Exotic sushi at Sushi Tei @ Tropicana City

It was called Sushi Tei and so, with the availability of one of my dearest friend, we were set on a date in this restaurant which wasn’t too hard to find at the Ground Floor. We were instantly greeted, sent to our seats and we were served by what look like the manageress of Sushi Tei. Feeling a little wealthy, I was set to kill.

After making our orders, a quick glance around the area tells me that the restaurant relies on the comfy atmosphere to invite the restlessness in you to make its exit. Beautiful blend of colours and textures helped please the eyes, while the moving trays slided by our sides with selections of sushi making their way past us one by one.

At our sides, the warmish colour contained inside what look like a house with a huge rooftop made us feel more comfortable. I particularly loved its clean look and beautiful lights.

The first to come was this Sake Yam (Salmon Yamakake) dish (sake for salmon, not the alcohol) which I ordered because I positively swear I haven’t heard of this dish anywhere else. My date says otherwise, and warned me against it. Looks like her warning did not prove false; the texture of the yam was really… something out of this world.

If I were to explain the texture, I would say it comes across the texture of a saliva of one who just suffered from flu, who’s saliva is still thick and noticeably sticky thanks to the phlegm residues. Have you ever cooked fried rice, stored it in a tupperware immediately and left it inside the fridge? If you were to reheat it the next day, the rice would have been all sticky and left with a weird aftertaste that leaves nothing to be desired. Even the salmon pieces were soaked with that sick aftertaste. Okay I better stop before we all puke.

What came next was our Sashimi Set, which was 5 generous slices of Ootoro (Tuna belly) and this raw clam (Akagai) which was apparently most sought after in this restaurant. Fortunately (either that or we were tricked) for us, there was only one more left and the chef prepared this RM30 delicacy for us. It was served in such a tantalising way, that each morsel we had tasted really, really good.

The Ootoro was slightly thawed from frozen (which explains the slightly cheaper price compared to others) but nevertheless melted in our mouths, giving that sweet, oily flavourful taste that only an Ootoro can give. I loved every bit of it. The clam-y thingie however was a little more unique. It tasted alright, and yet, it did not leave me craving for more. Then again I’m not such a fan of oysters- or anything clammy for the matter, so if this did not throw my tastebuds into a frenzy, I guess it was okay. Definitely not for everyone though.

Next was our Japanese Hot Pot (Kaminabe). We had the broth made a little spicy, but not too much. I found it a little eccentric that they used paper as a “cover” for this meal, honestly it was a little weird. Taste wise however, the broth didn’t disappoint at all.

Of course we had the Hot Pot with slices of beef. Looking just as yummy as the sashimi, I almost put the whole damn slice into my mouth before I was reminded that it should go into the hot pot. The trick was to not have it cooked too much, so that the texture and taste is maintained, giving a truly delicious experience.

Finally we had an assortment of sushi (Hakone Set), one of the expensive sets among others. In this collection we were served Uni (Sea Urchin), Ikura (Salmon Roe), Tobiko (Flying Fish Roe), Unagi (Eel), Swordfish, Ootoro (Tuna belly), Salmon Belly and Hamachi (Yellowtail Fish) and a couple of mini California rolls.

The bill amounted to RM150, which I thought was a lot less than I would have to pay, say, if I’d eaten at Yuzu. We were plenty full by then so the amount was satisfying (especially since I expected the amount to be a lot more!) and I guess if I wanted another round of Ootoro again, I could always drop by since I’m not really fussy when it comes to whether it’s fresh or not, so long as it gives me that orgasmic pleasure again (5 pieces for RM30++ if I’m not wrong)

And that’s it really. Quick and beautiful meal to please both the tastebuds and eyes, this makes a fantastic opportunity for dates and/or catching up.