Written by: Zainab Hasan
Posted on: February 23, 2018 | 
| 中文
Ginyaki Restaurant, Islamabad
Located on the busy Bhittai Road, the dimly lit, high-ceiling interior of Ginyaki restaurant provides a pleasantly soothing contrast to its exterior. Ginyaki emerged in the ever growing gourmet scene of Islamabad recently. The restaurant prides itself on working with traditional techniques and fresh local ingredients, to ensure that dishes will retain the flavours, fragrance and essence of authentic Chinese, Japanese and Korean cuisine.
Their menu consists of Appetizers, Soups, Desserts, Drinks and an option of “Make Your Bowl Your Way.” Within this, you’re given three bowl choices; Economy Bowl (one main + one side), Deluxe Bowl (one main + one side + one add-on) and Chop Suey Bowl. For mains, one can choose from chicken (Orange Chicken, Dragon Chicken), beef (Crispy Beef Chilly Dry, Hunan Beef) and seafood (Red Sticky Fish, Prawn Chilli Dry). Sides include the usual Egg Fried Rice, Vegetable Chow Mein, or a combination of both. Ginyaki also offers three degrees of spiciness; from “white,” which means a complete absence of chilli peppers to a steaming scarlet version described as “hot.”
Prior to ordering, I was served fried rice crackers to munch on, paired with a tart and spicy coriander sauce. The complimentary appetizer was an unusual one for my palate, but tasted delightful.
Stuffed chilli, my chosen appetizer, was wrapped in chicken, with a dollop of mozzarella cheese and served with spicy wonton sauce. There were no burnt corners or over-fried breadcrumbs, just soft, delicately flavoured chicken encased in a crunchy coating. The chillies sat on a bed of noodle shavings, which looked quite interesting, but didn’t add much to the dish.
Moving on to chicken poppers, which can be served in a host of different ways, I had ordered Sesame Chicken Poppers. The poppers turned out to be one of my favourite items from the evening. The tender chicken was immersed in a finger licking, sumptuous house-made sesame sauce.
The soup that I tried was called the Eighth Wonder, best described as a bowl of earthy goodness. The nutritious mix consisted of various ingredients such as carrots, corn, spring onion, tofu, egg, chicken, mushrooms and prawns. It was the perfect bowl of comfort food to warm up on a foggy night.
Cherry Chilli Chicken Bomb was one of the most intriguing names on the menu. However, the heat from the chilli was a bit strong and overpowered the sweet subtle cherry flavour of the sauce. I would have preffered if the chicken was more moist and juicy. On the other hand, Ginyaki Special Fish was a modern, yet simple dish, with a salsa sauce featuring apples, green chillies, apple cider vinegar, cilantro and spring onion. The crunchy, sweet apples went well with the moist fried fish, and the lime juice gave the sauce a little extra zing.
Brookies, a popular dessert on social media, has finally arrived in our city due to the chefs of Ginyaki. A layer of chewy cookie dough, topped with fudge brownie and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, poured over with a dense chocolate sauce. This combination of two very different items somehow works, and one gets to enjoy the crunch of a cookie, but also the decadence of a brownie.
Silky, smooth, and with the perfect balance of chocolate and cream, the Lindt Chocolate Mousse will win over anyone! The use of both milk and dark chocolate made this mousse truly decadent. The density of the chocolate was balanced by the cookie crumb base at the bottom. After trying both desserts, I was in heaven.
Asian food is celebrated in all its authentic, mouth-watering glory at Ginyaki. From steaming soups to fragrant curries, you will be able eat your way around the east. Walk away from your meal with a full stomach and your wallet only slightly lighter for it. Prices per person can come upto 800-1200 PKR. Reservations must be made in advance.
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