Tempted Thai & Sushi

By Bill Citara

Jan 27, 2010 - 10:02 AM

Oscar Wilde once said, “I can resist everything but temptation.” He must have been talking about sushi.

Sushi, it seems, is the modern culinary catnip, little slabs of raw fish warbling a siren song of healthy, exotic indulgence. Got a Thai, Vietnamese or Chinese restaurant? Serve sushi. Got a giant-mega-super grocery store chain? Serve sushi. Got an auto body shop, plastic surgery clinic, plumbing supply company? Serve sushi.

Well, OK. I like sushi, the new black.

And there is plenty of sushi to like at Tempted Thai, the Boca progeny of the Fort Lauderdale parent. Let’s be clear: Tempted does not have that impeccable Nobu quality (nor does it have the stratospheric Nobu prices). But it does offer good, solid, well-made sushi with the occasional intriguing twist. Oh, there’s Thai food too, and some nonsushi Japanese dishes, a handful of Chinese items, a nod to Vietnam and various signature plates.

About the sushi: It’s the twists that make it interesting. Kimchee tuna is tartare by way of Korea, a monster portion of chopped (if slightly mushy) tuna piled onto wonton crisps and tossed with a zippy “kimchee sauce,” the stuff that turns fermented cabbage into napalm. Tempted’s version is less incendiary than that, but it does leave a nice tingle on your lips. A surprisingly satisfying take on the obligatory wacky-maki is the Bobo Brazil roll—red onion, lettuce, spicy mayo and wasabi cream, all working to service thin sheets of seared-raw New York steak, sushi for unrepentant carnivores.

From the Thai side of the menu are skewers of “barbecued” chicken given a coconut milk marinade and a quick grilling. Unfortunately, they weren’t given any salt, meaning they weren’t giving up a whole lot of flavor. Not a problem with one of Tempted’s own creations, though, East (green curry sauce) meets West (a big tangle of spaghetti) for a rich, creamy, spicy (medium is plenty hot for non-fire-breathers) pasta topped with a quartet of butterflied jumbo shrimp.

It is a temptation, as is the Bobo roll. And really, when confronted with temptation, is there any point to resist?

21065 Powerline Road, Boca Raton, 561/353-2899