I would have never came across Flyjin if it wasn’t their kind invitation. It is easy to miss Flyjin if I didn’t know the address. It doesn’t help that it has an obscure door leading to the underground.

To be honest, once I arrived, I felt that there was too much thought process on the atmosphere and the decor that the food would be compromised. I was told that it was a fusion of many asian cuisines, and also like an izakaya. Once I heard that its concept is Izakaya, I was weary. This new trend of Izayaka is showing up everywhere, and is never executed in its true form.

Luckily, my first impression was quickly dissipated once the dishes presented themselves…

Sacree Printemps

I wanted something sweet and sour. And I was served exactly that. Actually, the sourness of the yuzu was so smooth that it left nothing acidic on the tongue nor the throat. I can hardly taste the alcohol, but it was present (the effect did not take long to kick in). Definitely a drink I would order again.

Yellow Snake

This was sour and smooth as well. But not comparable to Sacree Printemps.

Flyjin Spicy Seafood Soup

I don’t know about the the spicy part, but I can agree with the seafood part. Both soups were different and can be identified by the seafood served on the top of the soup. The one that has a lobster is almost like a lobster bisque, very infused with lobster flavor. I was a bit disappointed with the claw as I find it a bit too cooked. The other soup is served with salmon, although I cannot take the salmon broth, I preferred it over to the lobster one.

Both were generously filled with scallops. Unlike the lobster claw, the scallops kept their fresh texture.

Flyjin Tropical Salad

This salad is inspired from south eastern asia, where the unripe papayas are cut into thin slices. These salads are difficult to taste to bad. However, I wasn’t impressed as it was missing…character. I think with a pinch of freshly diced chili pepper would really bring out the “characters” of the salad. While I was eating this, I was reminiscing how much I loved Satay Brothers papaya salad…

Lobster Gyoza

Like I had mentioned before, I am not fond of Japanese gyozas. Their skin is always made too thin. I prefer a thicker (not too thick) texture to achieve optimal crispness! However, compared to all the Japanese gyozas I had, I have to admit that the Gyozas at Flyjin were quite good. But, I couldn’t taste the lobster. Despite its shininess, I did not have a cluttered throat, which simply means the oiliness is rightfully handled.

A variety of Japanese oysters

This was my first time tasting Japanese oysters and they were delightfully sweet! One of them was a bit more herbal. Oysters cannot taste bad as long they are fresh. These took no time to finish!

Mignon tartare and salmon sashimi

This is a masterpiece. I was completed awed. Food is simply an artwork. I believe that this dish was combined with 2 dishes ( or even 3…). I have to confess that I was too attracted by its beauty to pay any attention of the description of the dish. I am bad…

The sashimi bowl was intricately and interestingly placed. When digged in further, there were further layers of miscellaneous fruits and vegetables. As for the sashimi, although freshness was not an issue, I wished they could be sliced in thicker. The cut was too thin for my full enjoyment.

There were also shrimps in the bowl. Those were rather dull…

The tartare tasted very different from anywhere I had; it must be due to the blueberry oil giving a floral taste to it. It was very delicious, comparable to Marche 27 quality.

I had such a fun time eating this dish. There were so many varieties. A real surf and turf! I could jump from one place to another. It was as if the chefs knew my palate!

There were 3 different sauces to be accompanied with my surf and turf. I didn’t use them much, but they were very tasty.

I added the following picture (taken by Flyjin itself) because I thought their picture was much better than mine to showcase how beautiful the dish was. I felt so lucky to have it!

from their Instagram

For the finale, of course, I had dessert…S. There is bound to be one that you like! My favorite was the most right one, the white looking one.  To say I knew exactly what I was eating was a lie. All I can remember that it was very moist, which is my preference for cakes.  For the others, they weren’t very particular.

What I really liked about the desserts is the little strawberry chocolate shaped like a mountain used as separator from the cakes. I love them! They can be bought in asian grocery stores!

To conclude the meal, we had Stairway to Buddha and Deep Clover Leaf. It wa sa bad idea to have them, I didn’t enjoy them a bit, I think it was because I just had dessert so I found the drinks to be very bitter and dry to swallow. But I heard Stairway to Buddha is a very popular drink. Another trend for drinks, burning cinnamon sticks.

My experience at Flyjin was a very pleasant one. The staff was helpful and not intimidating at all. The crowd is mostly young professional. Price is not cheap but well justified as it is situated in Old Port. The decor really enhances the overall experience. Flyjin is also suitable for dates, as they have prepared more private sitting areas for 2. I can definitely see myself coming back with a group of friends or even colleagues.

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flyjin.ca

Zuuchini

Received Atame’s invitation to their grand opening to the media, I was quickly intrigued by their aphrodisiac concept and burlesque performance.

It was a busy evening, so it was very difficult for me to jot down information. The purpose of the evening was simply to give a glimpse of the overall nature of the restaurant. We had bites here and there and a peek of the performance.

Some dishes really had me going. Some just left me unresponsive.

The performance was difficult to enjoy as the crowd of the evening was not the most tamed. But, I could grasp the intention of the performance, and how fitting it would be to the whole concept with the right crowd.

My pictures aren’t the best to capture the restaurant sensual side. My lens really can’t handle almost non-existent light setting. But here are some to give a general idea.

I really liked my drink, which was mixed with yogurt. Tasted like bailey.

The oysters were a disappointment. The passion fruit and the lychee overshadowed the sweet delicate taste of the oysters. All I tasted was the passion fruit.

This duck and the quinoa salad had to be my favorite dish of the evening. The contrast between the two was perfect. The quinoa was especially tasty and fresh!

This filet mignon has to be the most tender filet mignon I had in a restaurant. The texture was just heavenly.

The brownie was a nice finishing touch. It was sweet yet spicy.

Atame is most suitable for a more mature crowd, 25 years old at least. I can see it a perfect venue for intimate private parties. If you are looking for great food tasting, this is not the place. If you are looking for more than decent food and a very sensual experience, this is the place.

Zuuchini