Suika (revisited)

It was my sister's birthday the other day and we decided to surprise her by bringing her to Suika for dinner. She absolutely just loves Japanese food especially when it comes to sashimi or anything raw (that's eatable of course!). It really doesn't matter what kind of carpaccio, tataki or sashimi it is, she'll still eat it! She even loves red meat! that's why whenever we go out for steak or prime rib, she would always ask for it to be cooked medium rare.. and guess what? She's only 15! So after going back to Suika a few weeks ago, it dawned on me that she might love this place too! (maybe even become one of her new favorite restaurants.. you'll never know). Like my last visit, I also went back on a weekday (Wednesday this time) and I made sure that we had reservations for 6 people at 6:30pm because this place is always busy even on a weekday! When we arrived, we were lucky enough to have found a good parking spot just a few feet away from the restaurant (Thank God!) and when we got inside, we were given a very spacious table right at the corner of the restaurant. The place wasn't full yet when we got there but you would be amazed at how packed this place is in just a span of one hour (can you believe it? in just one hour?! insane!) 

The food was still excellent as usual and the service that we got was still amazing. I really like how every time I come here, the consistency of their food and service is always the same. It really shows how much care and effort the restaurant has put in just to make the dining experience of their customers a great one. After we ordered our food, we didn't have to wait long before our food started to arrive. And just like my last visit, the kitchen still amazes me at how well presented and cooked perfectly each of their dishes are in just a short amount of time.  Honestly, my taste buds and my stomach are always happy and satisfied whenever I go to Suika and based on my dining experiences there, they still haven't found a way to disappoint me in anything they do.. well not yet.

There was also something that happened that night that made our experience there even more unforgettable. After we sat down on our table, my auntie asked one of the servers if there was a free dessert for someone celebrating his or her birthday. The server was kind enough to tell us with a smile "no, but we can sing Happy Birthday for you!" We didn't really think that our server would do it because we thought that she was just joking around with us. At the end of the night however, after ordering our desserts and waiting for almost 10 minutes for it.. we called back our server to follow up our order (we were assuming that maybe she forgot to punch it in). What we didn't know was.. all of the servers were waiting for the right time (since the place was really busy and the servers had a lot of things to do) to have a free minute or two just so that they could all come together and sing Happy Birthday (very loudly I might add) to my sister. We were all very surprised and happy that they even had the courtesy to really sing Happy Birthday! Not only did this make our recent experience there a very tasteful and satisfying one but also a memorable one to all of us! Having been here for dinner 3 times already.. I still can't find a reason for you guys not to go to Suika.. it seems like this place just keeps surprising me and my taste buds every time I go!

*Side Note: We didn't get the $25 "Suika Punch" dinner package from Vaneats on this trip but if you would like to see what it comes with.. you can check out my last post about Suika here ---> Suika

 Lightly Smoked Tuna Tataki: I really loved this dish! I was able to try it out the last time I was there because of the Suika Punch dinner package from Vaneats. The tuna was lightly smoked on the outside and when you eat it together with the toppings and sauce, it's a magical combination of flavors that you won't be able to resist! Light, sweet and tangy.

 Salmon Carpaccio: The salmon was sliced very nicely and dressed well. Light and fresh!

 Tofu Salad

 Hotate Carpaccio (Scallop): It looked more like a salad dish because there were more greens than scallop but the scallop itself was light and soft to eat.

 Corn Kakiage: This is a must try/order item! You wouldn't think it to be anything special when your looking at the description of it on the menu but when you try it, you'll be absolutely mind blown at how you can make such an amazing dish with very simple ingredients.

 Tokyo Oxtail Ramen: I've seen a lot of people ordering this and we wanted to give it a try. The noodles were very chewy and the broth was tasty. Although the oxtail was cooked in a different way that I'm used to eating it, it was still a good dish.

 Ebimayo: It wasn't your typical prawn tempura. Although it's not unique, it's still very very good!

 Tako Karaage (Octopus): Octopus version of the calamari. It's was okay, nothing special.

 Grilled Sable Fish: If you love fish, your definitely going to love this! Although it did have a couple of fish bones here and there.. it's still one very good dish!

Beef Short Rib: Definitely a must try item here! The meat was very tender and very easy to take off from the bone. Although the sauce was thick, it actually worked very well together.

 Kakuni Bibimbap

Dynamic Steak: The king of all steaks! This is another must try item here! It's the enhanced version of their Beef Fillet Steak and it costs $38 (definitely worth it!). It's double the price and size of their regular steak (which costs $16) and is good enough to share for 2-3 people. It was cooked very well especially for it's size and it also has the right amount of meat to fat ratio. It's juicy, soft and tender that you will definitely want to have more of it after your first bite!

 Almond Tofu

 Matcha Brulee: Eating here wouldn't be complete without an order (or maybe two) of their Matcha Brulee! It's just absolutely melt in your mouth perfect!

Servers singing Happy Birthday