Starworld’s Japanese flavour

This article first appeared in the Mar/Apr 2010 issue of World Gaming magazine.

As you already know the Panda likes his food. He is particularly fond of fish and loves the healthy fresh tastes of good Japanese food. The secret to good Japanese food is the quality and freshness of the produce and the people behind Inagiku have some of the finest on offer in Macau, all sourced directly from Japan.

Inagiku is one of those restaurants that people always talk about. Japanese is not everyone’s favourite food but it is very near the top of my list. Good Japanese food is a wonderful thing as it has clean crisp flavours that rely on the quality of the ingredients. Bad Japanese food on the other hand is something that should be avoided at all costs! From what everyone had told me the food at Inagiku wasn’t going to let me down so it was with great anticipation that I wandered through the magnificent foyer of StarWorld casino looking to sink my teeth into some raw fish.

As soon as I strolled through the door I felt at home. The décor and atmosphere in the restaurant was perfect for Japanese food. Dark colours, some tasteful Japanese touches and lots of spotlessly clean stone and steel. You can choose the teppanyaki style of meal (which i had heard was also wonderful) but I was looking for another type of cuisine today.

On the menu their tempura is listed as “Tempura Inagiku’s Pride”. I like a restaurant that makes bold claims to its patrons. They are proud of their tempura batter and that can only be a good thing. Inagiku’s claims their very high grade sesame oil makes the difference and I have to say that I certainly haven’t tasted any better. You can try a wide range of tempura-style vegetables with the eggplant, shiitaki mushroom and the lotus root being among their best. You can also try scallop, crab, prawn or even abalone, or do what I did and order the signature platter which will give you a taste of all their battered delights.

I was then keen to try a sushi roll. It’s like a bowl of onion soup at a French restaurant – I think the humble sushi roll is a perfect litmus test for any good Japanese restaurant. The California roll is an old favourite and I also couldn’t stop myself from ordering a soft shell crab one as well. They make all their rolls with premium Japanese Koshihikari rice and these rolls worked fantastically.

Then it was time for what I had been looking forward to all night: toro tuna! If there is one seafood that stands above them all then it may be toro tuna. I remember the first time I tasted that raw fatty tuna – I was hooked for life. Inagiku’s prime toro is excellent. I again opted for the toro tuna sashimi platter option as it took away the guesswork and provided a good selection of the sashimi that was on offer.

There are plenty of other tantalizing things on the menu here and it is one that will cater to all. From hotpots to grilled meats and vegetables you won’t have any trouble finding something to inspire you even if you aren’t a sashimi fanatic like me. I even had enough room to fit in a desert platter but I don’t want to spoil everything for you – go and discover that one for yourself!

I washed down my meal with some good Japanese sake and some excellent miso soup which is a must when dining on such culinary delights. I prefer sake over wine when I dine on Japanese food as it compliments the food better in my humble opinion. A good sauvignon blanc or chardonnay would have sufficed as well and the wine list was extensive and reasonably priced.

This is a very good restaurant. It allows the simple Japanese ingredients to be the focus of the meal. If there is one cuisine where you don’t want overcomplicated pretention, it is Japanese. If you feel like a fresh and cleansing dining experience then I would suggest Inagiku as a great option.