Fresh presents a stylish, open-sided lounge with a chocolate and cream theme, a central bar, cushioned banquettes, and an al fresco timber deck girded by foxtails and shaded by a sail-like canopy. Services include free WiFi, while the cuisine blends healthy Japanese traditions with some unexpected ingredients. "The concept," says Upong, the Balinese manager, owner and chef, "is to offer the best quality and taste at the best price."
The menu is divided into six categories: cones & rolls, hot delights, mini delights, noodles, sashimi & sushi, and combos, with some chef's recommendations thrown in along the way. We started with some mini delights designed to whet the appetite. These yummies included the healthy and moreish 'edamame' – steamed, salted, in-the-pod soya beans, which can be a great precursor to a meal, or a simple accompaniment to an Asahi Beer. Next up was the 'vege prawn sauna' of steamed vegetables and prawn mixed with soyu butter dressing, and we particularly liked the 'black calamari' – rings of baby squid stuffed with spicy butterfish and doused in a sweet soy and oyster dressing. The 'miso soup' was also a good choice, an authentic thin broth enhanced with seaweed and tofu, and we enjoyed the 'baby burger', comprised of mixed patties of beef and tuna served with veggies. Moving on to the hot delights, our favourite dish of all proved to be the prawn or vegetarian dumplings known as 'gyosa', steamed and then grilled to perfection before being served with sesame sauce.
We were in danger of overstuffing ourselves on the mini and hot delights, so we switched to a platter of sushi, comprised of colourful and exquisitely presented 'maguro' (tuna), 'syake' (salmon), and 'gindara' (butterfish). Each variety of fish was notable for its individual and unique texture and taste – sometimes delicate, sometimes rich – and was served with dollops of wasabi for that unique nasal sensation. Finally, it was time to introduce the exotic blends and alternative ingredients of Fresh's famous fusion rolls. The 'hot foie gras' wrapped around a strip of fresh mango topped with hazelnut was an absolute winner, and 'Mr Labalaba' was also delicious, consisting of soft shell crab tempura with avocado, crowned with cooked freshwater eel. Each trim roll was an ornamental art form, pleasing to the eye as well as to the palate, and the taste proved to be even better than the beautiful designer names!
Looking for some sexy sushi? Check out Fresh (Jl Laksmana, Oberoi T: 0361 736 834).
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