ISLAMABAD - Nestled in the heart of Islamabad, Sesame & Soy, the brainchild of the amiable restaurateurs Nicole and Zafar of Lofalogy fame, with many years of experience under their belt, opened its doors, offering an authentic pan-Asian dine den with a chic classy setting.
The place has lived up to its reputation by weaving a storyline around the concept of neon lighting, vintage panelling, stone table tops with gold trim and cane style chairs and handcrafted silk embroidered wall hangings, giving a touch of zen and tranquillity and lending a youthful and vivacious ambience to the whole place under the Chinese influence. As the story goes, the family owned a Chinese restaurant by the name of Dragon City on the floor above Sesame & Soy and after running it for over two decades opted for a change, closing it down in order to open a pan-Asian cuisine restaurant.
Nicole, a corporate lawyer and Zafar an engineer by profession shared the common bond of food and launched Lofalogy seven years back to give Islamabad tastebuds something they had never experienced before. “We both love food and we always work on it together, be it the interior, menu layout, selection of the dishes or training in the kitchen, you name it. When we travel abroad, our excitement comes from visiting restaurants and not sightseeing or shopping surprisingly,” informs Zafar. The menu at Sesame and Soy is contemporary, crafted carefully based on availability of ingredients thus taking a sustainable approach to the utilization of each ingredient’s quality.
“The reason I have not put Sushi in my menu is because I can’t get the best quality fish here in Islamabad. It’s good but not sushi grade. To me Sushi grade is when you pick up the raw piece of fish and you can taste the ocean on your tongue.
If I can’t serve that to my guest, then I would rather not put that down and serve at all,” informs the Polish born -Australian mother of a three-year-old Alexandra. The two-sided menu was heavy with a variety of pan-Asian dishes but interestingly most of them were a breath of fresh air and not run of the mill. We were a party of five and the time to tango with taste had come. To kick-start the dinner, our amuse-bouche featured Prawn Toast and Gado Gado salad in order to warm up the palettes. Main course included Sesame and Soy Crispy Beef with Broccoli, Green Curry, Sweet Korean Fried Sesame & Soy: weaving a storyline Chicken, Teriyaki Salmon, Xo Fried Rice, Hot Pot and Chilli Caramel Beef.
Our order literally covered all pan-Asian tastebuds be it Korean, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Hong Kong and even Indonesian cuisine all under one roof. Prawn Toast or Shrimp Toast as it is also known is basically a Cantonese appetizer, triangles of bread coated with paste made from minced shrimps and usually deep fried. Yes, it was crunchy as well as meaty and the best part was that although it was deep fried yet it was not dripping with oil, spotting an interesting aftertaste of prawns and diminutive sesame seeds as its name suggested. Gado Gado in Balinese dialect means “everything mixed together” and this salad was the proof of its true definition. Potato cubes, tafu, tomato, cucumber and shredded carrot shaving romancing in peanut and brown sugar dressing, ditching the must have “mayonnaise” oomph the flavours of veggies arrested in the salad bowl.
The full boiled egg topping made the Indonesian delicacy even more nutritious. It was indeed very balanced with textures preserved. We did not want to miss the forest for the trees so left the starters half way and waited for the main course. Chilli caramel beef was the show stopper of the evening. The party enjoyed the succulent and well-marbled beef, lovely balance of colours on the plate, coleslaw garnishing with colourful cabbage helping to balance the palate.
“This dish took most of our time till it came out it should have been. The beef marinades for 8 hours to absorb all the sauces in the likes of chilli Sao, honey and other homemade recipes,” adds Nicole with beaming eyes. The beef cube portion size was just right, boosting a perfect elasticity and simply melts in the mouth. It was no doubt piece de resistance. Hot pot cauldron at Sesame and Soy offers variation within the hot pot itself. Guests are given option to choose from four different broths in the likes of vegetable and mushroom, peanut butter chicken, coconut and Laksa spicy Malaysian broth. But this is not where it ends.
Lower your gaze and you find a cornucopia of protein, vegetables and noodles choices in their respective sections. My pick was spicy Laksa broth. It was thick and dark in colour but I was awestruck with flavours. The Malaysian herbs were full in attendance infusing the assortments to the next level. Xo Rice sounded very intriguing so it was ordered. This multi-purpose sauce commonly called Xo is made from seafood and abundantly used in Hong Kong cuisines. Light brown rice, in a mix of textures, tender juicy seared chicken, caramelized bits of Xo sauce accompanied by crunchy onions and beans sprouts stole the show giving rice a total spin. It packed quite a punch. Two golden brown filets of manicured salmon captured the attention the moment it arrived. It was peeling, juicy and absolutely delicious with the homemade teriyaki sauce.
The first bite left no doubt that the filets were well marinated as per the thickness, simmered and cooked to perfection sliding in the mouth and fighting to take center stage. Slathered in sauce, the Salmon which was definitely a distinct element of the dish resonated well with Teriyaki sauce. This dish could not go wrong come what may as it can call chef’s magnum opus.
The artisan at work behind the stove was trained by the chef of the Japanese ambassador in Islamabad. So, seafood epicureans are in for a treat at Sesame & Soy for sure. The eatery’s eclectic menu and ambiance is reminiscent of an elegant, Art Deco era that adds just the right amount of classiness to a fine-dining destination for the islooites in coming days