They presented me with the most delicate layers of tender scallops (popped directly out of the shell) in an impressive clamshell dish. I still wanted to attempt a raw dish to lend additional cuisine credibility for this piece, and the crew at Murasaki did not disappoint. The melt-in-your-mouth smokey flavor mixed with the slightly salty crunch of the roe made quite an impression on this newbie. Upon lifting the dome, the smoke slowly escaped-mysteriously revealing the most beautiful delivery of seared white tuna draped with jet-black roe, sliced scallions and micro-greens. The pair explained that they also own Mino restaurant in Malvern, which has a huge lunch following and a solid dinner crowd.Ĭhef Leo personally served the next plate covered with a smoke-filled glass dome. An uber-cool Buddha-Bar music station wafted through the place via Pandora. The ambience is clean, sleek and beautifully lit with modern-but-subtle fixtures and plenty of booth and table seating. Things were looking up.Īs I proceeded to devour the first two plates, Anna and Bill joined me in my cushy window booth and informed me that Murasaki has now been open for three months. Perfectly fried and loaded with the softest mix of crab, cheeses and herbs, these triangle-shaped wontons paired perfectly with the chef’s chili jam dipping sauce. My second “safe” choice was stuffed crab rangoon, a dish I’ve experienced at other locations a few times with mixed results. I selected a Japanese appetizer of rock shrimp, which were lightly breaded and seriously the most incredible concoction of crispy essence drizzled with house-made sweet and sour sauce that I’ve tasted recently. I awkwardly ordered a couple of plates on the double-sided all-inclusive menu that I knew I could handle without offending my gracious hosts (although Anna hinted that they were preparing a few items to represent other areas of their cuisine. But would that be enough to swing me back for a return experience? Probably not. I’ve even tasted them occasionally at other sushi places. Too focused with intensity to look up and smile for my camera, Leo masterfully constructed a beautiful California roll behind the roomy 10-seat sushi bar in record time. Anna mentioned that “they just happened to find” Chef Leonardo (“Leo”)-the man with the mad knife skills. That being said, I won’t pretend to be that sushi maniac-but I do know what fresh, flavorful, textured and gorgeously plated means, and that’s what you’re going to get here-with this first taste.Īnna Cheng and Bill Ng have conceived this spot in the center of The Shops at Lionville Station in Chester Springs (a few doors down from Limoncello ). But I wondered-how can I explain to the sushi experts reading this that I even know what I’m talking about? Sushi seekers are hardcore. But when my managing editor asked me to write this feature on Murasaki I seriously thought I’d have to turn her down. I’ve learned to try new dishes, overcome food fears and have thrown cuisine caution to the wind. Even when I resided in the city years ago, I’d always find an excuse when my elitist sushi friends wanted to indulge in the newest joint.ĭon’t get me wrong, since contributing to PA Eats my knowledge and waistline have expanded quite nicely. It’s just a cuisine that I don’t seek out. Well okay, so I overdramatize a bit, but true confession here-I’ve never experienced what I would consider a decent sushi menu. Let him experience the raw fish world that he tries to avoid at all costs. Oh sure-give the sushi novice this assignment.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |