Category: Japanese

Japanese combines the best of raw and cooked food. Its Sushi and Sashimi are known worldwide for its distinct way to present food.

Manmaru

Manmaru Review:

There is a little cafe in Dulwich Hill that has recently been transformed to a Japanese-inspired cafe called Manmaru by its owners. Their menu heavily features vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options. The fun part is: they don’t have a fixed menu. They change the menu according to the fresh produce they could find on the day. Interestingly, they managed to combine Japanese ingredients with your usual Australian brunch options.

Miso Beef Brisket – $10 – with asian slaw shichimimayo

The burger might be the cheapest and simpler item on the blackboard that day. However, the brisket was so tasty and worked really well with the asian slaw.

Koji scrambled egg – $16 – with miso butter mushroom

The koji scrambled egg looked like a simple egg, mushroom and a few slices of toast. However, that mushroom is anything but simple. They are jam-packed full of flavour!

Organic lamb with sweet potato – $13 – with housemade tomato chutney and salad

There were four different pies that day. They ran out of our first choice, chicken leek and mushroom. Considering that we are not big on black beans and vegetarian option, our pick went to organic lamb. The pie had a more middle-eastern influence.

White chocolate matcha latte – $6

Considering it’s quite a cold day last week. The white chocolate matcha latte really suited the occasion. The cold weather did not stop the kids to try their rose lychee milkshake tho!

The final verdict for Manmaru

I like a little variety for my brunch. Manmaru delivered a Japanese-inspired brunch that was quite a rarity in Inner West, or even Sydney.

Did you know?

Manmaru also has little cakes and pastries if you are looking for a more bite-sized treat.

Rating for Manmaru:

7.0 / 10

Taste: 7.0 / 10

Price: $10 – $18 per dish

Place: 7.5 / 10

Details:

495 Marrickville Road, Dulwich Hill 2203

+61 4 1456 6624

https://www.manmaru.com.au/

Jul 21, 2017
Izakaya Goma

Izakaya Goma Review:

Our colleagues and I dined at Izakaya Goma in Maroubra quite regularly for lunch. They are probably the only Japanese restaurant in the area that does lunch for under $10. The catch is you can only have at most three options a day and it varies depending on the day you visit the restaurant. It is also a simple bowl of something with miso soup.

For a more elaborate lunch, they also have other options available from their menu. If you don’t fancy any of the lunch menu, you can always go back to their regular menu.

Oden – $1.50

This is an irresistible factor when having lunch at Izakaya Goma. For only $1.50 a stick, you get to choose from a variety of Japanese Oden. I usually like to have the konyaku jelly and fish balls.

Kaisen Bara Chirashi Zen – $14.8 – assorted raw and cooked seafood on sushi rice

I always love eating chirashi (basically it’s a bowl of sushi rice with sashimi cuts)! It’s probably not the cheapest, but it has quite a variety in the bowl.

Teriyaki Salmon Yakimono – $18.8 – grilled salmon basted with teriyaki sauce

The teriyaki salmon yakimono comes from the main menu. The portion is obviously a lot bigger than the lunch menu.

Tendon – $13.8 or $9.80 – assorted tempura on Japanese rice

It is your usual tempura pieces on a bowl of rice.

Chicken Katsu – $10.80 or $9.80 – breaded chicken cutlet with egg and onion on Japanese rice

It is another of your usual chicken katsu on a bowl of rice.

Sushi

They have quite a lot of options for Sushi and Sashimi.

The final verdict for Izakaya Goma

Izakaya Goma has a good value option for a quick lunch.

Did you know?

They used to have free fairy floss for the kids.

Rating for Izakaya Goma:

7.0 / 10

Taste: 7.0 / 10

Price: $9.8 lunch specials

Place: 7.0 / 10

Details:

693 Anzac Parade, Maroubra 2035

+61 2 9349 1945

http://www.izakayagoma.com/

Jul 11, 2017
Yakitori Jin

Yakitori Jin Review:

A few weeks ago, we heard about a restaurant in Haberfield, Sydney, that served Japanese Yakitori. Yakitori Jin is the name. We were quite amazed in so many levels. When people talk about Haberfield, it is synonymous with Italian restaurants and ricotta cheesecake. So, opening a Japanese restaurant that predominantly serves yakitori, aka Japanese chicken skewers, was quite a bold move.

We managed to visit Yakitori Jin last week. The restaurant looked pretty unassuming from the outside. There were only a handful of tables inside. We were quite lucky we got a table without a booking. Their yakitori came with two choices: salt and tare (basically you want either salty or sweet). In addition to the Yakitori, they also serve a few rice and noodles dishes.

Smoky Edamame – $8

It has become our custom to start Japanese dinner with edamame. Instead of just a boiled and salted edamame, they also add an extra element to it!

Omakase – $24 – 6pc Chef’s selection

Because there were way too many to choose from, we decided to leave it up to the chef (omakase). Their omakase is a selection of six yakitori. I love a good element of surprise in my dining experience.

Our first three yakitori are Okura (Okra), Perino tomato with camembert cheese, and Kokoro (Chicken Heart). You might not be able to judge from the picture (it looked like a regular sticks), but these three were amazing!

The next three were the ‘normal’ chicken skewers: Mune Chicken breast, Momo Chicken thigh, and Negima Chicken thigh and breast with leek. Again, you can’t really justify how it tasted from the picture. They were very good!

When you work on the Maths, it ends up being $4 a stick… not a bad deal!

Wagyu line meat – $6

Yakitori Jin also has a couple of specials in the menu. We were interested in one of the specials that night: wagyu line meat – Gyu suji Kushiyaki. It was so good that even our little one wanted one!

Artery – $4

At the bottom of the menu, they mentioned ‘some rare parts of yakitori are limited in stock’. One of the rare parts was chicken artery. Obviously the rare parts might not be for everyone. But for us, it was such a treat!

Yakitori don – $9.90 – a bowl of rice topped with yakitori tare

When you go to a restaurant, usually they don’t really take good care of your kids or they thought that chicken nuggets or fish and chips would do for these young ones. Yakitori Jin managed to present quite a nice rice bowl. I was just curious what happened to the kids who don’t eat chicken skewers.

Yaki Onigiri – $11 – A grilled rice ball with Jin soup (rich chicken soup with meat balls)

From the face value, $11 might be a steep proposition for a rice ball and a bowl of soup. But I think this is the dish that you don’t want to miss out… seriously! The soup was super rich and yummy… and did I mention grilled rice?

The final verdict for Yakitori Jin

Throughout the process of writing this review, I can’t stop thinking about when I will visit the place again. It’s just that good!

Rating for Yakitori Jin:

8.0 / 10

Taste: 8.0 / 10

Price: $82 for 2 people

Place: 8.5 / 10

Details:

101 Ramsay Street, Haberfield 2045

+61 420 565 101

http://torijin.com.au

Jun 30, 2017
Masuya Japanese Seafood Restaurant

Masuya Japanese Seafood Restaurant Review:

I had a friend coming over from New Zealand and he was looking for a great dining experience in Sydney. My option went to Masuya Japanese Seafood Restaurant, which was considered by many as (one of, if not) the best Japanese in Sydney.

They have an option of Kaiseki, aka degustation, dinner. But on this occasion, I opted to pick and choose dishes we would like to try… just because there were just way too many I’d like to try!

Tofu and Avocado Salad – $10.80 – silken tofu, avocado & seasoned seaweed with shiso basil dressing

My usual comment for salad is ‘just another green’. For this one, the green comes from seaweed, and avocado as well… a less green-y salad!

Masuya’s Salmon Salad – $13.80 – lightly spiced marinated salmon with creamy blue cheese, onion and salad with rice vinaigrette dressing

I love this salad… with capital L O V E! It has that burst of blue cheese while we’re eating that makes it pretty exciting.

Beef Tataki – $14.80 – seared wagyu beef, sliced sashimi style, crisp mizuna with ponzu soy citrus and a touch of balsamic

The depth of flavour for this beef tataki is very nice.

Karaage Soft Shell Crab – M $19.80 – crispy soft shell crab with sweet chilli and wasabi mayonnaise sauce

This dish was gone quite fast, courtesy of its mouth-watering presentation. The wasabi mayonnaise was very smooth. There was also a portion of crushed potato (it wasn’t exactly mashed as the texture was grainy) that was quickly becoming our favourite!

Tonkatsu Pork Loin (Kurobuta) – $20.80 – deep-fried crispy kurobuta pork loin served with home blended tonkatsu sauce

They told me that the tonkatsu was pretty good as well.

Sea Eel (Anago) – $22.80 – bbq sea eel grilled with our flavoured original sauce on a bed of steamed rice

This white sea eel wasn’t exactly presented for sharing. Masuya’s sauce was sweeter than most Japanese grill sauce.

Hokkaido Scallops – $24.80 – deep-fried scallops, imported from Hokkaido, Japan, served with homemade tartar sauce & tonkatsu sauce

To be honest, I am still not sure what’s so special about scallops from Hokkaido. It tasted like scallops from Sydney, which I think is already one of the freshest and best in the world.

Sushi Deluxe platter – $68.00 – Gorgeous and most valued sushi selection – total of 32 pieces assorted sushi

There were quite a lot of sushi in the plate. It was presented beautifully and tasted amazing!

If you really want that uni (sea urchin) sushi, you’d better be quick!

Ocean Jewel Boat – $88.00 – a dozen pacific oyster served with three different types of sauce, scampi, hokki, scallop and fresh salmon sashimi

Ocean Jewel Boat is the most mouth-wateringly elegant sashimi boat I have ever seen. The content is like A-list celebrities of the seafood world, minus lobster. It was served super fresh. We, obviously, devoured them in a heartbeat!

Nasu Miso – $9.80 – deep-fried eggplant with Masuya’s original miso paste

We actually ordered this quite later in the service after we found out one of our guests couldn’t eat too much raw fish. What’s not to love about nasu miso? The eggplant was so soft!

Misoyaki Chicken – $20.80 – oven grilled miso marinated thigh fillet of chicken served with green vegetables

Another one that we ordered quite late. The serving was quite small but it really packed a punch.

Wagyu Sukiyaki Hot Pot – $48.00 – finely sliced marble score no. 6 sirloin beef with seasonal vegetables, cooked at your table, served in a traditional Japanese style with beaten egg dipping sauce – minimum order for two

I did not order this for our main group. A decision that I quickly regretted (and was frowned upon by some people in the group). You really must order this when you are dining at Masuya… especially in winter!

The final verdict for Masuya Japanese Seafood Restaurant

Masuya Japanese Seafood Restaurant lived up to its name. We had wonderful dining experience there

Did you know?

The restaurant group has a few different levels of restaurant, including an izakaya that we have reviewed in the past.

Rating for Masuya Japanese Seafood Restaurant:

9.0 / 10

Taste: 9.0 / 10

Price: $75 per person

Place: 8.5 / 10

Details:

12 – 14 O’Connell Street, Sydney 2000

+61 2 9235 2717

http://www.masuyainternational.com.au/en/masuya/

May 15, 2017
Don Don

Don Don Review:

We were walking around in Melbourne CBD one day. I opened up the usual food advisor app and surely enough it showed me all of the high ranking ones around the area. When we were walking down the street towards one of our options, we spotted this neon sign in an alley way, Don Don. Somehow we decided to ditch our previous option and walked towards the sign… sounds like a mosquito approaching that purple neon light, eh?

When we arrived, there were quite a few people outside. Apparently they were waiting for their takeaway orders. In the restaurant, you are required to pay at the counter first and they will deliver the food to your table. You have to do everything else yourself. There was only one person at the counter and I believe only one chef.

What’s so amazing about this place is the price. Nothing is over $10… I repeat: NOTHING! Their bento box is only $9.4!

Sukiyaki Don – $6.9 – Thinly sliced beef on rice

Who is not happy to have a big bowl of sukiyaki don for only $6.9? To give you a context how big it is, my wife managed to have a portion of the bowl for takeaway. Additionally, the taste was very acceptable.

Takoyaki – cheap – Japanese Squid Balls

A whole bunch of takoyaki for (what seems to be) next to nothing. Despite the price, they were still made next to perfection.

Sashi Don – $9.8 – raw salmon / ocean trout slices on rice

Sashi don is their most expensive dish. In addition to the raw salmon slices, you still get salad, pickles, and tamago (Japanese omelette) slices. Although it’s probably not the freshest raw salmon, it’s still better than quite a lot of restaurants that charges more for raw salmon.

Okonomiyaki – $4.8 – Japanese Pancake

For less than $5, their okonomiyaki is humongous! The perfect addition if you are still hungry. Although, I seriously doubt you are still hungry after eating their main dish.

The final verdict for Don Don

Don Don Japanese restaurant has a great value for money and good quality dishes.

Did you know?

There were quite a few Don Don restaurants in Melbourne. Obviously with the cheap price and lightning speed, they have to compromise on other aspects, such as maintenance. However, It really doesn’t matter that much if you have the food for take away.

Rating for Don Don:

7.0 / 10

Taste: 7.0 / 10

Price: It’s so cheap… seriously!

Place: 6.0 / 10

Details:

26 Francis Street, CBD, Melbourne

Don Don in Zomato

May 8, 2017
Kabuki Shoroku

Kabuki Shoroku Review:

We had a special occasion this week and decided to have a nice dinner at Kabuki Shoroku Japanese restaurant in Sydney CBD. Their restaurant had an old feel to it (according to them, they have been around for 25 years!).

They have a degustation menu called Kaiseki – autumn. It was priced at $88 per person. It is predominantly seafood dishes, highlighted by lobsters cooked in two ways.

Chef’s seasonal selection of appetisers
There were four different appetisers: slow cooked tuna, bamboo shoots, cheese and squid with fish paste. They were quite small but full of flavour.

Assortment of various fresh sashimi
Three of the most common kinds of Sashimi for each of us: salmon, tuna, kingfish. The cut was rather thick but it was so fresh.

Lobster tail grilled in two ways – mornay & soy
I usually was not a fan of lobsters. They carried a premium price but less tasty than a tiger prawn. Kabuki Shoroku served their lobsters beautifully. I wouldn’t mind a second serving.

Slow cooked duck and seasonal mushrooms served in clear starchy sauce topped with spinach and yuzu
The duck was probably our favourite for the night, just by a small margin from the lobster. I would also definitely go back to the restaurant for this dish!

Pacific saury seasoned with sweet soy and lightly fried, sansho pepper, lime
Saury is a kind of fish (yes, I had to google it when seeing the menu). It was quite an oily one, especially after being fried. Despite its small look, it was actually pretty heavy.

Sushi chef’s best selection of today’s nigiri sushi
We had three very fresh sushi. I couldn’t quite remember what they were.

Miso soup
Instead of the usual cloudy soup, the colour was actually quite dark. The flavour was pretty intense. It is interesting how they served the soup at the very last.

Chef’s special dessert selection
The dessert of the day was green tea mousse with strawberry and cream. It was quite a thick dessert to end the night.

Additional dishes
The following dishes are not part of the kaiseki menu, but came in as extras for the little one (or mine).

Saute Salmon with soy butter – $28
The soy butter for the salmon was pretty salty. It needs to be enjoyed with a bowl of rice.

Sushi – Scampi and steamed oyster
Scampi is my personal favourite in a Japanese restaurant. I usually order it when they are available. I actually also ordered sea urchin, but they were not available that day.

Tofu Rare Cheesecake with Ice cream – $12
Tofu cheesecake was so interesting that we just had to order it.

The final verdict for Kabuki Shoroku

You know you had a very nice dinner when you left the restaurant feeling nourished and happy. That’s how we felt upon leaving Kabuki Shoroku. Their service was impeccable.

Did you know?

Kabuki Shoroku has a sister restaurant for a more informal dining called Sakuratei. It is located right in front of the restaurant.

Rating for Kabuki Shoroku:

8.5 / 10

Taste: 8.5 / 10

Price: $88 per person

Place: 7.5 / 10

Details:

Ground Floor 31 Market Street Sydney 2000

(202 Clarence St)

+61 2 9267 4552

http://www.kabukishoroku.com.au/

May 2, 2017