Hikari - Teneriffe

Being a huge fan of Japanese food, Hikari at Teneriffe has been on my list for some time now. Being somewhat out of my usual sphere of existence, we made some plans to check it out with some other foodies a couple weeks ago to try it out. Being in a fairly large group, we made a booking well ahead of time and were seated outside, luckily the weather was pleasant.

 

The menu wasn't traditional and covered a few modern fusion options such as baos in addition to your standard bento boxes, sushi, sashimi and other sides. Always up for sushi, we chose some rolls to share.

First to arrive was the Tiger Roll. With seared tuna, shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber and spicy ponzu, it was very intensely flavoured. The roll itself was also quite small compared to our usual go to at Oishii, the tuna was thinly sliced, as was the avocado. I did enjoy the prawn tempura though.

Our next roll was the Ultimate Tuna. With spicy tuna tartare, cucumber, tuna sashimi and spicy ponzu, it was also extremely strong flavoured with a sweet and spicy flavour that I couldn't really appreciate the freshness of the tuna. Again, the tuna on top of the roll was very thinly sliced and each piece was quite small. 

Our favourite dish of the night was the very original and creative Salmon on Crispy Rice. Again with strong flavours of sweet sticky sauce covering the salmon, we were unable to appreciate the more subtle flavours. What I did really enjoy though was the deep fried crispy rice parcel underneath which was very crunchy.

There were two desserts on the menu, a Matcha Cheesecake and a Ginger Creme Brulee. We were lucky enough to be able to try both. The cheesecake was thick and rich, with a generous amount of lightly bitter matcha powder sprinkled on top. It would have been very decadent to eat alone so I was glad it was shared. Not being a fan of ginger, I was surprised how much I liked the creme brulee. With a slight warmth and spice, it was smooth and light, making for a dessert I would definitely come back for.

Price Range: $30 - $50pp

Taste: 5/10
Value: 5/10
Service: 7/10
Environment: 7/10