Posts tagged Sashimi

Busshari, Potts Point

Review January 24, 2016 9 Comments

It’s been disgustingly hot, hasn’t it? And you know it’s bad, when the lovely manager of Busshari, Yuko, apologises profusely for the heat and assures you that the air-conditioning is indeed running, as you walk in the door. I can see what she means though – no sooner had I positioned myself at the counter, I was covered in a sheen of sweat.

DAMN YOU AND YOUR CRAZY WEATHER SYDNEY!

Needless to say, it was a really good time to be eating cold food – Yuko suggested the Seafood Sashimi and Seasonal Vegetable Salad, Soba and Somen, and we were definitely not going to turn that down.

The Order:

Ocean trout belly nigiri, $8 for 2pcs
Toro nigiri sushi, $12 for 2pc

Seafood sashimi and seasonal vegetable salad, $27

Deep fried flounder, $28

Grilled Scampi with sea salt, green tea oil, $26

Soba & Somen, $20
Chilled green tea soba and Somen with shiitake mushroom, prawn and radish wasabi

Matcha Ice Cream

The Food:

If you truly do eat with your eyes, then the food at Busshari is an exquisite feast. Everything came out looking stunning – piles of food artfully arranged on stone plates that conveyed a modern Japanese aesthetic.

Ocean trout belly nigiri, $8 for 2pcs

Toro nigiri sushi, $12 for 2pcs

We started with pieces of Ocean Trout Belly Nigiri and Toro Nigiri Sushi. Tender melt-in-your-mouth slices of fish are wrapped around 2cm-wide batons of rice, forming the perfect mouthful. Unctuous, luscious, and luxurious, these easy bites were a great start to our evening.

Seafood sashimi and seasonal vegetable salad, $27

Then we got a bit more stuck in with the Seafood Sashimi and Seasonal Vegetable Salad. Whoever said that salads were measly rabbit food clearly had not seen this salad before. A veritable mountain of salad leaves were thoroughly covered in a sweet/savoury dressing, and adorned with a variety of fresh, sliced fish, assorted seafood, and finished with a nest of white radish and a Renkon (lotus root) chip. It was refreshing, simple, and oh so filling. Order to share, or as a main on a hot day. Either way, win-win.

Deep fried flounder, $28

The salad was immediately followed by another ‘wow’ dish: the Deep Fried Flounder. Pieces of fish are lightly battered and fried, and set on the crispy bones of the flounder bent into a graceful arch. I didn’t eat the bones this time – didn’t want to seem unladylike – but Yuko tells me that 1 in 3 customers down the whole thing, bones and all!

Grilled Scampi with sea salt, green tea oil, $26

And then, we indulge my obsession with shellfish: the Grilled Scampi with Sea Salt and Green Tea Oil was soft and buttery, although I was missing any noticeable flavour of green tea. But really, we all know that I’d eat shellfish done any which way, so really, no loss there!

Soba & Somen, $20

And then the last savoury dish – Soba and Somen. Chilled green tea buckwheat, and wheat noodles are arranged in a waterfall, with little pots of sauce that you dip the noodles in and slurp up. The shiitake mushrooms – served on the side – were the best bit of this, though. Slices of rehydrated mushrooms are marinated in a sweet soy mixture, and the result is a meaty, moreish bite. So good.

Matcha Ice Cream

And just when we thought that we couldn’t eat any more – who am I kidding? We were that full by the time we finished the salad – scoops of creamy matcha ice cream come out, anointed with sweetened red bean paste. Not quite the best of all the matcha ice cream I’ve had – ahh Meiji you maker of addictive frozen desserts – but it was pretty good, especially when you can get it for free!

Food: 1/1

The Service:

I know that it’s hard to comment on the service because I was dining as a guest, but from my vantage point at the counter, it did genuinely look like everyone was having a great time. Waters were consistently getting topped up, and orders were flying off the pass at lightning speed…did I mention that this was also one of the calmest kitchens that I’ve had the pleasure of watching? We felt like we were in very good hands, and it was an absolute joy.

Service: 1/1

Value for money:

Busshari is not where you go for a night out that’s light on your wallet, much like the rest of Potts Point. Not that it’s particularly taxing either, but $27 for a main-sized salad – even though it’s got lovely slices of fresh seafood – still would have me hard pressed to slap the “bang for your buck” label on it.

Seafood sashimi and seasonal vegetable salad, $27

Still a nice restaurant for a classy dinner out, though. A worthy choice, especially if you’re in the area.

Value for money: 0.5/1

The Vibe:

I guess “casual” would be the best way to describe both the cuisine style and the crowd. There certainly wasn’t the hushed quietness of some Japanese restaurants I’ve been to, but Busshari also weren’t going out of their way to emulate the hipster crowd of the inner city. Go for a relaxed evening…because sushi and chill, right?

Vibe: 0.5/1

And finally,

I do absolutely feel like we were thoroughly spoilt by Chef Nobu – who has been at Busshari for the whole 10 years they’ve been open! – and the Busshari team. Chef steadily worked through the many orders that were coming through on the printer, expertly handling the many varieties of fish that they kept on hand.

If you’re into your sake, they also have a Yuzu sake in stock that is so deliciously light, it’s like drinking juice. Highly recommended, if you’re of the Sake persuasion. Trust me, you’ll want to be.

And don’t forget to flash your Washoku Lovers membership when you go to get a free scoop of matcha ice cream! Don’t say I don’t hook you up! ?

Bonus Points: 0.5/1

Washoku Lovers is a free membership programme that gives you perks to many Japanese restaurants in Sydney! We also have visited other restaurants participating in the Washoku Lovers programme, like Tamagetaya and Manpuku Ramen! To find out more about the programme and sign up, visit www.washokulovers.com.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Washoku Lovers.

Busshari
119 Macleay St
Potts Point NSW 2011
Phone:+61 2 9357 4555
Website: https://www.facebook.com/bussharipottspoint

Itadakimasu! Izakaya Yebisu, Sydney CBD

Review May 15, 2015

Restaurant Review: Yebisu Izakaya, Sydney CBD

Japanese “Salaryman” culture baffles me a bit. Apparently officemen work hard all day and repress their hopes and dreams, and then go out to a bar and get completely wasted!

Not a bad life, I guess.

And this where Izakaya comes in. It’s basically a drinking house where you can get food to accompany the copious amounts of alcohol. Everything is meant to be in tapas portions, because the booze is KING! Here in Australia, the portions are a little bit more meal sized to provide sustenance, and allow friends to enjoy a nice dinner together as well!

Sea Urchin and Salmon Roe on Rice, part of the Hokkaido Gozen Bento.

Beef Short Rib in a sweet soy sauce, part of the Hokkaido Gozen Bento

Agedashi Tofu, part of the Hokkaido Gozen Bento

Maki Rolls, part of the Hokkaido Gozen Bento

Sweet yoghurt, coconut jelly and cereal, part of the Hokkaido Gozen Bento

Bento boxes represent a fantastic variety of the restaurant has to offer, and here at Yebisu, it delivers more than I expected. The Hokkaido Gozen Bento had creamy sea urchin and salmon roe on sushi rice, maki rolls, salmon sashimi salad, sweet soy beef, agedashi tofu, mashed potato croquettes, crumbed crispy prawns, AND sweet yoghurt with coconut jelly. And miso soup. So many things that just wouldn’t fit in one picture. At a $29.95 price tag, this bento would actually feed 2 or 3 people easy, making this the best value for money bento I’ve seen in Sydney yet!!

The beauty of Izakaya dining is also in the variety, and besides the amazingly huge bento, there are also smaller items that you can order.

Seared Wagyu Steak

Cooked to a perfect medium rare, the Seared Wagyu Steak comes in a sizzling hotplate, with a creamy mash on the side and crispy bean sprouts on the bottom. The meat was tender, and while it wasn’t quite fatty enough for my taste, it tasted robustly of, well, beef.

Negitoro Donburi

I think I’ve professed before my absolute love for fish on rice, and the Negitoro Donburi fits the bill exactly. Minced fatty tuna (toro) is mixed with spring onions (negi) to create a comforting bowl of goodness. And I just had to count my lucky stars, because they happened to have super fresh tuna that day, from the 2nd birthday celebrations that they were having the night before! WIN WIN.

Otoro Sashimi

Of course, if you have fish that fresh, you’re going to show off in your sashimi serving too, and this plate of Otoro Sashimi was shamelessly monopolised by me (sorry Sam!). Melt in your mouth tender, with the distinct meatiness that comes specifically from tuna, this had the effect of feeling oh-so-luxurious, as well as so healthy at the same time!

Though, if fish was really as good for your brain as they say it is, I should be a lot smarter than I am now.

Of course, we can’t finish without dessert! These chewy little mochi cakes are made with rice flour, and served with a brown sugar syrup and toasted soy bean flour for a nutty finish. Best part of all, is that it’s also part of a monthly special!

And we all know I’m a chick who just loves a good bargain. And loyalty cards. I love those too.

If you flash your Washoku Lovers club, you get to order the dessert of the month for just $3. The cheapskate in me is secretly rejoicing.

Can’t make it out this month? No worries, because the $3 dessert next month are their ice cream profiteroles, which combine fluffy choux pastry, creamy ice cream, and azuki red bean paste for a veritable sugar high.

Izakaya Yebisu, I hear, is holding different specials every month, which certainly adds a sense of excitement to dining there. The lunch menu is considerably shorter than the dinner menu, but if the Hokkaido Gozen Bento is of any indication, they’ve really just crammed all the variety into a value for money set.

Now to get my hands on more fish…

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Izakaya Yebisu and Washoku Lovers.

Izakaya Yebisu
Regent Place
Shop 7-10, 501 George St
Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone: 02 9266 0301
Website: http://regentplace.com.au/directory-detail.php?directoryid=30&pid=1

Having a Cow: Gyuzou Japanese Barbecue, Sydney

Review February 22, 2015

Aerial shot of the barbecue filled with wagyu beef pieces and vegetables

If I had to be reborn as an animal for food, I’d definitely choose to be a Wagyu cow. A morbid thought? Maybe. But these cows have got it gooood.

This is would be a life where being fat is a good thing, and you spend your living days eating, drinking booze and getting massaged! What’s not to love about that?

Well, there’s that bit about being eaten. But wagyu beef gets treated with such reverence that I’m sure it’ll make it worthwhile.

So it makes sense that Japanese yakiniku – aka Japanese barbecue – features little to no marinade or seasoning, to showcase the raw flavour of the beef. And at Gyuzou in Sydney, the cow is built right into the name, so I was over the moo-n to be invited to sample their menu!

Assorted Wagyu Platter, $25.50

It seemed to make sense to start with the Wagyu Platter, $25.50. You get a variety of cuts, including my favourite part of the beef, the short rib. Yes yes you get more fat in the prime cuts of meat, but really, the short rib is where you can taste all the amazing beefy flavour, and with just a bit more cooking, a deliciously firm but tender texture.

Large Intestine, $6.50

And I ordered the Large Intestine, $6.50, because I’m Asian. And also because you can really tell how a restaurant treats their meat in their treatment of their offal. Offal needs NEEDS to be fresh, and cleaned properly or it will smell to high heaven the moment it hits the heat.

This, thankfully, was one delicious plate. Lightly fatty – so decadent! – and with just the the tiniest amount of bite, these pieces didn’t even need to be marinated, in my opinion.

Pro tip: Cook it low and slow on the edges of the barbecue, and give it time to render out some of the fat, causing the all-important flare ups that will give you that classic barbecue smoky flavour.

Salmon and Kingfish Sashimi, $9.00

Of course, you can’t do Japanese food without the other thing that stinks to high heaven if it isn’t fresh – sashimi! At Gyuzou, it definitely is, though I question the decision to serve it over ice. On one hand, it keeps the fish cold because it can get pretty warm while that barbecue is sizzling, but on the other hand, things get a bit watery as the ice melts. And well, you get the wet fish reference right?

Okonomiyaki, $5.50

Okonomiyaki, $5.50, is basically a Japanese cabbage and beef/seafood pancake covered in mayo (that magically delicious word again!) and a brown Japanese barbecue sauce. Personally I like okonomiyaki a little firmer, but it was still the flavours you’d expect, so it was okay.

Wagyu Tataki, $8.90

So back to the beef we go. The Wagyu Tataki, $8.90, very simply features thin slices of seared rare beef laid over thin slices of red onion, with a light soy based sauce on the side. Good, but not great, especially next to the stellar barbecue.

Green Tea Parfait, $7.90

And just to round things out on a sweet note, the Green Tea Parfait, $7.90. It may look simple, but it’s got a circus of sponge cake, green tea jelly, whipped cream, matcha ice cream, and chocolate wafer cigars. A good way to finish, though part of me wonders if I should have ordered more beef and intestine.

It was a very pretty setting, and a great experience for date nights. If you are a bit worried about the lack of marinade, let me assure you that the trio of sauces more than make up for it. The yakiniku, shiotare, and tabera rayu, provided enough salt, tang, and umami flavours to change it up with every bite. I particularly enjoyed the tabera rayu, which was like a chilli and garlic mixture that just brought out the Singaporean in me.

Mooooooo.

Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Gyuzou Japanese BBQ.

Gyuzou
Corner Of Day St X Liverpool St
Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone: 02 9268 0410
Website: http://www.yesfood.com.au/gyuzo.html

Oh Sushi, my Sushi!

Review June 28, 2010

I love me some Japanese food. I’ve always had a fascination with seafood since I was a kid, and am of the firm belief that everything from the sea should be eaten raw. Not that there’s anything wrong with cooked seafood, but there’s nothing that can really compare, IMO, with the sweetness of fresh seafood.

Mel and I went to Itacho over the weekend, and they’re still the best sushi place I’ve ever been to. My wonderful experience there was only tempered by the fact that the staff can be quite…blur, and the hefty price tag. But no biggie, good food like that is worth the price and bumbling staff.

My favourite – Salmon and Salmon Roe roll. Super fresh slices of salmon wrapped delicately around a pinch of rice (that is really just there for the structure) and topped with salmon roe (my little bubbles of absolute joy!). The thick, silky salmon leaves absolutely no aftertaste, and the salty roe is just the perfect match for it. The best things truly come from nature.

The sister dish of the above-mentioned roll, this Salmon mini bowl is basically the same thing, deconstructed. This one gives the eater the opportunity to just have mouthfuls of just the salmon roe, which sometimes is the needed thing.

This Tuna and Crispy beancurd is unfortunately more theatrical in its look than it’s flavour. The crispy texture was a welcome surprise, but the overall flavour was rather bland. It’s really did not do the beancurd anymore justice than other Chinese crispy beancurd dishes out there.

Another mildly disappointing piece is the Foie Gras sushi, as the foie gras did not have the creamy, buttery texture that I’ve come to expect from a piece of fatty goose liver treated right. It was slightly overdone, but not an absolute disaster.

This Crab Miso Gunkan was worth the try. It wasn’t a phenomenally pleasant surprise, but it was a nice surprise nontheless. The crab was soft and light, while the miso packed quite a flavour punch. Not bad.

This Baked Crab was absolutely delightful. Crab shell was filled with a rice and mushroom mixture, and then baked with cheese over the top. Steam immediately escaped upon breaking through the helmet of cheese, and the aromatic mushrooms made their presence felt. Fluffy chunks of crab were carefully woven throughout the dish, and every mouthful was heaven. A must-try.

And who can overlook those delectable slices of raw fish? The fatty salmon was melt-in-your-mouth, but it does happen to leave an oily after-feeling. The dorsal sushi had the same effect, except for a slightly more complex texture. It seemed to have a slight resistance to it before it yielded to the determined eater.

The Hotate was worth every bite, but sadly not the same can be said of the Green Tea Salt. It had a really odd flavour to it, and if anything, undermined the freshness of the scallop and made it seem old and…well, not fresh. Just have the scallop, it’s good enough as it is.

And who can forget the sashimi. As mentioned above, the standard of raw salmon at this joint is beyond reproach. It’s truly the best salmon sashimi I’ve had in my life. The swordfish lived up to the same standard, and melt-in-your mouth texture is the stuff of dreams. And the prawns. Oh my the prawns. The Fairy Prawns have a deep fried head and brings out all the flavour of prawn, and the sweet, succulent body is so delicate, so clean, so pure, that it almost makes me feel like I’m partaking in an act of debauchery by putting it in my mouth.

If you have cash to spare and a reason to celebrate, this is definitely a place that you should visit. Reservations can be made, but there’s a SG$50 per head minimum. Otherwise, there will be a queue for dinner.

Itacho Sushi
Ion Orchard
#B2-18
Singapore
(+65) 6509 8911

Operating Hours:
Sun-Thu: 11am – 10pm
Fri-Sat: 11am – 11pm

Happy munching!