Sakura. but not for sushi this time.

Many a times, we have heard about Sakura and how great the food is, how wonderful the ambiance is, and how expensive your check will be. Well its true. Its all true, but have we ever thought, every good thing has a price and my visit tonight, i feel everything above is justified.

I have often observed people discuss sushi and Sakura together. Sakura, the very well set Japanese cuisine restaurant located inside the Pearl Continental hotel Karachi offers great food, good ambiance and excellent service. Booked a table for 3, me, wife and our son (4 years). Our reservation was for 8PM and we arrived around 830. We were given a good table next to a window with a beautiful view of the city of lights. Chic purple interior, neat clean tables, well set, chairs with arm rests i think i just wanted to be seated quickly.

We have been regular visitors of Sakura for almost 8 years now but this time our order was different. We wanted to avoid sushi and thought why not try something different today.

Our order Crispy California rolls, Prawn Tempura, Beef Teriyaki, Garlic rice and Prawn Teppanyaki.

We were instantly served with warm green tea.

Excited to wait for our order, i noticed the restaurant was not too crowded and provided a great enviornment for a peaceful dinner. Minutes later the California rolls arrived. Topped with teriyaki sauce, crispy batter, these soft rice rolls are heaven. An ideal combination for your palate in every bite. All the textures in one place. The crispy batter, combined with the sauce and the soft rice it really felt great. Top it up with the chilli sauce and wasabi paste and there you go. I can have it all night and still feel light on the digestion. After every roll, clear your palate with the pink baby ginger pickles in vinegar and a bit of sweetness and take the other bite of another roll. Just Delectable !

The prawn tempura is an all time favorite. It comes with a special soy sauce, not too salty and balanced on the flavor over all. Crispy batter outside, soft prawn inside, cooked to perfection every bite of this treat was just exquisitely excellent.

The beef Teriyaki oh how much i love this and to top my expectations, it was perfectly cooked. The right amount of sauce, and the right portions of beef, cut marinated and cooked in teriyaki sauce. Mouthwatering and very well complemented with the garlic rice we had ordered. I, however did not like the plating too much. It had a slice of tomato and a cucumber, with that cheap shredded cauliflower topped with mayonnaise.

I was not very impressed with the Prawn Teppanyaki. Just lacked flavour. Its Wok fried with vegetables, and it was too oily for me. skimmed the prawns out of it. This was the best i could manage.

The total bill was Rs.8000 which i believe was not bad for 2 and half people. For an experience like this i would pay this price anytime.

Conclusion, yet another night at Sakura that just gave us many reasons to come back. They know how to treat you well, the service is excellent. They wont come to you every 4th bite and ask how your food is. They would not buzz near your table to see all the time if you are done with your food, yet some how, they would clear the table and your mess without you knowing that they were watching. I loved the privacy you get when you know that people around you are just minding their own business in their soft spoken languages.

Thank you Sakura. See you Soon !