Oh sure—give the sushi novice this assignment. Let him experience the raw fish world that he tries to avoid at all costs. Well okay, so I overdramatize a bit, but true confession here—I’ve never experienced what I would consider a decent sushi menu. Biased? Perhaps. It’s just a cuisine that I don’t seek out. Even when I resided in the city years ago, I’d always find an excuse when my elitist sushi friends wanted to indulge in the newest joint.
Don’t get me wrong, since contributing to PA Eats my knowledge and waistline have expanded quite nicely. I’ve learned to try new dishes, overcome food fears and have thrown cuisine caution to the wind. But when my managing editor asked me to write this feature on Murasaki I seriously thought I’d have to turn her down.
Man, am I glad I accepted the challenge. But I wondered—how can I explain to the sushi experts reading this that I even know what I’m talking about? Sushi seekers are hardcore. That being said, I won’t pretend to be that sushi maniac—but I do know what fresh, flavorful, textured and gorgeously plated means, and that’s what you’re going to get here—with this first taste.
Anna Cheng and Bill Ng have conceived this spot in the center of The Shops at Lionville Station in Chester Springs (a few doors down from Limoncello). Anna mentioned that “they just happened to find” Chef Leonardo (“Leo”)—the man with the mad knife skills. Too focused with intensity to look up and smile for my camera, Leo masterfully constructed a beautiful California roll behind the roomy 10-seat sushi bar in record time. I’ve seen these before. I’ve even tasted them occasionally at other sushi places. But would that be enough to swing me back for a return experience? Probably not.
Then this happened. I awkwardly ordered a couple of plates on the double-sided all-inclusive menu that I knew I could handle without offending my gracious hosts (although Anna hinted that they were preparing a few items to represent other areas of their cuisine. Gasp).
I selected a Japanese appetizer of rock shrimp, which were lightly breaded and seriously the most incredible concoction of crispy essence drizzled with house-made sweet and sour sauce that I’ve tasted recently.
My second “safe” choice was stuffed crab rangoon, a dish I’ve experienced at other locations a few times with mixed results. Perfectly fried and loaded with the softest mix of crab, cheeses and herbs, these triangle-shaped wontons paired perfectly with the chef’s chili jam dipping sauce. Things were looking up.
As I proceeded to devour the first two plates, Anna and Bill joined me in my cushy window booth and informed me that Murasaki has now been open for three months. The ambience is clean, sleek and beautifully lit with modern-but-subtle fixtures and plenty of booth and table seating. An uber-cool Buddha-Bar music station wafted through the place via Pandora. The pair explained that they also own Mino restaurant in Malvern, which has a huge lunch following and a solid dinner crowd.
Chef Leo personally served the next plate covered with a smoke-filled glass dome. Upon lifting the dome, the smoke slowly escaped—mysteriously revealing the most beautiful delivery of seared white tuna draped with jet-black roe, sliced scallions and micro-greens. The melt-in-your-mouth smokey flavor mixed with the slightly salty crunch of the roe made quite an impression on this newbie.
I still wanted to attempt a raw dish to lend additional cuisine credibility for this piece, and the crew at Murasaki did not disappoint. They presented me with the most delicate layers of tender scallops (popped directly out of the shell) in an impressive clamshell dish. The scallops were topped with a dazzling dapple of tangerine-colored roe and sprinkled with a few greens and edible flowers, all resting in a chef-blended sauce. I started to really like it here.
What better way to end my adventure at Murasaki than with more raw sushi that’s listed on the menu as “Love Season.” This appetizer was presented on a long plate with colorful spicy tuna cradled in slices of tender avocado topped with caviar and wasabi. The mix of textures was sublime. Now I’m seriously contemplating moving in after my epicurean epiphany.
The full menu includes Thai; a la carte sushi and sashimi; raw, cooked and vegetable rolls; soups; and tons of specials and combos. Anna and Bill also pride themselves in offering off-the-menu dishes as well. Just ask.
Early social media reviews are promising and it’s impossible to find cuisine like this in the Chester Springs area. Be sure to check out their Facebook page for additional specials and some stunning food photos.
This BYOB offers catering and takeout.
Find Murasaki at 475 E. Uwchlan Ave., Chester Springs; phone: (484) 341-8362.
- Photos: Ed Williams
