Let us roll with Chez Sushi

Chez Sushi, one of the newest Japanese restaurants in Jeddah — having opened in June — offers the best of Japanese cuisine with fresh ingredients and low-carb options. Its interior is simple, clean-cut and casual, and the staff are friendly and attentive. The menu selections are diverse and creative.
The first items placed on our table were edamame with a special spice mix, prawn gyoza that was seared just right, and nori chips, the first to be served in a Jeddah restaurant. The calamari salad was the perfect combination of fresh greens, fried calamari and ginger dressing. The next dish was the seared salmon salad. The salmon was raw but crispy on the outside, and very succulent. The spicy lemon dressing was well balanced, with no strong sour kick.
Before ordering the mains, the waiter explained the concept of the sushi plates. Diners can order sushi from their step-by-step ordering system, and can order rolls in either white rice or brown (as a lower-carb option). The sushi station lets diners choose individual ingredients.
The staff said most of the main dishes are cooked with the least amount of oil possible, and the sushi rolls are made with fresh ingredients — nothing is stored or ready-made. Chez Sushi is the first Japanese restaurant in Jeddah to offer brown rice as a side for all dishes and sushi rolls. There is a low-carb option for wraps, and diners can watch the staff make sushi rolls.
The restaurant’s signature sushi dishes are the mango tango, dragon maki, rainbow maki, California maki and spider maki, all of which were rolled with brown rice. The mango tango — with crab, mixed greens and mango — was light, and the sweet mango and salty crab complemented each other. The dragon maki was delicious — the eel was grilled as a crunchy topping to the prawn tempura, cucumber and avocado roll, with a very tasty unagi sauce. Eel is not usually served this crunchy, and is among the best in Jeddah. The rainbow maki is a colorful mix of salmon, tuna and king fish with splashes of red, orange and white.
There are many vegetarian dishes available, such as the veggie special maki. The sushi was fresh and perfectly rolled, with a dot of one of their in-house sauces, in keeping with the simplicity of Japanese cuisine.
“The concept of Chez Sushi is to provide the freshest of ingredients to our diners,” said managing partner Abdulrahman Attar. “We don’t serve anything with added preservatives or artificial colors. Clean food doesn’t have to be boring, and we strive to serve the tastiest and most colorful dishes that everyone can enjoy.”
The restaurant is buzzing with activity, and its high ceilings help with the noise factor. The booths and chairs are comfortable, and the lighting is just right. The place is quaint and very welcoming.
The main dishes included beef tataki, rock shrimp with wasabi mayonnaise and another with creamy chili on a bed of greens, chicken katsu curry and beef teriyaki. The beef tataki tasted amazing and literally melted in the mouth. The finely cut, lean meat strips were very lightly seared at the edges, with a crispy string potato garnish and a sesame mustard sauce that was not overpowering.
The chicken katsu curry is made from lightly fried corn-fed chicken, and katsu curry sauce that does not strip the chicken of its nice crunchy coating. My favorite was the rock shrimp, crunchy and served on a bed of greens. The wasabi mayo and creamy chili sauce are made in-house. The dishes were served hot and right on time, a trait some restaurants lack.
A must-have dessert is the mochi ice cream, ice cream balls covered in Japanese rice cakes that come in a number of flavors, such as chocolate espresso and sakura. Ask the waiter in advance as they sell out quite fast.
Chez Sushi offers catering services to corporate events and parties, with sushi made on the spot. There are three party platter sizes to accommodate different group sizes. Online ordering and delivery are available on their mobile-friendly website, with the option to create your own sushi rolls. An app will be launched soon. So start rolling!
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