Japanese food might be a mainstay on Abu Dhabi’s dining scene, but that doesn’t mean we ever turn down the chance to dig into sushi or slurp down ramen whenever we can.
We’ve seen sushi pop up on menus all over town, as venues embrace the Japanese staple and try to put their own unique spin on it – from deep frying it to dousing it in hot sauce and Cheetos (yes, you read that last bit correctly).
At Sushi Story, the clue is in the name, with the titular dish the star of the show, although conversely you’ll also find fish and chips and even caviar pasta on a rather eclectic menu.
We stick to the more traditional fare, opting for noodles, ramen and more. Sushi Story has two branches in the city, one downtown in Khalidiya and another in the huge Dalma Mall in Mussafah.
Looking to enjoy a lunchtime feast we make tracks to the downtown branch to see what the restaurant has to offer with its delectables from the Land of the Rising Sun.
The venue is decked out in the usual far Eastern tropes – fish tanks, traditional artwork, a teppanyaki station and the rest.
Don’t miss the tempura prawns to start. They’re huge – almost too big to pick up – but persevere and you’ll be richly rewarded… they are wonderfully crisp and juicy, and a real stand out.
The seafood gyozas are equally tasty – packed with minced seafood and delicately steamed to allow flavours to pop from the casing. We can’t resist a portion of ramen for mains, as the warming noodle bowl is always a comforting dish, and the steaming soup is exactly as you’d expect.
It’s massive, although disappointingly it looks better than it tastes, with the beef a tad overcooked and broth under seasoned. Udon noodles fare better, if messier, and come on another large plate. Earthy mushrooms and grilled chicken pair well with the thick, sauce-soaked noodles but it all seems a little sloppy and not at all refined.
It’s all tasty enough, and we’re full when we leave, but more care is needed with composition and presentation to make this Japanese spot really shine.
