Pacific Rim Restaurant Sarasota
1859 Hillview St, Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 330-8071
While running errands in Sarasota with Daniel, between a Macy’s trip and a Staples return, my tummy reminded me that it was close to dinner time. Sarasota has a plethora of restaurants, so it is always a difficult choice! We don’t have a “go-to” Asian restaurant in St. Pete, so we decided to look for some spicy Asian fusion food. A local friend recommended, Pacific Rim Restaurant.
Situated in a small shopping plaza, it was not what we expected. (We assumed it would be a large, trendy, hot spot in downtown Sarasota.) Don’t let the exterior fool you…This place was full of great surprises!
First of all, the menu was incredible. The food was all prepared in open air kitchens.
Although very tempting, we didn’t explore the deliciously described cocktails and martinis. I ordered one skinny cocktail…it was filled with a mixture of fresh berries and mint. It was definitely very refreshing. It had some alcohol hiding in it, but I couldn’t tell at all. Next, time I’ll get a cocktail with a little more kick.
The Sushi Menu was quite extensive and definitely had something for everyone, including fully cooked rolls for those who don’t prefer raw fish.
The main menu included appetizers, salads, stir-fry, noodles, rice, curry, and lots of special house entrees. We must have spent a good fifteen minutes reading over the menu and deciding what to order. We went back and forth on ordering an appetizer or sushi. I knew if we ordered both, it would be WAY too much food. Eventually, we agreed on sushi rolls after getting a glance of some on our neighbor’s plates. They looked absolutely gorgeous!
The sushi rolls were creative, filling, full of flavor, and most importantly very fresh. The Atlantic roll consisted of all the ingredients wrapped with a piece of Grouper. So much fish…amazing!
Next up, we decided to go for some traditional crowd pleasing entrees–chicken red curry with rice and shrimp pad thai.
Chicken red curry was on point spicy–the way we like it. These dishes are made-to-order and we requested “HOT.” If you prefer mild, then you can get less or no spice. Speaking of spicy, the pad thai, surprisingly, had a little kick too. Also, it included very large, perfectly cooked, fresh shrimp, not the smaller, overcooked shrimp many restaurants use for their rice, lo mein, pad thai, or similar dishes.
We could see that Pacific Rim takes pride in serving the freshest and most authentic foods. Next time, we will definitely put our traditional order aside and try more of the innovative menu items. I’m positive we won’t be disappointed!
As for service, we didn’t have any complaints. The servers were very friendly, attentive, and offered excellent sushi suggestions. They kept our waters full and the food arrived piping hot, just as it was prepared in the open kitchens.
All in all, I say Pacific Rim “Exceeded Expectations.” We really liked the casual, Asian themed atmosphere, and the food was absolute perfection. A great value, too. We can’t wait to go back!
Ed says
I’m not a sushi lover, but the shrimp pad thai and the curry chicken sound delicious! I will try this restaurant the next time I am in Sarasota!