Fish fiend heaven: Toko’s new Marine Day menu

The sashimi and makki selection at Toko Dubai. Photo by Rebecca McLaughlin-Duane

For the rest of September, Toko in Dubai’s downtown area will be celebrating Japanese Marine Day or Umi No Hi. Also known as Ocean Day, the national holiday is normally celebrated with many Japanese taking a boat trip, beach break or partaking in a sea-related activity. Toko’s menu is geared towards seafood lovers and a set menu of eleven sharing dishes costs Dh395 per person. Of the many plates you’ll be served, chef’s smoked miso salmon, classic grilled king prawns and a chocolate bento box are among them. Read about our other top picks below.

Under starters orders:

I tucked into an amuse-bouche of okaki maguro, served as two individual portions of a crispy rice base and raw tuna quenelles drizzled with truffle oil. The earthy truffle complimented, rather than overpowered the tuna and left me hankering for a bigger serving.

Raw success:

A very pleasing starter was a salmon tartare with a sweet-sharp wasabi-miso dressing, served with sweet potato chips. It came finely diced in the fragrant marinade with a lingering heat from the Japanese horseradish. It was served with a side of seasonal leaves and cucumber in a rice vinegar-soy, wafu dressing.

Catch of the day:

The star attraction of Toko’s new menu are the main courses consisting of assorted fish sashimi and signature maki rolls. The presentation was faultless, the pictures speak for themselves. Of the raw fish, the salmon and tuna were the superior of the selection.

Hot picks:

While rock shrimp tempura came highly recommended, the batter could have been a touch lighter and the seasoning far more liberal. On the upside, the pan-fried scallops were stunning. Having never sampled the combo of sweet pickled apple and jalapeño garlic with the delicate shellfish before, I was quickly won over.

The National was a guest of the restaurant.

• Toko's Umi No Hi menu is available throughout September from 7pm until 11.30pm for AED395 per person. For further information visit: www.toko-dubai.com. For reservations call [phone] or email [e-mail]