Food
With a big menu featuring the usuals – sushi, sashimi, ramen and don etc., they also have a few specials like sushi doughnuts and cakes. There's an option for you to customise your own Temaki and Maki by opting for meat/veggies (or both) and sauce of your choice.
We decided to stick to the basics, and thus ordered the Nigiri Platter (Rs. 2000), Seafood Ramen (Rs. 950), and the Yakitori Don (Rs. 1000).
The Nigiri Platter is an assortment of 6 rolls of Avocado-Salmon Maki, 4 types of Nigiri (Prawns, Tuna, Sea bass, Salmon), Wasabi, Pickled Ginger and more slices of fresh fish – Salmon and Tuna.
We're happy with the flavour of the Maki. Neatly rolled, and the combination of salmon and avocado complemented each other well.
The 4 kinds of nigiri were well-crafted too. The rice was sticky, held its shape well, and the fish was of good quality.
But, we were shocked by the flavour of wasabi. Proper wasabi creates an aromatic, exhilarating burning sensation in your mouth and nasal cavities, but it's not what we experienced at Salmon & Maki. It was unbelievably mild and the significant pungent quality couldn't be detected.
The Seafood Ramen is value for money, as you get a giant bowlful of soup, but in terms of flavour, it has room for improvement.
Rich with prawns, cuttlefish, a few narutomaki, chopped up spring onions, seaweed and a messy tangle of noodles (not ramen noodles), the broth here was light, but the balance between spicy, salt and umami elements was quite off.
Yakitori is my go-to dish at any Japanese restaurant, but unfortunately, the Yakitori at Salmon & Maki didn't manage to impress me or my lunch partner. Tender and juicy, these chicken skewers were done well, but the sauce they had glazed it with was not Yakitori.
Very thick in texture, it tasted a lot like a tomato-based sauce, and they had used a little too much of it, to the point it overpowers the flavours of the chicken.
Ambience & Service
Salmon & Maki doesn't have a lot of space – fitting more than 4 people in here is a challenge. But, coupled with friendly service, they do their best to make your experience welcoming and comfortable.
Conclusion
It's always a pleasure to see new restaurants entering the suburban food scene, especially with different cuisines. While Salmon & Maki is a welcome addition in that case, it'd be really awesome if they can improve their flavours a bit more.
