Back to Sushi Circle... after a not-too-pleasant experience exactly one year ago, I was back to check on the updates. Mabrouk for the new menu which has shrunk from 29 pages to 21 with a new more modern design and six fixed prices divided into different colors.
Sushi Circle is Achrafieh’s famous Japanese Casual eatery facing Boubouffe and the Medco station. Sit at the bar with its conveyor belt or choose one of the tables decorated with red and black placemats.
Prices vary between 4,500LL to 11,750LL per plate. On the menu: starters, soups, salads, sashimi salad, sushi, sashimi, gunkans, crispy uramaki, uramaki, sushi Circle specialties, hosomaki, Temaki, futomaki, hot food, noodles, platter, master platter, dessert.
Lunch is served:
- Tornado salad: a mix of different textures in on. Tender salmon cubes, sliced shrimp, crab sticks, ripe avocados, ebiko, black sesame seeds, crispy mix, and the tornado sauce. A handful of flavors, interesting marination, pleasant crunchy bits, providing a good taste. I was happy not to encounter a bed of shredded cabbage below the salad which many sushi places do.
- Spicy and crispy salmon salad made of salmon cubes, a creamy, spicy dressing, and crunchy crisps. Even though I would have expected it to be colder and served on ice, the salad is fresh and tasty.
- Nice, I liked the balls! I thought I'd feel the rice much, but I didn’t. The balance of rice, fish, and sauces with the sprinkle of sesame makes these bites enjoyable to eat.
- The maki rolls: exactly the way I left them a year ago. “Entry level casual dining sushi quality.” Definitely better than many "wannabe" sushi places around town but not the quality I expect from Sushi Circle. Chewy rice, complicated flavors, and excess of spices.
- The temaki: crunchy nori but unfortunately a bizarre saltiness inside.
After lunch, we were offered complimentary desserts. Thank you for the fresh pineapple and the coconut ice cream.
That’s Sushi Circle; in my opinion, the basics are here, but some attention is needed: a look into the details, quick fine-tuning and the difference would be enormous.
