By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com
Tuna Tataki
Sky Modern Japanese Restaurant opened in Little Rock, next to the Fresh Market, not too long ago and my wife and I stopped by for dinner the other night.
Its Friday night, at 7pm, and the place is packed. We are seated at the sushi bar, on the corner, but there is enough room for the two of us. The menu looks interesting, with a large offering of cooked dishes. It reminds me a lot of Sushi Cafe but with more emphasis put on the entrees offered (mainly due to the layout of the menu.)
We wait, and wait, and wait, and just when we are about to leave, a waiter stops to take our drink order. After our drink orders arrive we are asked to place our dinner order and I opt for the Salmon with Orange Aioli ($15) and my wife orders the Roasted Duck Breast ($16). We also order an appetizer of Tuna Tataki ($12).
After another long wait, our entrees show up, minus the Tuna Tataki appetizer. The waiter tells us it is still being prepared. Normally I would request to cancel the appetizer, since our entrees are already present, but am really anxious to see how it holds up compared to the wonderful one offered by Amura in Florida.
The salmon is cooked nicely with a crust all around and a soft inside (the sign of a well cooked filet of fish.) It has just the right crunch to it and is not “fishy” tasting at all. The only thing I do not care for is the Orange Aioli. It looks like an explosion of sauce on my plate. They would do better to offer the sauce on the side or drizzled across the fish. The vegetables served with it are okay with a little flavor, but the carrots are undercooked. The rice cake is very gummy and not something I would recommend to anyone, ever. I do like the actual salmon though and may order it next time without the sauce.
Roasted Duck
The duck is tender, with lots of flavor, and has the earthy taste you expect from duck. It is well seasoned, and aside from too much pepper on the sweet potato puree, it matches well with the dish. On the visual front the dish is very brown, but do not let that distract you from the flavor.
The tuna tataki finally shows up and the tuna is very fresh, well seared, and has a pleasant citrus flavor to it. It is perfect for a warm summer night (such as this one) but does not compare to Amura’s. Everyone who wants to offer tataki on their menu should try Amura’s at least once. It is a great dish for the heat and I will order it again.
Aside from the long waits, I really enjoy Sky and am happy to see a Japanese restaurant offer something other than hibachi (it is supposed to be called Teppanyaki) and sushi.
11525 Cantrell Road
Lunch & Dinner
+(501) 224 4300
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