For year-end celebrations, private events and, of course, mouthwatering food, it’s gotta be SORAE
SORAE Sushi Sake Lounge (Level 24, AB Tower, 76A Le Lai, D1) is a popular place and has been the go-to place for diners looking for Japanese food. The intimate setting and low lighting as well as the versatile food choices just got better. Unlike many restaurants, Sorae is not targeting the mass and instead want to maintain their select and slightly upscale clientele by offering year-end event hosting packages and other deals. Their goal is to be the space for special occasions and celebrations. To this end Sorae will even redesign the table layouts both below in the dining area, and above at the bar to allow for private booths, private rooms and even much more intimate settings. Sorae offers several types of workshops as well. From learning how to make maki rolls to whisky tasting and decorations and party planning, they are going far beyond just the food.
With that said, however, they have reorganized their current a la cart menu into several easy to choose Chef Choice sets. While all the items in the sets can be found in the a la cart menu, the sets offer a better deal and value than ordering each item separately. Since Sorae is well-known for their fresh seafood and fish, both imported from Japan as well as locally sourced, a lot of the menu emphasizes this along with dishes from the grill, tempura and sushi.
Set B (VND1,390,000++) offered three kinds of appetizers: Nasu Dengaku which was a roasted eggplant in a sweet miso sauce, Shirauo Salad—tiny crispy white baitfish salad dressed in a sweet soy mayo, and the Maguro Truffle, an interesting and rich earthy glaze that flavored the tuna. Sushi & Sashimi was a mix of three kinds of Japanese fish, and two kinds of local fish (the idea here is to introduce diners to more than the standard Japanese fish and to help them appreciate what Vietnam has to offer.) A Spider-Maki, taking its name from the spider softshelled crab, was lightly fried then touched with unagi sauce, giving it a rich and crispy texture.
For the mains, a Pork Rib Teriyaki was tender as the caramelized pork ribs melted to the fork’s touch, it was accompanied by sansho pepper and glazed with a teriyaki sauce. The Angus Gyu Sirloin was perfectly cooked medium rare and needed only a slight touch of the peppery wasabi ponzu sauce. Rice and soup was an interesting garlic stir fried rice with garlic shrimp. Depending on the set one may get a rice or a soup in the menu. To finish things off, the Atatakai Chocolate Cake was a sweet finish of soft chocolate cake, salted caramel ice cream, drizzled with a warm chocolate sauce a perfect way to end the set.
It seems that the refocus on private occasions and events is a calculated strategy sure to set it apart from its competitors and with delicious set menus, the ambiance it’s famous for, and the amazing location, Sorae is sure to soar.
Images by Ngoc Tran and SORAE
