Out & About #260 | Patio Views from JaBistro

My personal take on fine dining involves an abundance of natural light as opposed to that dreaded "gentle ambience" that such a large majority of diners enjoy.

Last summer's impromptu visit to JaBistro had been a beyond lovely experience that carried me to the moon and back, yet I'd be lying if I said I didn't have regrets regarding the photos though. The interior of the restaurant is completely enclosed, meaning that access to window light would never be granted regardless of one's seating arrangement. This consequently made for dim, grainy shots deficient of the clarity that I desired. (Considering the well-being of the surrounding customers, flash had also not been option in this setup.

Fast-forward some fourteen months later, the rooftop section directly above the existing restaurant was acquired and morphed into a hip, secluded patio. While I'm uncertain of the exact usage of the space before, I'm ecstatic that JaBistro now offers an area that provides a formidable source of illumination and allows diners to enjoy balmy summer conditions while remaining shaded from the Sun's glare. In particular, I'm quite fond of the fact that the patio is above ground level; meals can be relished in without the invasion of curious passerbys and lingering cigarette smoke. It's as if the restaurant's customers gained temporary access to a world of their own, all while residing at the heart of a heavily populated metropolis

​My interest had clearly been piqued upon discovery of JaBistro's second floor expansion, so I began forming a no-fail plan involving online and phone reservations. Admittedly, the online reservation form was a tad tricky to complete for a first-time user. They had also revamped their menu such that three types of prix fixe menus were now available, but portion sizes were omitted from their item descriptions, making the regular "dinner" option a safer bet. I called approximately one day after making the reservation to request a patio table, only to be informed that the patio would only be open given suitable weather conditions.

​Prior to the day of, I was given a brief confirmation phone call - it was reassuring, since they re-confirmed my specifications to a degree of great accuracy.

I arrived twenty minutes early for my reservation. The hostess didn't question my early arrival, yet only uttered one other phrase following her warm welcome: "Would you like a patio table?". Never had I thought I'd be overly joyed to hear those words.

​She led us up a flight of relatively low steps with sharp angles, and guided us out of north-facing entrance to expose a wonderfully serene wooden patio.

The extensive use of tan hues was countered with lightweight black patio furniture, existing grey bricks from the surrounding buildings, and delicate strings of hanging lights. A rectangular bar/communal table was even available at the centre for groups gatherings and/or events.

We were seated immediately and then provided menus by the single member of the waitstaff on the upper level. I was also later informed that there were separate bathrooms on both floors, and that patio guests need not make the tiresome journey downstairs and into the depths of the first floor for the sake of handwashing.

​After a substantial amount of analyzing and recommendation-requesting, we ultimately decided on the Aburicious, Negitoro Maki, and Gindara.

​View the full album HERE !

The meal commenced with Blanche de Chambly and Mango Explosion 2.0, their featured cocktail consisting of sweet mango pulp (probably syrup), sake, and coconut rum. Despite being only slighter taller than the average shot glass, the cocktail packed in significant amounts of flavour and strength. Generally, I'm not a fan of rum except when used in baked goods. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the addition of coconut rum and amazed at how such a small injection of flavour elevated and complimented the drink's overall profile.

Our requested dishes began to arrive one by one, some of which were carried to the second floor by a chef and then transferred to our waitress while others were simply delivered by the chef himself. Upon setting down each platter, a brief introduction would be given, explaining the elements and ingredients included in the fishy creation.

Negitoro Maki consisted of eight maki rolls of typical size and height. Atypically, they were filled with roughly chopped fatty bluefin tuna then further topped with a massive mound of negi (green onions). At first glance, this dish may appear effortless to recreate, but the details truly speak for themselves.
Encased within each maki roll was a gumdrop-sized portion of toro that somehow managed to be impeccably smooth yet well-textured at the same time. The chopped green onions were unlike any variety I've witnessed elsewhere: placing a small amount of the finely chopped negi on top of the maki before consumption lent a refreshing bite to the roll without any trace of pungency.

A light drizzle began to fall during our meal. Quick to react, two members of staff acquired advice from a manager-like authority and began to unwind a patio cover to shield us from the pending rainfall. I found this to be a great addition to the patio setup, as customers would need not shift to another dining location in the case where weather conditions suddenly diverge to a less favourable situation.

Aburicious, which I suppose is intended to be a hybrid word "aburi (sushi)" and "delicious", was a narrow platter of charcoal torched shrimp, salmon, and saba nigiri. Also included were two pieces of their house specialty, the JaBistroll: a tobiko-decked roll with uber-fresh salmon, snow crab, cucumber, and one other unidentified variety of fish.
Words cannot depict the lusciousness of the JaBistro's aburi creations. Neither flavour nor quality has deterred since my last visit: each piece was incredibly delectable, with a melt-in-your-mouth goodness that can only be truly appreciated by savouring the masterpiece(s) first-hand.

Truth be told: a pause ensued after the ingestion of each piece of nigiri for the sake of revelling every last hint of flavour and texture.

Last to arrive was the Gindara. Placed atop a deep green serving leaf (if that is indeed the proper culinary term) and surrounded by streaks of beige-toned miso cream sauce, Japanese red pepper flakes, and several strands of yuzu, the grilled black cod had already scored high in my books in terms of appearance and colour usage. Similar to Aburicious, the cod was as succulent as could be; it maintained a crisp, subtly charred surface while harnessing an abundance of glossy, flaky flesh bursting with natural oils.

Depending on one's preferences, the dish could be enjoyed with any one, or even all, of the accompanying condiments. The blend of Japanese red pepper flakes and toasted black sesame seeds was very fragrant, adding a crunchy and mildly spicy boost to the gindara; the miso sauce had hints of scallion and bits of green onion, making for a lighter version of a standard cream dressing with almost indiscernible briny influences. Contrary to what I had expected, the strands of yuzu were not derived from a jar of yuzu jam (as most stores do). The unsweetened bits of citrus fruit were refreshing with a slight bitter aftertaste, exhibiting properties of an authentic Kaiseki dinner.

Mango Explosion was selected to conclude the already superb meal on a sweet note. The dessert comprised of flavours bearing an undeniably strong resemblance to the featured Mango Explosion 2.0 cocktail, which was to be expected given the names of the items. A blacker-than-black plate adorned with a heaping scoop of mango sorbet, coconut cream, graham crumbs, and  small assortment of fresh berries was brought to the table. The combination was tasty, rendering satisfied appetites void of sickeningly full aftereffects.

A situation that I am often afraid of encountering is the downfall of a much-loved restaurant. JaBistro is one of the exceedingly few spots that has successfully managed to banish any of my previous doubts and restore my faith in the city's constantly growing restaurant scene. This current visit was instigated for the purpose of testing out their patio scene, which, I must admit, was more than justified with the fantastic treatment we received. It surpassed my standards by far, leading me to establish a newly-founded appreciation for the Japanese bistro.