It is always exciting when a restaurant’s food is just as wonderful as its super-chic, good-looking atmosphere. Scottsdale’s The Cultured Pearl Restaurant and Social Club, which opened in the fall, offers guests a unique dining, nightlife and entertainment destination. Whether you want an intimate dinner, a rousing evening with live music or a space for small party, The Cultured Pearl dishes up the space, complete with lovely chandeliers, a sophisticated and muted color palette, a stunning centerpiece piano, a chic patio and gorgeous booths both indoors and out.
As for the eats, Cultured Pearl has a menu packed with modern and seasonally influenced dishes, which include fresh, quality ingredients. To kick off the meal, the ahi tuna crisps are an absolute must–so fresh and flavor-packed. The diced tuna is served on thin, airy crisps and drizzled with a mouthwatering yuzu truffle aioli, that we could have eaten up with a spoon.
For the main event, diners can choose from a small but stellar lineup of entrees or a list of sushi full of innovative rolls and fresh sashimi. The Deep V is a delectable combination of spicy and sweet, as the rolls feature avocado, spicy crab, coconut shrimp and cucumber and are topped with spicy tuna and tempura flakes–and then placed on top of cooling, refreshing peach-chili dipping sauce. The Napoleon Dynamite features yummy baked scallops, an item not often seen in sushi rolls. Shrimp tempura, avocado, crab and a delicious sweet soy glaze tops it off.
Though the sushi is delicious, the star plate is the Chilean sea bass (pictured). The dish impresses right away with such a gorgeous presentation and continues to impress bite after bite. The melt-in-your-mouth sea bass has been marinated in miso and then placed atop sauteed spinach and incredible forbidden rice. The coconut sake broth adds a lovely dose of subtle sweetness. On the side, order the broccilini with red pepper flakes; the dish will make you happy to up your daily veg intake thanks to its spicy kick.
The perfect complement to a meal at Cultured Pearl is the restaurant’s unique Sriracha lemon drop cocktail (pictured). Spicy and tangy, the tongue-prickling Sriracha perfectly balances out the sour lemon. Though it might seem like an odd pairing on paper, the cocktail is a can’t-miss. culturedpearlaz.com.
A Taste of Cultured Pearl Restaurant and Social Club
