The location
Cho Gao is one of a handful of restaurants in the Crowne Plaza hotel, which is located in the Abu Dhabi CBD on Hamdan Street.
The atmosphere
The popular Asian restaurant has long been a regular haunt for locals and visitors alike. Its decor, which includes the use of dark wood, and its vast space and its many nooks and crannies offer a certain sense of warmth.
The restaurant’s new sushi bar is located at the back of the ground floor restaurant. It seats 12 people in an intimate Japanese style setting. There are an additional 6 seats at the bar for those keen on seeing the sushi-making from your front row perch.
The food
The restaurant’s new Taste of Japan menu offers lovers of the Asian cuisine a selection of sashimi, sushi and maki rolls, along with a variety of traditional Japanese salads. All dishes are made to order. This is part of the appeal of dining in a sushi bar like this.
I can vouch for the crispy volcano salad (Dh60) and the salmon sashimi (Dh69 for six pieces). The restaurant’s new desserts are also worth a try, with dishes including lychee panna cotta with mango smear, apple pie with ginger ice cream, bitter chocolate cake and green lime cheesecake.
Who’s it best for?
Japanese food lovers and those after a well-priced dinner right in the heart of the capital.
The National was a guest of the restaurant.
• Cho Gao is located in the Crowne Plaza hotel on Hamdan Street, Abu Dhabi and is open daily from noon. Call 02 616 6149 or email dining.cpauh@ihg.com to book or for further details
mhealy@thenational.ae
