August 2010

It’s always good fun reviewing Japanese restaurants as you feel morally obliged to order as wide a variety as possible, not to mention enough for every diner to enjoy the experience. For the same reason it can also be an expensive and stomach-busting visit.

Our visit to Rakuzen Kitchen – the popular chain’s community outlet in Desa ParkCity – encompassed some typically bombastic ordering, only enhanced by the lovely appetite-inducing scenery of the lake and grassy surrounds.

The sashimi was good, worthy of the outlet but falling short of the expectations which would come with one of the top, top Japanese restaurants in town. Never a huge fan of grunt fish this was acceptable with the tuna good and salmon better. The wasabi hit the right spot, too.

The hand rolls were a highlight, the roe being generous without ‘killing’ the overall flavour as evidenced in many other establishments. Otherwise the sushi was fresh but didn’t quite sparkle. With less immediate customers on the doorstep, the food will obviously suffer from not always being immediately received and prepared en moment. However, I’ve had much worse and would certainly order the same again.   

One area where Rakuzen Kitchen got it spot on was their chicken katsu curry. Cop out though it is when ordering Japanese it’s a Lee family tradition to order the dish and this was one of the best we’ve found. The combination of spices and ingredients had been intelligently produced and the onion soaked in the sauce worked really well. The chicken was also meaty and not gristly, thank heavens.

Rakuzen Kitchen is a nice venue in a wonderful location, there a couple of side spaces to dine with mid to larger sized families and that would be my recommendation for the ideal customer for the outlet. Food is not expensive, well prepared and there’s something for everyone. YP Lee