Golden Spoons Review: Taikun

(CNS Foodie): Tucked away in a quiet corner, just beyond the splendidly decorated foyer of The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, is an unassuming set of wooden sliding doors, which remain locked until 6pm each day. Once opened, this portal transitions patrons from the bright, cheerful environment of the adjoining Silver Palm Lounge to a dimly lit dining area with a subtle Asian theme.

Dark woods, black décor, and red and yellow accents deliver a distinctive elegance and offer a familiar setting found in many restaurants where sushi is the prime focus.

Upon arrival, we were met by a pleasant and professional hostess. She checked her list (reservations recommended) and summoned someone to escort us to our table, menus in hand. The focal point at the end of the room was an expansive sushi bar, where chefs were busily rolling various fish and veggies into the rice and seaweed layers as patrons looked on. A glass encasement showed the many cuts of brightly coloured fresh fish and seafood; raw slices of tuna, salmon and others were neatly arranged on platters awaiting selection for the next roll on order.

Booths and tables lined the walls, while a long table of 10 seats rose from the centre of the room, clearly designed to host larger groups or a multi-diner communal meal. Its mustard yellow chairs offered a bright contrast to the darker hues surrounding them.

Our waiter arrived immediately and our drink orders taken. I chose the Cumber Jacques ($14), a cucumber-infused gin, with St Germain, fresh watermelon juice and homemade basil syrup in an exotic and fresh medley. Served in a martini glass, it was sweet, punchy and delicious. My companion picked the Mai Tai ($14), blended with Martinique and Jamaican rums, orange Curaçao, lime, and fresh-made orgeat (a sweet syrup made from almonds, sugar, and rose water or orange flower water). She was well pleased with her choice and our glasses were quickly emptied as we surveyed the dinner options on the menu.

When it comes to sushi, the process can be a bit overwhelming. You have to decide which type of protein: fish, shrimp (ebi), crab (kani), eel (anago); rice on the outside (uramaki) or seaweed (nori) on the outside (maki); or you can opt for nigiri or sashimi, sauce on top, roe sprinkled on the roll. The possibilities can be endless and confusing.

I like to go for tempura options filled or topped with several proteins – usually shrimp or tuna with salmon or eel. I love the drizzles, be it a sweet and salty glaze or unagi or a spicy mayo. Plain sushi rolls bore me, so I steer clear of them, opting for the specialty rolls, either unique to that restaurant or their take on the tried and true favourites, like the dragon roll or spider roll.

So with high expectations, we read each offering on the menu, recognising several combinations that we just knew we were going to pick. For the starter we opted for the wakame ($8), a standard seaweed salad with sesame seeds, and the gyoza ($16), chicken dumplings served with ginger, chili and soy sauce. The generous portion of wakame was chilled, crisp and sweet, while the four gyoza offered a hot chewy middle surrounded by a semi-crunchy outer layer. The filling was a tasty minced dollop of chicken and the chili sauce and soy gave it just the right punch.

We were ready for the mains.

We both selected two sushi rolls – sometimes you just never know what you’ll get and one roll of about five or so pieces might not hit the spot. Because I like to choose items named after a restaurant, assuming that if they attach their name to it, they must be proud of it, I chose the Taikun rainbow maki ($19). The brightly coloured eight-piece rainbow roll came with Alaskan king crab, tuna, Atlantic salmon, Caribbean snapper, tiger prawns and Jonah crab, along with Hass avocado and cucumber.

My second choice was the dragon maki ($18). A go-to roll for me, the dragon came with shrimp tempura, BBQ eel, kabayaki sauce, Hass avocado, sesame seeds, cucumber and yuzu tobiko roe (fish eggs). The kabayaki was drizzled all along the 10 pieces of the roll, its sweet soy sauce-based glaze perfectly balancing the shrimp and eel, the latter of which was layered on top of the roll.

I found the fish to be very fresh and perfectly portioned. The rainbow roll had no accompanying condiment, so I dipped it into the soy sauce provided on the table. Light and tender, it was not overpowered by any particular flavour, instead allowing you to savour the natural tastes of each fish which were alternated along the length of the roll. The presentation was immaculate — crafted with care and arranged with distinction — showing that the chef took pride in his art.

My personal favourite was definitely the dragon roll, which packed more flavour and personality. I ignored the wasabi in the middle of my plate, but enjoyed the ginger, which was fresh and natural, not pink and processed.

My dinner partner ordered a volcano ($19), with ahi poke tuna, spicy salmon, shrimp tempura, cucumber, shiso leaves and orange tobiko roe topped with wasabi mayo and kabayaki sauce. She also chose the tiger prawn maki ($16) which featured shrimp tempura, cucumber, spicy mayo and orange tobiko roe. The volcano was spicy and delicious, the tiny orange bubbles of flying fish eggs encrusting the outer layer of rice. Each bite was a journey through textures and flavours that pleased the palate.

With chopsticks in hand, we zipped between plates, expertly snaring each delicious roll in a merry-go-round of activity, bobbing and weaving to avoid midair collisions with each other’s utensils. Some were dipped into the soy, others gobbled up without any additional seasoning. All were amazing. It was difficult to choose a favourite (but the dragon was definitely top of my list).

Our server was very polite and respectful. He kept a trained eye on our water glasses, refilling without request when he noticed they were getting low. He was quiet but attentive, not invading our space or intruding unnecessarily. His presence was muted but effective, as empty plates were deftly removed, there one minute and gone the next.

Our progress slowed as we gorged on the variety of sushi plated before us. Our chairs were deep enough that you could scoot back from the table, cross your legs and enjoy your beverage and conversation, with comfortable pillows nestling you into the curve. This was welcomed as we tried to catch our second wind, several pieces of each roll remaining on our plates.

The room’s atmosphere was low key: soft music in the background, with table chatter from other parties barely audible, presumably afforded by the high ceilings and relative emptiness of the restaurant. It was calming and enjoyable.

We attempted to finish the remaining sushi, but finally conceded defeat and asked for the bill. Our server returned with shot glasses of complimentary lychee “ice cream”. It presented more as a cup of sweet-flavoured cream and although cold, it did not resemble ice cream in terms of consistency and firmness. It also contained a mystery flavour that we could not determine — either a strawberry or raspberry that gave the dessert a red tinge — but we knocked it back.

Smiles all around the table, we paid the bill and headed out of the refined swank of the hotel, back to reality but happily sated by Taikun’s authentic and delicious sushi.

The total bill for two at Taikun was $154.44, which included 17% gratuity.

Taikun web page

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Tags: Fine dining, Japanese food, Seven Mile Beach, Sushi, Taikun

Category: Dinner, Golden Spoons Review