I visited Le Sushi Bar last week after being away for a very long time and I was highly pleased with the overall experience.
Sushi places abound in Beirut, yet few of them really master the craft. Fresh ingredients and intense flavors coupled with top-notch craftsmanship is what sushi is all about. Unfortunately, not many places in Lebanon uphold these key elements.
I was happy to discover that Le Sushi Bar is now better than ever, having not only maintained its quality standards over the years but having also pushed the boundaries of Japanese cuisine in Lebanon with its diversified menu.
Quickly running through the variety that we ordered, I would say the Shrimp Tempura, the Eel Sashimi as well as the Dancing Eel, the Eron’s Secret and the Geisha Ura Makis are exquisite. If you are an eel lover, the Eel Sashimi and the Dancing Eel Ura Maki, both oozing with flavor, are guaranteed to make your taste buds literally dance and sing. The perfectly seasoned, lightly breaded yet incredibly crunchy shrimp tempura is very flavorful in its own right. Slightly salty and golden on the outside, it was a pure delight to the eye and the palate!
The scallop ceviche on the other hand was not a big hit. It lacked body, texture and the right level of acidity. The citrus flavor does not come through strong enough and the slices were so thin that they seemed to be bathing in what appeared to be a diluted citrus soup! We had to fish them out so to speak with our chopsticks. The dish can easily be turned around if scallops were to be kept whole after having been marinated in lemon juice long enough before being served.
The marinated octopus was not bad but I’m sure there are tastier Octopus dishes on the menu that I would love to try next time. The dish felt like a superposition of ingredients; no particular flavor hit my palate.
Needless to say, I loved the fact that Sashimi was served on ice, I am sure many would agree with me on that point; sadly though, this is not a standard practice in many sushi places in Lebanon. I also liked the fact that the sushi was not left to sit there until the entire order was finished but was brought to our table in batches as they were finished. The downside of this of course is the frustration associated with seeing only a bunch of makis on our table at any one time and not being able to eat at a normal rate as each one would be inviting the other to the last few pieces to avoid looking like a selfish glutton. Why not assign two or more sushi chefs for large orders? This would help maintain the conviviality at the table while ensuring that the Sushi is as fresh as can be when served.
Last but not least, I found that the ginger cheesecake was ok as an Asian twist to an American classic, but let’s not get too carried away with the “twist” thing and with that all too prevalent Lebanese trend of blending cuisines. It’s a tricky thing to do and the result is seldom a hit. Furthermore, with all due respect to the “fondant au chocholat” and its popularity among Lebanese people, it has no place on a Japanese restaurant menu. Japanese cuisine is very rich in its own right and has quite a lot to offer. So why not introduce a couple of traditional Japanese desserts, such as Daifuku or Mochi Ice Cream and test the market? What better way to finish off a light and healthy Japanese dinner than with traditional Asian flavors and most importantly, who better to push boundaries than Le Sushi Bar!
And now for the real star in all of this, Mimi’s smile! Mimi is the nice lady who waited on our table. She’s a natural. Comfortable with herself, passionate about what she’s doing and very well trained to do her job professionally, she made us feel quite at home and in turn, we felt as though she was part of our group. She was engaging with us all throughout, sharing in our culinary experience while carefully attending to our needs in a timely manner. Her humble yet confident attitude makes her an example to follow. As I always say, if you’re not having a ball while serving people, then you’re not fit to be working anywhere near the food industry. Mimi simply was, and thanks to her, our experience at Le sushi Bar was made even better.
If I had one improvement to suggest, it would be to introduce one or more traditional Japanese dessert to the menu and ask your clientèle to taste and provide you with their feedback. The worst that could happen is that you might actually stumble upon your next signature dish!
Please maintain the good quality food and service and I do look forward to coming back and seeing an Asian dessert item on the menu!
