Kitsune
DINING » Cafes
By Editor.
04.09.2008
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Arhitektu 1, RigaRīga, Latvia
Phone: 371 67350444
Working hours: Mon-Sun 11.00 - 23.00,
The newest Japanese joint in town, Kitsune, can be found just outside the Old Town, in a revamped basement.
For starters, we tried a couple of avocado Gunkan, which means “battleship” in Japanese. Quality Japanese dining emphasizes delicacy and grace, of which there was not much here - these clumsy sushi pieces at €1.15 were certainly the sloppiest battleships we’d ever seen. Tasty, but not authentic. The miso soup didn’t have much flavor, however quite healthy and good value as it was packed with seaweed and tofu (€1.40).
Since Kitsune has named itself a “sushi studio”, perhaps to go with the club music playing in the background, we tried a couple of pieces of nigiri sake with salmon and scallop (€0.85 and €1.40 a piece). These were fine and fresh, although oddly presented with slices of lemon and disappointingly bland wasabi.
As for the hot mains and lunch specials, all we can say is don’t go there! The roast duck with vegetables was presented in a burnt tasting sauce with bland sauces on the side. We also chose the baked sea-perch lunch special which was covered in white bread crumbs and served with rice that tasted like it had been rolling itself in chicken stock powder. And the biggest surprise was that this didn’t come cheap. Seeing as the locals have embraced Japanese cuisine for quite a while now, it’s impossible to comprehend why the “chef” had presumably tried to “Latvianize” the food. Or maybe that’s just being nice. The chef is local, and didn't show an appreciation of the essence of Japanese cuisine.
The confusing menu, lack of authenticity, ordinary interior, polite and friendly but sometimes flustered service all adds up to a place with very little substance. This location originally was a strip joint, then a sandwich shop, and now a “sushi studio”. Our bet is that you won’t have to wait long to see what comes next...
