We love our breakfasts, an undisputable fact. But we would happily forgo that pleasure when lunch at Izakaya’s innovative Nikkei fusion dishes are in our plans. A Friday jaunt to neighboring Palm Hills proved the point. Izakaya Restaurant Palm Hills
Signature Dishes & Dishes Sampled Izakaya Restaurant Palm Hills
Every dish is a stand-out item! One of the delights of Izakaya is the sheer variety of divine plates that just beg to be shared. This means that you can order a massive variety and explore new taste sensations without feeling too guilty.
Salads first, and our Miso Spinach Salad with baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, mustard miso sauce, dry shiso and tenkatsu flakes was a winner. The dressing accented the freshness of the ingredients to a T. Teamed with the Tomato Ceviche, a mix of cherry tomatoes, red onion pickles, heart of palms, watercress, coriander, leche de tigre, yuzu, tabasco, dry shiso and red chili, lunch had started on a good note.
Our table quickly filled up with Salmon & Tuna Tartare, which came with black lumpfish caviar, ponzu and grape seed oil, artistically presented on a bed of ice. The fish itself was finely chopped, forming an almost paste like consistency which was new to us, but the freshness and flavors were spot on. It was joined by Izakaya Ceviche, with steamed shrimp, seabass, fried calamari and citrus ponzu. That soon made way for Omakase – lightly seared slices of Australian rib eye beef on nicely chewy pita bread, with parmesan sauce, truffle oil, togarashi, red chili, and sakura sauce.
Our sushi cravings were met with Parmesan Roll, prawn tempura, scallops, seabass, avocado, torched Parmesan and Sake Truffle Roll, a combination of salmon, avocado, asparagus, white sesame and truffle oil. The ingredients were wonderfully fresh, and again, superbly presented, but somehow the robust flavors of the truffle and Parmesan overwhelmed the other delicate flavors for us. We would personally prefer these flavors on a hearty risotto!
Munching onwards, we made short work of the spicy Rock Shrimp Tempura -battered shrimp, creamy spicy mayo, truffle oil and green chili on a bed of crispy kale and followed up with grown-up steak sandwiches, Izakaya Sando – Panko crusted Australian beef tenderloin in Pullman bread, with sweet mayonnaise and cherry tomato jam.
Amazingly, we still found space for the Dessert Platter, a decadent array of chocolate fondant, banana cheesecake, passionfruit crème brûlée, caramelized pecans, and strawberry sorbet. Bliss! Izakaya Restaurant Palm Hills
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Other Menu Options that Appealed & Beverages
Everything appealed, and we will certainly revisit to explore the menu further. Izakaya have a full bar, soft options, signature cocktails and great mock-tails.
Décor & Ambience
Seating at Izakaya is arranged in two indoor spaces as well as a breezy outdoor terrace with bar, high seating and dining tables. It gets busy after 3:30 pm so reserving in advance is recommended.
Clientele Mix: On our visit, fellow diners were mainly 25+, all well-rested, buffed and ready to romp. The cream of the Zayed crop.
Thumbs Up: Sanctum Hospitality (Mezcal & lzakaya) has partnered with the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation until the end of March, donating all proceeds (and matching them) of the signature Alfajores dessert. Izakaya Restaurant Sheikh Zayed
Price Range: High end.
Contact information
Opening hours: 2 pm to 2 am.
Address: Palm Central, Palm Hills, Sheikh Zayed
Tel: 0127 111 6223
Facebook / Instagram: IzakayaCairo
Wondering where to dine this weekend? Check out our reviews for the best restaurants in Cairo in this link
