Ephemeral Art, Epic Eats
Restaurant Week Columbus
By Amy Fisher |
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Haiku plates dishes to delight the eye, appetite, and soul
Usually, it's best to avoid limited-time deals. At least if, like me, you fear being trampled by a mob of people blinded with lust for a discount television.
Restaurant Week Columbus, however, is never a bad idea. It's a great way to sample different things, with crowds that are usually savvy and laid back. Of course, Restaurant Week dining success is aided by a bit of intel. Here is a peek at the Haiku Restaurant Week menu, so you will be confident in bringing your own lusty mob.
The fixed-price menu includes three courses for $25 - and you get plenty for the price. The first course offers a choice of a wrap - either tofu or chicken - or a veggie egg roll salad. I was surprised by the veggie egg roll, which had a refreshingly light flavor. The firm texture of the cabbage works with the subtle sweetness of the carrots to fill in the flaky shell, and the addition of sesame and vinegar kissed somen noodles livens up a classic roll.
The second course offers a choice of one of four rolls. Both the California and Vegetarian Harvest roll are tasty and suitable for even a sushi novice. The crunching Buckeye gives good texture, pairing eel, crab, and masago with crunchy pecans. The White Kamikaze - a spicy tuna roll topped with albacore - is good enough to crash a plane over. It packs the perfect amount of heat to offset the silky flesh of the fish.
Each third-course option is hearty enough to curb the dreaded third hour post-sushi hunger.
The stir-fried veggies look and taste beautiful, highlighted by the al dente broccoli, soft bamboo, and velvety shiitake mushrooms. The fresh cilantro and mint mingling with soft and sweet rice noodles serve to brighten the Pah Thai, while the Haiku Chicken is coated in a thick, sweet, mildly spicy, and intriguing balsamic hoisin sauce set off by meaty and moist gingko nuts.
Good sushi chefs know how important it is to enjoy the way something looks before you put it in your mouth. Haiku takes it a step further with an excellent location and subtle ambiance, where every dish and drink from the menu has a presentation worth of inspiring Zen poetry.
Haiku
800 N High St.
(614) 294-8168
www.haikupoeticfoodandart.com
Originally Published: January 1, 2010
