Jeddah already has a thriving sushi culture with restaurants like Osaka, Sushi Yoshi, Benihana and Tempura all now well established. Even Danube now sell it. So its not surprising to see new Sushi Restaurant ˜Wakame’ enter the scene. The FoodCritic was lucky enough to check out the restaurant before the upcoming opening, try some sushi and see what Wakame is all about.Wakame for the unfamiliar is Japanese for Seaweed, it’s deep green, edible, and very popular in Japan and other Asian countries, and yes, ˜Wakame’ use lots of it…The restaurant is located in the row of shops that includes Ganache & Chocolate Corner on Rawdah Street, (Just on the left after the traffic lights if you are coming from Osaka).

The Designers of the restaurant obviously spent some time transforming the venue into a chic, modern sushi bar. Making the most of the available space with an open kitchen allowing customers to see the chefs and the sushi preparation.

The Restaurant itself is quite cosy (small), but then it’s not meant to be a sit down Restaurant (Although a couple of bar tables are available if needed) The concept of Wakame is ˜Takeaway Sushi’ and from what we’ve seen, it does it very well.

The menu is extensive with a range of seafood salads (like Shrimp Caesar Salads),  along with Tempura, Sashimi, Sushi, Maki, Temaki, & Club Maki (which is a Wakame exclusive take on Maki, in the form of Mini Club Sandwiches).Being a fan of Miso Soup I was a little surprised not to see it on the menu but was told it may be added in the near future. No deserts either, but then ice cream isn’t something you normally order at a takeaway, so this wasn’t really an issue for me.

We tried a bit of everything, my favorite was the ˜Spicy Tempura Maki’, which was basically marinated tuna wrapped in a tempura batter mix.  I also enjoyed the ˜Shake Kawa Maki’ which was salmon skin, spicy mayo, nori and sesame seed maki. These were both quite interesting, as I hadn’t come across spicy or crunchy maki before and it was a combination that worked rather well together..Also tried the Wakame California Maki & the Spicy Crispy California Maki. The Shrimp Tempura was also delicious and provided a nice alternative to sushi for my friend who isn’t the biggest sushi fan.I finally ordered a portion of Salmon Sashimi (two pieces) just to gauge it out, and it was great too.

As I am a fan of sushi, and local, I’m sure this wont be the last time I stop by Wakame. The takeaway sushi concept is something that is sure to catch on.

Address: Rawdah Street, Shops at Traffic Lights after Osaka, Opposite Life Store.

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