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.

Mappen – Japanese Noodle and Rice Bowl Bar

Review:

If I have to pick the best restaurant to have cheap casual eat out, I would pick Mappen Bondi Junction. It is probably the restaurant that I visited the most in Sydney. It is also happened to be pretty close to where I work.

The restaurant is like a school canteen. You get a tray, order up and move along towards the cashier. In the middle of it there is an abundance of Fried Toppings and Tempura. The temptation is always there to pick quite a lot of them!

Chicken Katsu – $3.30

I have tried quite a few dishes in their menu and I think the top two are the ones below:

Ontama Stewed beef was my ‘go-to’ dish. The regular size (with a couple tempura) is usually enough to get me through the day.

Ontama Stewed Beef – Half boiled egg on Plain Stewed Beef Bowl (lots of stewed beef & pickled ginger on rice – $6.90

Its chicken counterpart is Ontama Teriyaki chicken. It is also quite a simple dish.

Ontama Teriyaki Chicken – Half boiled egg on Teriyaki Chicken bowl (grilled teriyaki chicken & dried seaweed on rice – $6.90

They also serve a few noodle dishes, the cheapest that you can get was Bukkake. It is noodles with Bukkake sauce, shallot and lemon. For only $5.5, you get a very large bowl of noodles. You can choose between soba and udon.

Soba Bukkake – Hot noodle with Bukkake Sauce, shallot & lemon – $5.5 (Large)

So what’s ontama? Ontama (or onsen tamago) is egg boiled in onsen hot springs temperature (just about 70 degrees). The egg has quite a unique property as it’s just about cooked.

The last item that I purchased from Mappen was its Curry, I didn’t take a picture of it because it was for takeaway. I think it’ll be my new favourite there!

The final verdict for Mappen Bondi Junction

Seriously, what’s not to like about Mappen Bondi Junction?

Low price tag? Check. Great taste? Check. Fast and friendly service? Check.

Did you know?

Mappen is part of a Japanese food business that includes Suminoya, Koh-Ya and Rengaya. Unlike its siblings, the restaurant is catered for a daily casual dining.

Rating for Mappen Bondi Junction:

7.5 / 10

Taste: 7.5 / 10

Price: $3.90 – $15.90 for main course

Place: 7.0 / 10

Details:

Shop 5, 183-193 Oxford St, Bondi Junction, NSW 2022

+61 2 9388 0609

http://mappen.com.au/

May 7, 2015
Japanese ChaShu Recipe

Traditionally speaking, Japanese uses pork belly that are rolled into a log to create the perfect Chashu. We are now trying to make Japanese Chashu beef! You can also make chashu chicken using this recipe, but make sure you use its thigh.

I will also write how to cook Chashu beef using conventional oven (this is the recipe I got) and using Slow Cooker (my ‘cheat’ mode).

What do we need to make Chashu Beef?

1. 2 Kg Beef Chuck Steak or you can also use beef brisket
2. 1/2 cup soy sauce
3. 1 cup cooking sake
4. 1 cup mirin
5. 1/2 cup sugar
6. 6 Spring onions, roughly chopped
7. 1 1/2 tbsp of garlic (or 6 whole garlic cloves)
8. 1 1/2 tbsp of ginger (or 5 cm knob ginger, roughly sliced)
9. 1 whole shallot (or you can substitute it with half Spanish onion)

The preparation for making Chashu Beef

Nothing! Just get all of the ingredients and follow the steps below.

Mixture for making Japanese Chashu Beef

How do we make the Chashu Beef using conventional oven?

1. Preheat oven to 135 °C.
2. Heat 1 cup water, soy sauce, cooking sake, mirin, sugar, spring onions, garlic, ginger, and shallot in a medium saucepan over high heat until boiling.
3. Add beef chuck steak. Cover with a lid left slightly ajar. Transfer to oven and cook, turning beef occasionally, until beef is fully tender and a cake tester or thin knife inserted into its center meets little resistance, 3 to 4 hours. Transfer contents to a sealed container and refrigerate until completely cool.
4. When ready to serve, remove beef and strain broth. Reserve broth for another use (like making ajitsuke tamago). Slice beef into thin slices (it might help to cut it in half lengthwise first).
5. Reheat beef slices in soup broth with noodles and other garnishes. Alternatively, heat a small amount of reserved broth in a skillet and heat beef slices in broth until hot or reheat with a blowtorch, charring its surface. Serve.

Refrigerated Japanese-Style Chashu Beef

How do we make the Chashu Beef using slow cooker? – My Personal Take

1. Add all of the ingredients above into the slow cooker.
2. Set the slow cooker to cook on ‘high’ for two hours.
3. Set the slow cooker to cook on ‘low’ for three hours.
4. Put chashu beef into a sealed container and refrigerate until completely cooled.
5. When you are about to serve it, carve up your desired amount, put some of the broth in and reheat the chashu beef in microwave.

A little tips to make your perfect Chashu Beef

1. For the cup measurement, I use the standard kitchen cup (possibly something around 237 ml).
2. You can mix the beef and all of the ingredients a day in advance to marinade it.
3. The chashu beef is obviously best served with Ramen. However, we like to eat them just with a warm jasmine rice.

What is the difference between Chashu and Char Siu?

According to Wikipedia, Japanese Chashu is prepared by rolling the meat into a log and then braising it at a low temperature. It is also cooked without using the red food colouring and five-spice powder.

Apr 9, 2015
Koh-Ya Randwick

Review:

One of my favourite restaurants in Sydney just got a new baby sister in Randwick! Koh-Ya Randwick is part of a group that includes Yakiniku restaurants and noodle bars. Yakiniku is a type of Japanese cooking that let you grill the meat yourself.

Koh-Ya Randwick has a few a la carte dishes. However, the one that got us interested is their buffet menu. They have two types of buffet: Koh-Ya Buffet and Special Bufet. Koh-Ya buffet costs you $36.90 and you can choose from 50 different dishes, three different desserts, and it’s all you can eat.

Although it’s an all-you-can-eat restaurant, you are only given an hour and 30 minutes at the restaurant. Additionally, you are only allowed to order in the first 60 minutes. That might sound a bit short (especially when compared to 4-hour degustation), however it should be enough time for intense cooking-and-eating combo!

There are only five extra items on the menu for Special Buffet: ox tongue, wagyu beef ribs, spicy chicken, and sashimi salmon and tuna). For these extra items, you will need to pay $8 more. If you are a big fan of sashimi, then the special buffet is a must for you!

I know most of the things I eat in all you can eat restaurant are either meat or seafood. However, there are some dishes in Koh-Ya to consider, like different types of rice bowls and soups and quite a number of salads.

The final verdict for Koh-Ya Randwick

The good things about Koh-Ya Randwick are that they open pretty close to where I live at the moment and they don’t use charcoal for Yakiniku – which translates to less smoke.

Did you know?

Koh-Ya also has a branch in Neutral Bay.

The best thing about Koh-Ya Randwick is probably the fact that there is a small children playground on the side!

Rating for:

7.5 / 10

Taste: 7.5.0 / 10

Price: $36.90 for buffet

Place: 7.5 / 10

Details:

36 Perouse Road, Randwick 2031

+61 2 8068 0522

Koh-Ya Randwick’s facebook page

Mar 11, 2015
Jazushi

Review:

Before I visited Jazushi, I had always had a doubt about this restaurant, mainly because of its name. Furthermore, Surry Hills isn’t the easiest place to reach by car on a weekend. So, when my friend planned his birthday there, I knew I would not miss the opportunity!

We opted for the degustation menu and I am also posting pictures of the Vegetarian option as some of us ordered it. The Jazushi set menu is priced at $55, whilst its vegetarian counterpart is $7 cheaper. Unlike other restaurants, Jazushi presented their degustation as shared plates.

Salmon and Kingfish Carpaccio – Asparagus with Saikyo sauce

You know you will have a great night when your first dish is already impressive. The carpaccio was very fresh and perfectly complemented with the basil oil.

Asparagus with Saikyo Sauce

Green Tea Noodle Salad

Both set menu was the same for the second dish. It was another light and refreshing dish for the night. The noodles were al dente and perfectly matched with the salad.

Grilled Silver Cod – Lotus Root ‘Kinpira’

Despite the size, the grilled silver cod was excellent. It was very tasty! If only I could have the whole plate!

Lotus Root ‘Kinpira’

Camembert Tempura

I could not get enough off the Camembert Tempura. It is so finger-licking good! Do I really need to say more about it?

Vegetarian option also got the same stuff.

Sushi – Vegetarian Nori Rolls

To be honest, the Sushi was the most standard-looking dish of the night. The quality was still there tho. The vegetarian rolls looked slightly livelier.

Vegetarian Nori Rolls

JFC – Breaded Mushroom

JFC is probably one of their signature dishes. Jazushi’s fried chicken came with homemade tartar sauce and yuzu citrus sauce. They were pretty good but other dishes were a lot more awesome!

Breaded Mushroom

Kakuni ‘Kurobuta’ Pork Belly – Tofu Steak with Teriyaki Sauce

When you slow-cooked (especially over night) pork belly, you will get this melt-in-your-mouth sensation. That’s what you get with Jazushi’s Kakuni.

In terms of presentation, the tofu steak was definitely more inferior to the pork belly.

Tofu Steak with Teriyaki Sauce

Wagyu Sirloin Steak – Nasu Grilled

Wagyu sirloin steak is only available for the degustation menu. It was a bit too small to my liking, but it was a nice steak.

I wasn’t fast enough to take the picture of Nasu Grilled.

Dessert

The dessert for the night was Green tea crème brulee. It had a nice caramelised top with smooth green tea cream.

The final verdict for Jazushi

I think Jazushi has become my newest favourite. Everything was spot on and the degustation has a really good value for money!

Did you know?

We ordered several a la carte menu, and we particularly enjoyed the seared sushi.

Rating for:

8.5 / 10

Taste: 8.5 / 10

Price: $55 for Jazushi Set Menu ($48 for Vegetarian option)

Place: 8.0 / 10

Details:

145 Devonshire St, Surry Hills 2010

+61 2 9699 8977

http://jazushi.squarespace.com/

Feb 18, 2015
Nine Fine Food

Review:

One evening, I was walking around with a couple of friends in Northbridge in Perth. We couldn’t decide where to eat and had to ask for advice from our faithful friend, Urbanspoon. We decided to dine in Nine Fine Food, because 90% out of 1,200 patrons liked it!

Our first impression was the restaurant was quite pricey for a casual dining. Little did we know that they were ranked in the top 20 in the Australian Good Food & Travel Guide list. Since I was only in Perth for a short period, we decided to have their most comprehensive menu: Chef’s Selected 5 Course Tasting Menu.

Everyone has the same dish for the first two courses and a choice of two dishes for the last three courses.

1^st Course

Spicy Tuna Sashimi – Spicy Miso Marinated Fresh Sashimi Tuna, Mixed Beans, Herbed Salad

The first course was quite a simple Tuna sashimi that had quite a bit of punch in the miso sauce.

I was just unsure about the red hair-strand lookalike at the top that’s actually quite hard to chew.

2^nd Course

Kinoco Caviar Pasta – Angel Hair Pasta, Mushrooms, Tobico Caviar, Onion, Creamy Rice Wine Sauce (Additional Soft Shell Crab 6.5 each)

The Kinoco Caviar pasta was quite a unique dish. It was presented in a small cup with a cracker. The top bit was covered with colourful tobiko (fish roe). The pasta was, expectedly, al dente. This was the dish that I loved the most for the night. It was pleasing to see and fun to eat!

3^rd Course

Salmon & Scallop – Roasted Salmon, Grilled Scallop, Yuzu Mascarpone, Orange Miso

This course was by far the messiest of them all. The sauce (possibly the yuzu mascarpone) was everywhere. The fish itself was beautifully cooked with the occasional burst of flavour from the salmon roe (ikura). I’m not quite sure why the tiny grilled scallop was even included there.

Pork Belly – Roasted Pork Belly, Tempura Bacon, Apple Mango Sauce!

None of us picked the pork belly on that day. However, the dish looked to have quite the perfect combination in the description.

4^th Course

Barramundi – Steamed Saltwater Barramundi, Herbed Salad, Plum and Chilli Miso

I chose the dish to be the cover because it looked the prettiest. I had a small bite of the barramundi and it was also cooked perfectly.

Lamb Duo – Braised Lamb Shoulder, Grilled Back Strap Fillet, Mash Potato, Balsamic Soy

The lamb looked quite dry in the picture but it didn’t really do justice. The grilled lamb was cooked nicely and complemented by the mashed potato. The braised lamb was more of a melt-in-your-mouth experience.

5^th Course

Tiramisu – Creamy Tiramisu, Bitter Espresso

Unfortunately none of us picked the Tiramisu either, so I could not comment on it.

Mattcha Brulee – Green Tea Custard Brulee

I love Creme Brulee and I will never miss a chance to order creme brulee when available. This green tea-flavoured brulee was enjoyable and had the right amount of green tea.

The final verdict for Nine Fine Food

We were very pleased with the service and quality of food delivered by Nine Fine Food!

Did you know?

The restaurant is actually located on the outskirt of Northbridge. Northbridge is well-known as the main nightlife district of Perth and has quite a vast array of cuisines.

Rating for:

8.0 / 10

Taste: 8.0 / 10

Price: $77 per person

Place: 9.0 / 10

Details:

227 Bulwer St, HighGate WA 6003

08 9227 9999

http://www.ninefinefood.com.au

Jan 8, 2015
Wagaya Sydney Experience

My Wagaya Sydney Experience

Wagaya Sydney has been on on my radar for quite a while but they were always pretty busy on weekends. When opportunity knocked (courtesy of SD Marketing Global) to review the restaurant, I wouldn’t want to miss it!

Wagaya Sydney is an izakaya restaurant, which technically means they are more of a drinking establishment than a restaurant. The food serves in an izakaya is meant to accompany the drinks. However, it is quite a posh izakaya restaurant!

Wagaya Menu

The first dish of the day was actually chosen by my son: Japanese Style Scallops Spaghetti. I am not a big fan of Spaghetti, but I really don’t mind eating this one (after being granted the permission to try his food)!

Japanese-Style Scallops Spaghetti – $10.90

From the ‘quick nibbles’ section, we ordered Lotus Root Chips and Crispy Salmon Skin. The lotus root chips was probably the best suited dish for izakaya. You can never get enough off it! I always liked deep fried crispy salmon skins and they are actually pretty good to fill up the tummy.

Lotus Root Chips – $7

Crispy Salmon Skin – $5.80

If you are after a rather ‘heavy’ food, then you can choose one of the Sukiyaki options. Beef Sukiyaki was our choice of the night.

Beef Sukiyaki – $13

They also have an assortment of Sushi rolls and you can either order half roll or a full roll. Given my love to scampi, we chose Fried Scampi Roll. It turned out that fried scampi didn’t have the same appeal as fresh scampi. The sushi itself was quite delectable.

Fried Scampi Roll – Full – $12.50

The one thing that made our visit to Wagaya Sydney worthwhile was its Sashimi. It was arguably one of the freshest Scallops Sashimi I have ever tasted! It actually ‘provoked’ me to order another sashimi dish, Crystal Bay Prawn Sashimi.

Scallops Sashimi – $9

Crystal Bay Prawn Sashimi – $7.90

A couple of dishes that we also ordered on the night were Chicken Gristle and Lamb Chop. The chicken gristle are great bite-sized nibbles! The lamb chop was more of a curious purchase and we were glad we ordered it!

Chicken Gristle – $8.20

Lamb Chop – $12

A few interesting things about Wagaya Sydney

– Wagaya Sydney’s membership card has quite a few perks and it works just like the Credit Card point system: $1 for 1 point. The prizes range from a discount voucher to iPhone!

– Wagaya is part of a Japanese group of restaurants, including Sushi Hotaru.

Details:

1/78 Harbour Street, Haymarket NSW 2000

+61 2 9212 6068

http://www.wagaya.com.au

Dec 25, 2014