Asia Garden, Corralejo | Experience The Tastes Of Four Oriental Cuisines On The Spanish Island Of Fuerteventura

When I go on holiday I usually eat out at as many restaurants focused around local cuisine as possible – especially in Fuerteventura, where the Canarian fish and other dishes are just divine. Sometimes it’s nice for a change though, so during our most recent trip out there we decided to check out Asia Garden in Corralejo, a fusion restaurant combining several different Asian cuisines.

The Vibe

There’s something so calming about Asian restaurants – I always feel so relaxed within them, and this was definitely the case for Asia Garden. Although bold and hard to miss from the outside, inside feels quite serene with a simple table layout and gorgeous Asian-themed décor, from stunningly detailed Japanese paintings to simple bamboo displays within the walls.

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It’s possible to sit both inside and outside – we chose inside to make a change from the outside dining we usually go for in Corralejo, however the outside had a lovely, personal feel to it. I found the general seating to be really spacious (which is important when lots of dishes might be involved!) and the inside of the restaurant had a lively yet still chilled out atmosphere.

The Food

The exciting thing about Asia Garden is how many different types of food are available as the restaurant offers four separate cuisines – Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Japanese. This is something I haven’t really seen before, with previous fusion visits being to restaurants that only combine two, like my recent visit to Wagamama which fuses Japanese with general Asian cooking.

We decided during this visit that we were going to focus on Japanese, which means we can get another three original visits to the restaurant! I think that’s what I really love about it, as you can go to the same restaurant on multiple occasions yet get something completely different each time.

For drinks we just went for a couple of bottles of house red between the three of us, however the menu offered a great variety of different alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks due to the range of cuisines, such as a lovely selection of Asian lagers (Asian lagers are one of my favourite lager styles and I’d always recommend with Asian food as they pair so well). We weren’t massively hungry so didn’t go for a three-course meal – instead we got a starter between three of us and then went onto our mains.

For the starter we ordered a plate of California Roll sushi, a sushi type which, despite my love of sushi, I had never actually tried because I’d always thought that I didn’t like crab (turns out I actually do like it, and I shouldn’t have based my opinion on it on my experience of crab sticks as a child). For those that don’t know, the California Roll features crab, avocado, and cucumber, and I’d say is quite a refreshing piece of sushi with its mellow and fresh flavours. These pieces were absolutely gorgeous, and so filling that I probably would have been alright without the main!

For the mains we diverged into different styles of Japanese cooking – Paul, my partner, opted for his favourite Teriyaki beef with a side of egg-fried rice, and I ordered a plate of the Nigiri Sushi Oriental to share with our friend Rob, who is also a bit of a sushi fanatic. The beef within the Teriyaki dish was well-cooked and flavoursome, and it came with a good variety of vegetables including red peppers, onions, and broccoli, It was filling, especially with the rice side, and we loved the little carrot rose carving that adorned the main plate.

The sushi board that came out was an excellent selection for the price of €18.50 (which we shared between two). It contained two pieces of salmon, two pieces of tuna, one piece of sea bream, one piece of eel, one piece of octopus, one piece of prawn, one piece of cuttlefish, and one piece of salmon roe. I had never tried eel, sea bream, or cuttlefish before, and despite being an octopus fan I’d never actually had it on sushi. Also on the board were soy sauce and wasabi for dipping, and pickled ginger to cleanse the palate once the meal is complete.

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Both my friend and I agreed that the sushi was very high quality, with each piece contributing its own flavours and textures to the selection. The salmon sushi, which I’ve eaten on many occasions, was far superior to what I’ve had back in the UK, and I really enjoyed the more obscure pieces such as the eel, which was actually lovely (even if I was apprehensive when ordering). The octopus was gorgeous too, as was the sea bream. In the end we couldn’t finish it all as it was just so filling!

Final Thoughts

Before going to Asia Garden I was worried that I wouldn’t enjoy this meal out as much as it wasn’t Spanish, however it ended up being one of the foodie highlights of my holiday. The sushi was way better than any other sushi I’d eaten before and I couldn’t believe just how versatile the menu was. I’m super excited to go back next time we’re in Corralejo – we’ll possibly go for the Vietnamese next!

Do you eat different cuisine when you go abroad, or do you always stick with locally produced food? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to like and pin! You can check out some of my other Corralejo restaurant reviews here:

Retro
El Pescador
La Casita