Suika Me Silly! Oct 1-31st

Suika is launching their #SuikaMeSilly promotion this Saturday (Oct 1-31) in conjunction with VANEATs.ca. I was lucky enough to get a sneak preview of the menu. You get 6 dishes for $16, there is a little bit of everything; meat, carbs, sushi, and yes, even dessert! This deal is a limited offer and you can only purchase it via VANEATs.ca. There is also a few chances to win this great package from their site too. The menu has been clearly designed to showcase the various cooking styles of the restaurant, and each dish was exquisitely executed.

This was my first visit to the restaurant, and although I knew I was there for the #SuikaMeSilly menu, the manager, Makoto, presented me with their regular menu, so I could get a good idea of all the dishes they had to offer. I have to admit, the above caught my attention...what exactly is "W" lbs of beef for $38, and really? You need 4 people to try...I will return to take on this super mega size steak! 

The regular menu is two-sided, one side features their starters, sashimi and salads. Quite a few of items on the #SuikaMeSilly menu is on this side. It also features Doraemon as the watermark. Too Cute! 

The second page shows their more heartier dishes, such as rice, noodles meats and seafood offerings. The one item that stood out here is the Tokyo Oxtail Ramen. I will be back for this! And its watermark is Doramo-chan, the sister of Doraemon! 

Before our food arrived, we took a look at the surroundings and fell in love with their Sake-Bottle Chandelier. My stepdad sells lighting fixtures for a living, and believe me, I'm sure he's never seen anything like this before! 

To accompany our meal, we selected a MomoKawa sake, a Junmai Ginjo Craft Sake that is creamy because it is only partially polished. After my Sake Tasting at Umi a few weeks ago, I've been trying more and more sakes lately. 

The first dish to arrive was their Beef Tataki. You get several thick slices of beef that were slightly grilled and marinated with a soy, mirin & green onions. Served on top of a bed of daikon and onion shavings, and a sprinkling of pea shoots, this was a great starter. 

Hot on the heels of the Beef Tataki was the Corn Kakiage. It's such a simple concept but the sum of the ingredients is really more than its parts. The corn is held together in a light batter with cilantro, soy and butter. Yes, corn and butter DO go together! I eat my corn on the cob on niblet at a time, and this was perfect for me, they did all the work! The sweetness of the corn really stands out, and the whole piece stays together until you tear it apart. Brilliant! 

This next dish was probably my favourite of the night, it's their Pork & Tofu Mochi! The picture doesn't do it justice, but essentially, they took a mochi rice ball, deep fried it until it has a nice crispy skin, then split it open and poured a slightly spicy pork sauce all over it. It's like nothing I've had before; the gooey mochi inside, combined with the crunchy exterior and the sauciness of the pork is a great twist on the Chinese Ma Po Tofu Rice. I've been warned that this could be salty, but I think they've heard the feedback and have adjusted the seasoning accordingly.

The next two dishes were both sushi, but boy, at this time, I was already getting a little full. The first of the two was the Negitoro Battera. It's a blend of tuna belly with green onions, with a touch of avocado, atop some rice. The soy and seaweed sauce they topped this with eliminated all need for wasabi. This pressed sushi highlights the gentle flavours of the tuna, and the avocado helps to give it a nice creamy texture. 

Here is a close up of the Negitoro. The sushi rice is in good proportion with the amount of Negitoro on top. It's a great balance. Three pieces might not seem like a lot for a serving, but hang on, there are another three pieces of sushi right behind it. 

So the last savory dish we had was the Aburi Shime Saba Sushi. It's their seared cured mackerel atop a small bed of sushi rice. Can you see the grill marks? The mackerel was marinated in a slightly sweet concoction, and the searing gave it a nice crust. They add a mustard soy dressing and a handful of green onion to finish up the dish. 

Look, here is another closeup. As I was eating each piece, I noticed a strong hint of shiso throughout. Whenever I have sashimi and it is served with shiso, I'm the type that wraps the sashimi up with the shredded daikon in a shiso leaf. So when Makoto came by to see how dinner was going, I asked him about it. Turns out, they put shiso right into their sushi rice. Seems so simple, but what a flavour punch! 

So we're coming up to the dessert...it's a Matcha Brulee! I've always been a fan of Green Tea Ice Cream, partly because I don't like uber-sweet desserts, like lychee or mango ice cream. Green Tea desserts offer a slight bitterness to cut the sweetness of the dessert. So how they make this is really interesting; they make the whole matcha brulee, torch it, and then freeze the whole thing! Served with sliced strawberries and whipped cream, this was a really unique dish. Also on the plate is some matcha powder and a drizzle. I know you might think the drizzle is chocolate fudge, but it's not! Would you believe it's a red bean sauce? Yes, green tea and red bean...what a great combination!  
This six course dinner is only $16 for a limited time, October 1-31, and it's well worth a try.

I couldn't finish all my sushi, so I asked for it to go. They packed the pieces I had left over, and then gave me a napkin and two pairs of chopsticks. Can you believe the chopsticks they give you? Take a closer look...can you see the toothpick as part of the package?! Isn't that awesome???
So if you have been meaning to try Suika and haven't had a chance to, this #SuikaMeSilly deal for $16 is a great introduction. To learn more, take a look at this 30-second video.