Restaurant review: Gourmet sushi and Thai food was so delicious it left us speechless

Treasure Coast Newspapers
·3 min read

There are not enough words. That was my conclusion after dining at Zakura Sushi & Thai in Port St. Lucie.

I am not talking about the 600 words my editor allows me to write my review. There are not enough words to describe good-tasting food. We ran out. Or we kept repeating ourselves. But the message was the same. Extraordinary.

Zakura has a large two-sided menu with plentiful choices of sushi, rolls, teriyaki, fried rice, curry dishes, stir-fried dishes noodles, soups, pho, ramen and more. My husband is not particularly adventurous when it comes to Asian food, but he was slightly overwhelmed by the number of choices and found it hard to decide.

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Zakura Sushi & Thai Restaurant in Port St. Lucie is spacious and open with black and white tile floors; simple black tables, chairs and booths; and accents of Japanese cherry blossom vines.
Zakura Sushi & Thai Restaurant in Port St. Lucie is spacious and open with black and white tile floors; simple black tables, chairs and booths; and accents of Japanese cherry blossom vines.

The restaurant is spacious and open with black and white tile floors; simple black tables, chairs and booths; and accents of Japanese cherry blossom vines. A large counter dominates one side of the space, behind which the many dishes are prepared and the professional sushi chef skillfully seasons, assembles, rolls and cuts his culinary delights. Cylindrical pendant lights hang over the booths.

We settled in and ordered a plate of gyoza ($8.95). Pork and vegetable dumplings are offered steamed or fried. We chose fried. The crispy and tasty gyoza and ponzu dipping sauce teased our tastebuds. Other appetizers are Thai spring rolls, chicken satay, crispy squid, and soft-shell crab.

Tasting the entrees is where the word thing got complicated. My husband ordered stir fry sweet and sour chicken ($19.95) with fried rice. The rice was unadorned, but it smelled so aromatic I took a bite. I usually don’t get overly excited about fried rice, but this dish was packed with flavors of ginger, sesame and soy sauce. I could have eaten just that and been completely happy. After I suggested everyone else taste his rice, though, he became quite possessive.

At Zakura Sushi & Thai Restaurant in Port St. Lucie, the stir fry chicken was sultry, robustly flavored and just the right combination of sweet and sour. The juxtaposition of flavors was magical.
At Zakura Sushi & Thai Restaurant in Port St. Lucie, the stir fry chicken was sultry, robustly flavored and just the right combination of sweet and sour. The juxtaposition of flavors was magical.

His sweet and sour chicken had tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, onions, pineapple and cucumbers. Typically, I am not fond of this dish because the sauce is frequently overly sweet and drenched in a weird color syrup. Zakura’s sauce, however, was sultry, robustly flavored and just the right combination of sweet and sour. The juxtaposition of flavors was magical.

One friend was drooling over the sushi rolls and settled on 007 Rolls ($25.95). The presentation was amazing. The rolls were stuffed with tuna, salmon, hamachi, avocado and masago (fish roe). They were topped with delectable chunks of eel that burst in his mouth. He described his dinner as divinely mind-blowing. Those are good words.

My friend, who is a self-appointed pad thai snob, has retired her crown (or whatever) after her lobster pad thai ($27.95). The squiggly bowl of rice noodles, bean sprouts, scallions and ground peanuts was topped by an entire steamed lobster tail. The meat was tender and sweet, and the flavors were direct. She blissfully dug into her dinner, exclaiming it was the finest pad thai ever.

At Zakura Sushi & Thai Restaurant in Port St. Lucie, the spicy lo mein was chock-full of stir-fried shrimp, scallops and squid with defining umami flavors.
At Zakura Sushi & Thai Restaurant in Port St. Lucie, the spicy lo mein was chock-full of stir-fried shrimp, scallops and squid with defining umami flavors.

My choice was under the category Chef Recommended Zakura spicy lo mein ($19.95). Oh my! The dish was chock-full of stir-fried shrimp, scallops and squid with defining, ample flavors. It was an umami phenomenon of spicy, salty and amazing.

To complete our meal, we shared cheesecake tempura ($7.95), which was not too sweet, deep-fried, but creamy inside; a delightful ending.

There are not enough adjectives to describe good food. I struggle. The best words I can use to define Zakura Sushi & Thai are intriguing and surprising. This is not fast food. It is deftly and artistically created gastronomy, full of defining flavors, and made fresh to order.

At Zakura Sushi & Thai Restaurant in Port St. Lucie, the cheesecake tempura was deep-fried, but creamy inside.
At Zakura Sushi & Thai Restaurant in Port St. Lucie, the cheesecake tempura was deep-fried, but creamy inside.

Zakura Sushi & Thai

  • Cuisine: Asian

  • Address: 4007 S.W. Port St. Lucie Blvd., Port St. Lucie

  • Phone: 772-905-8680

  • Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30-9 p.m. Monday and Wednesday-Friday; noon to 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; closed Tuesday

  • Alcohol: Beer and wine

  • Online: https://www.zakurasushithai.com/

Lucie Regensdorf dines anonymously at the expense of TCPalm for #WhatToDoIn772. Contact her atLucie@theloveofcooking.com

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Asian restaurant review: Zakura Sushi & Thai food in Port St. Lucie