanese cooking since the 1880s. The spicy prawn tempura was soft, but could have reflected a deeper brown for visual appeal and contrast. The green vegetable salad was most refreshing, considering the heat one encounters in the city, these days. Laid out separately on a wooden board were salmon skin rolls and California roll served with beef teriyaki. The lovely thing about Japanese culinary tradition is the small but wholesome portions that leave you very satisfied (it may surprise those gourmets who are inclined to eat large amounts of food). It is no wonder that the Japanese are fit, healthy and vibrant. Dessert came in the form of a green tea mousse cake, which was laid out on a brown plate garnished with three tiny white flowers that further accentuated its radiant presentation. The mousse had the right consistency and was not overpoweringly sweet like other desserts. The Robata Grill and Lounge is a secret hideaway where one can truly indulge in elegant Japanese food.