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Sea-licious!

By on April 9, 2015

MFM Japan brings Manhattan style seafood restaurant to Tokyo.

For too long, parents have put up with these so-called famires or family restaurants that serve alcohol and accept smoking customers for lack of a better place to go. Muslim families have had quite a few challenges too with finding a dining place that suits their Islamic dietary requirements. Well families – you can now breath a sigh of relief. Times are changing.

The new option is Manhattan Fish Market (operated by MFM Japan) that vows to stay true to what a family restaurant should be: pleasing and healthy meals, budget-friendly, no smoking, no alcohol, more elbow room, free wi-fi, close to the station, has a buggy parking space and the list goes on.

“Manhattan Fish Market in Japan is the first halal franchise in Tokyo. It’s a casual dining style inspired by New York city’s iconic Fulton Fish Market by the Brooklyn bridge. We use organic ingredients and all the foods served here are free of additives and alcohol. This is essentially a non-smoking restaurant and we don’t serve alcohol here to make dining a pleasant experience for families,” informs the welcoming Dollar, MFM Japan’s Head of Marketing who went to Temple University with the company’s Chief Operations Officer, Sri Lankan businessman Umar Ali.

After the success of Manhattan Fish Market in 8 other countries, the casual seafood restaurant jumps on the food bandwagon 5 years ahead of the 2020 Olympics which Umar says is ‘the time it takes to build momentum.’

” We are aiming to be the go-to restaurant for halal-certified food in the city by 2020. Instead of promoting overseas, we decided it was best to do it locally,” declares the enterprising man who studied business management in college.

“We are working hard to be the hangout for families and mums with kids in tow,” adds Umar who is a dad himself.

When the restaurant’s attractive ad popped up on my Facebook newsfeeds the other day, I immediately checked out the location, hopped on the train and was in the busy streets of Ikebukuro in no time.

The newly opened restaurant that starts everyday from 11 am through 11 pm (last order at 10:30 pm) is a 2-min walk from the East exit of Ikebukuro station (on JR line) located behind the Armani Exchange shop.

The friendly English-speaking waitress anxiously ushered me to a seat by the open kitchen where the pleasant aroma of fresh herbs and garlic got me swooning over a number of seafood platters lined up on the countertop just before they were served to the customers.

From fresh dory fish and shrimps to oysters and lobsters, the menu has a range of visually appealing images on its Japanese-English menu. The smart combination of modern decor and warm colors certainly work to whet one’s appetite. On the walls hang cute quotes and puns one of which became a favorite. It reads: “Today is a fin-tastic day!” The place also offers free wi-fi that keeps you connected while enjoying your meals.

IMGP0587I started with a bowl of garlic herb mussels (¥680) with a thick white sauce (similar to a Manhattan chowder’s consistency) garnished with herbs and a couple of baguette slices on the side. The garlic sauce perfectly brings out the ethereal ocean flavor of the plump mussels making you hungry for more. The portion size was rather small but that’s what an appetizer is supposed to be!

Not before long, the Flamed Small Grill (¥1,580) arrived. It is a mix of fish, prawns, veggies and rice, The fish fillet was Dory topped with a light creamy sauce and aromatic herbs. The pleasantly seasoned fish comes with fried potato wedges, a chunk of steamed carrots, broccolis as side dish and two pieces of luscious prawns flamed right before your very eyes. Flaming is one of the 5 ways they serve food next to grilling, frying, poaching, and baking. Flaming originated from a French cooking technique called flambéing mostly using alcohol for haute cuisine. But they do not use alcohol here. What flaming actually does to food is to lock the flavors in and keep the meat chewy at the same time.

All the veggies and appetizing seafood sit on a bed of garlic fried rice awakening your memories of a past vacation at an Asian luxury resort. An order of the popular platter comes with a spicy sauce that gives a pleasant kick to an already tasty prawn.

IMGP0586Recommended by the manager, I tried the house’s original Citrus Mint Smoothie, a unique blend of refreshing citrus fruits and mint flavors that set your mood in relax mode. It does a good job of washing away the lingering taste of seafood as well as resetting the taste buds for another helping. A must-try!

chickenNo parent and child are always two peas in a pod. If you like seafood but your kid prefers to have meat, the grilled chicken replete with gravy and side dish will not disappoint. Side dishes come in many arrangements ranging from the classic coleslaw and house salad to mac and cheese. Children will love the thirst-quenching smoothies and kid-friendly pastas.

Manhattan Fish Market’s bilingual menu is grouped according to baked, poached, grilled, fried and flamed. The portions are rather big for young children.

“Kiddie meals are in the works. We should be ready to offer kid-centric meals and portion size in two to three months,” assures the COO.

If you come as a group and want to sample most of what’s on the menu, order the ‘Sharing’ platter size, a bigger version of their a la carte..

Kids approveFrom tasty food at decent prices to being a truly welcoming place for families, Manhattan Fish Market ticks all the right boxes worthy of a repeat visit. Even kids approve.

Sea-riously.

MANHATTAN FISH MARKET
6-25-17 Jingumae, Shibuya, in B1F of the Ichigo Jingumae Building.
Nearest station: Meiji-Jingumae. Exit 7 www.manhattanfishmarket.com/japan.html
Open everyday 11 am – 11 pm

 

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