It’s possible to have a good experience at the Rendezvous Gallery’s Japanese spot, you just need to know what you’re in for. Don’t expect a fine dining temple or a sophisticated space. (A dead giveaway: the place is right next to Tex Mex fast food joint Baja Fresh.) Seki’s an affordable outlet that’s just right for a mid-week bite. Initially headed by Japanese chef Takuma Seki (who earned his chops at MBS’s Hide Yamamoto), it’s now under the care of Malaysian Dawn Pau. The latter, too, has respectable credentials—he was the head sushi chef at the Fairmont’s Inagiku (now Mikuni)—but judging from the menu, Pau’s chosen a more mainstream route. Gone are the experimental fusion signatures the previous torque made famous, the relatively tame foie gras chawanmushi ($9) and cheese chawanmushi ($7) are really the only mod-Japanese offerings here. And that’s fair enough, because this now casual eatery is priced to reflect that change. The menu is dominated by value-for-money sets (from $13.50) available at both lunch and dinner. Fair warning: their sushi isn’t pretty or anything to shout about. (We spotted a chef lining up blocks of rice to make nigiri.) But stick with their competent grills, including the salmon head ($8), and you should be satisfied. Also, not all the excitement is gone from the drink and dessert menus. Standouts include the Kodakara yogurt sake ($35) that’s served in a teapot with an ice-filled core—it might be described as Yakult for grown-ups—bitey wasabi ice-cream ($7) and inventive dessert specials such as raisin shochu cream cheese ice-cream ($7). Maybe the setup isn’t perfect, but the grub’s cheap and the service is chirpy; there’s real value in that.
