Washoku Lunch Returns to Graze Kitchen, Hilton Colombo

Traditional Japanese food is collectively known as “Washoku”. One can feast through an entire Japanese buffet on Sunday 27th September at GRAZE KITCHEN, Hilton Colombo. There are about 100 varieties in 8 categories to feast on.  You’ll get sushi, sashimi, teppanyaki, yakitori, tempura, noodles and a lot more. Sushi lovers will especially love the wide range of that food here. 

Chef Hikaru Takahashi has more than 21 years of experience so you know the food you’re getting has been tried and tested and deemed a success.

Discussing the menu, Takahashi comments, “Miso Soup is a popular dish served in any Japanese restaurant.  It should be treated like a drink.  It is a cloudy broth, with small pieces of tofu, and seaweed. While it’s normal for most people to eat soup with a spoon, this should be sipped right from the bowl. Tofu and seaweed left at the bottom of the bowl should be eaten with chopsticks”.  

He goes on to say that Sushi rice shouldn’t be dipped in soy sauce. Sushi is the most popular dish in Japan and the most famous Japanese dish outside of Japan, as well. For over 2000 years, rice has been the most important food in Japanese cuisine. Sushi rice is, cooked white rice flavored with seasoned rice vinegar. There are various kinds of sushi dishes, such as nigiri sushi (hand formed sushi), maki sushi (rolled sushi), and chirashi (sushi rice topped with raw fish). The sticky texture of sushi rice is like that, for a reason. By dipping a roll of sushi in soy sauce, the rice becomes too soft, losing its important texture. Also, there shouldn’t be any pieces of rice left over in the soy sauce dish. If you want some sauce, make sure to dip the fish part of the roll and not the rice. 

Talking about noodles, he explains that there are various traditional Japanese noodle dishes. Noodle dishes are very popular in Japan and are served both hot and cold depending on the season. Noodle restaurants and food stands are common in Japan and you will find noodle stands along train platforms. Soba are native Japanese noodles made of buckwheat flour or a mixture of buckwheat and wheat flour. Soba are about as thick as spaghetti, and are served either hot or cold and with various toppings.

Meat has been eaten in Japan in larger amounts only since the second half of the 19th century. There are a variety of popular Japanese meat dishes; Yakitori are skewered grilled chicken pieces seasoned with salt or sauce. Almost every part of the chicken is used for yakitori including the white and dark meat, gizzards, skin and other organs.  

Tempura was introduced to Japan by the Portuguese residing in Nagasaki in the 16th century and has become one of Japan's most famous dishes internationally. A special light batter is used with seafood and vegetables and is deep fried. Okonomiyaki is a type of grilled pancake into which various ingredients such as seafood, vegetables and meat are mixed. Chawanmushi a savory steamed egg custard that usually contains pieces of chicken, shrimp, fish cake is yet another popular food.

All this and more can be indulged in if you head over to Hilton on Sunday 27th September between 12nn and 2.30pm.  The lunch buffet is priced at Rs 4888nett per person.

Prior bookings are recommended by calling the F&B Reservations Desk on 2492492.  The al fresco area at Graze Kitchen has a gorgeous view of the Lotus pond so try to bag a seat there if you can!.