Tatsumi

It had recently came to my attention that most Japanese restaurants in Christchurch are closed on Sundays.  I was craving Japanese, and decided to visit an old favourite.

Tatsumi, situated on Gloucester Street opposite Christchurch Public Library, was opened in 2007.  It quickly became one of my favourite places to visit.  However, they have since had several menu change, and I haven't visit much over the last year or so.

It is still a popular place in Christchurch, and had actually won the DineOut People's Choice Award 2010. 

We went on Sunday for dinner, and the place was pretty packed.  The waitresses were all traditionally dressed in kimonos, and the service was impeccable as always.  They even brought us hot towels at the start of our meal!  We ordered a selection of dishes to share among three.

Assorted appetisers

There were many appetizers to choose from, but I usually get the assorted appetizer ($17).  This is the chef's choice of 6 yummy appetizers.  Just a little taste of everything.



Smoked venison tataki, lotus root, and tofu skin

The smoked venison tataki with blue cheese and truffle oil was very nice.  Cooked to rare, the venison had a great consistency.  The marinate and the combination of blue cheese and truffle oil was delicious.  The lotus root was sliced thinly then sauteed in a sweet soy sauce, served cold.  It was refreshing, and I like the light, crispy texture of the lotus root.  The tofu skin and celery salad was also tasty, with a mildly sweet taste.

Smoked salmon, beef tataki, and fresh squid with wasabi

The smoked salmon had a nice sweet taste to it.  The beef tataki was lovely and was topped with Ponzu gelee, like a vinegar jelly, which was full of flavour and accompanied the beef well.  The fresh squid with wasabi sauce was quite different from the other dishes, which I enjoyed.

Mixed sashimi

We also ordered the entree size assorted sashimi ($16).  This came with pieces of lightly grilled tuna, salmon, and white fish, on a bed of salad.  I love a good tuna sashimi, and the lightly grilled tuna did not disappoint.  The fish were all very fresh and great with just a bit of wasabi and soy sauce.

Our salad came with its own dressing in a test tube.  Our waitress instructed us to pour the dressing over the salad after we finished the sashimi.  It was an interesting way to serve salad dressing, but good to ensure the sashimi didn't get "contaminated".  The salad with different kinds of seaweed, cucumber, and alfalfa was nice.

Soft shell crab

The soft shell crab ($21) is one of my usual orders.  It was originally on the special menu when the restaurant first opened, and had since made it to the regular menu due to its popularity.  The soft shell crab was deep fried in tempura style and covered with cajun spices, sitting on a bed of tomato and pepper salad.  The crab was lovely and juicy without being too greasy.  The cajun spices was just right with a hint of spiciness.  It was a great dish and the accompanied salad was refreshing and balanced the dish well.

Slow cooked pork cheek

We also ordered from the special menu.  The slow cooked pork cheek was tender with a melt-in-the-mouth texture, and was delicious with a slightly sweet marinate.  The waitress warned us the pork would be quite fatty, but I didn't have any problems with it.  The eggs was lovely with running yolk in the middle.  The tortellini with mushroom filling and mash potato were interesting sides to the dish, but both cooked well.  The dish also came with optional spicy horseradish on the side, and this added extra taste to the dish.



Teriyaki eel don

We ordered the teriyaki eel don (?$17) from the lunch menu, which was available till 7pm.  It came with delicious teriyaki eel on eggs and rice.  The eel was nicely cooked and always good to have at a Japanese restaurant, as not easily made at home.  It was sweet with the teriyaki sauce and slightly sticky both from the sauce and the eel itself.

The lunch menu dishes came with rice, but the dinner mains did not.  A bowl of rice can be ordered for $3 or $5 for double rice.



Black sesame creme brulee

We were pretty full by now, but I could not leave without having one of my favourite dessert in Christchurch.  The black sesame creme brulee ($9) is heavenly.  It came with the compulsory grilled sugar topping ready for cracking, and the creme brulee was smooth and creamy.  The black sesame added extra depth to the dessert.  The accompanied short bread was also tasty.

Pumpkin creme caramel on mascarpone mousse

The pumpkin creme caramel ($13) used to came by itself with a side of fruit.  It is now beautifully presented in a martini glass with bottom layer of mascarpone mouse, separated by a thin layer of green tea flavoured sponge.  The end result was amazing, and was like a tiramisu with a twist.  Each part were well made and great on their own.  I especially liked the sponge which was light and great with the creamy mouse.

We had a great meal at Tatsumi and I wondered why I stopped coming here!  The food was still delicious, both with old favourites and new additions.  The ingredients were fresh and of good quality.  The cost was slightly on the high side for Asian restaurants, and cost us $120 between the three of us.  It is featured in the Entertainment Book, with 25% off the total bill, up to $30, however we did not have a card this time.  Despite the cost, the quality of the food is good, and well worth a visit.

Update:  Unfortunately Tatsumi had to close following the Christchurch earthquakes.  They have since relocated to Newmarket in Auckland.  See their website for more details.

Tatsumi
100 Gloucester Street
Christchurch
(03) 366 1038

http://www.tatsumi.co.nz/