Jasmyne Tea

Edamame Sushi, Marrickville

Japanese/Italian Fusion. Not something I would have originally thought would work particularly well; The two cuisines have completely different flavours and cooking techniques, and they just don't seem to mesh.

Edamame Sushi in Marrickville proved me wrong. We first stumbled across it when looking for something to eat before seeing a show at The Factory Theatre, and were so impressed that we organised a little get together with some of our work friends. Unfortunately, some of our friends (Joon, I'm looking at you!) were over an hour late, and the kitchen was just about to stop taking orders, but our hosts were quite gracious and kept us supplied with appetisers while we waited.

Vegetable Gyoza - $6.00

These vegetable dumplings were panfried and stuffed full of root vegetable goodness.  The main flavours prevalent were ginger and garlic in the filling, and toasted black sesame was scattered over the thin, crispy pastry.

Karaage Chicken - $8.00

Also known as JFC (Japanese Fried Chicken :P), the skin and batter were beautifully crunchy, and retained a little of the oil the chicken pieces were fried in. The chicken was firm yet juicy, and redolent with the taste of ginger and soy.

Soft Shell Crab - $10.00

This was my first time trying soft shell crab, and I found it a pleasant experience; the flesh was tender and mild, the shell tempura-battered and cooked until lightly crunchy. The crab pieces were served with artful streaks of mayonnaise and cocktail sauce.

Takoyaki - $8.00

These little octopus dumplings were excellent - perfect spheres of tender octopus chunks and tenkasu, topped with salty takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise, and flaky shavings of dried fish.

Tempura Pumpkin Roll - $10.00

This has become my favourite sushi roll of all time. Perfectly cooked tempura pumpkin was paired with creme fraiche and punchy coriander pesto, tightly wrapped in a layer of white rice and sprinkled with black sesame. The wasabi is made fresh in house, and whilst not as strong in flavour as the packaged kind I much preferred it.

Salmon Sashimi - $12.00

The salmon sashimi was so fresh it was practically still wiggling! The fat was beautifully distributed, and it was simply served with wasabi and pickled ginger.

Teriyaki Chicken Roll - $10.00

Good-sized chunks of chicken were lightly covered in teriyaki sauce, then rolled with fresh avocado and cucumber.

Tempura Prawn Roll - $13.00

Juicy tempura prawns were combined with avocado, lettuce, prawn mayonnaise and black sesame to create a delicious sushi roll that Stephen almost refused to share. Small amounts of roe lent a little salt flavour to the sushi.

7 Day Miso-Cured Duck Breast - $27.50

This was a truly innovative dish. The duck breast had been cured for a week in miso, which drastically altered the texture and flavour: any chewiness or gaminess was eliminated, leaving a beautifully tender and succulent piece of meat, and a subtle, earthy undertone. This flavour was enhanced by the truffle-infused couscous, the fresh coriander salsa, and the sake teriyaki vinaigrette.

Supreme of Chicken - $20.00

The chicken was pan-roasted to juicy perfection, and drizzled with teriyaki jus. A carrot puree that had been infused with ginger gave freshness of flavour, and a few thin slices of radish completed the dish.

Twice Cooked Pork Belly - $27.50

The twice cooked pork belly was like a picture on a plate - it was almost too lovely to eat. I say almost, because we demolished it. The pork belly proper was a tad dry towards the top end, but otherwise was good. Three decent-sized pieces were surrounding a pork-rillette croquette, which was a tad salty and fatty (in a good way!), whole baby king brown mushrooms and poached baby apples.

Wagyu Loin - $35.50

This was our friend Joon's first time trying Wagyu, which is why he stuck his fork in as I was taking photos. As you can see, thick slices of premium grade beef swam in a puddle of teriyaki jus, along with an edamame croquette. I thought the hazelnut ponzu to be ingenious - the citrus and the hazelnut go together so well.

Coconut Brule - $12.00

The coconut brule was simple, but effective in its simplicity. After so many disappointments, it was wonderful to hear a loud 'crack' when I broke through the sugar crust. The custard was lightly flavoured with coconut, but it was enough - the dish was perfect as it was.

White Forest Panna Cotta - $15.00

I was so excited to try this. The White Forest Panna Cotta was smooth, silky and light, and topped with a tart raspberry compote. Blood orange sorbet topped this, and a generous sprinkling of pop rocks and edible flowers added a sense of fun and adventure.

Deconstructed Apple Tart - $15.00

I personally loved this dessert. Blobs of vanilla custard warred for attention with a nutty ginger crumble, tart freeze-dried apple, poached baby green apple and a truly excellent green apple sorbet.

The food at Edamame Sushi is insanely good, almost flawless. There's a sense of creativity and originality to each dish that makes them a joy to eat, and the genuine friendliness of the service makes sure that I'll definitely be back as a regular.

Edamame Sushi

Shop 5, 276-278 Marrickville Rd
Marrickville
NSW 2204

Phone: 95728160

Mizuya Restaurant and Bar, Sydney

Stephen and I decided to celebrate our engagement on Saturday, and what could possibly be more fitting than to sing of our happiness? That's right, we went for karaoke.

 

In the middle of George St, near Haymarket, sits Mizuya, and walking past you're serenaded with the sounds of Japanese teens singing the latest pop singles. We had our booking for 8 o'clock, and when we walked down the stairs into the basement level that is Mizuya, the place was already packed. After confirming my booking and paying a $50 room bond, we were escorted to our private dining and karaoke room and shown how to use our equipment and the touch-screen menus. The rooms were soundproof, modern-looking, and best of all, clean, and the menus were a pretty new and noval experience - all we had to do was select what we were after, and within 15 minutes, someone would bring it to our door.

 

 
Sinead O'connor! :)

The concept behind their menu (as far as I could tell) is to order a lot of small dishes so that you can have a varied experience. A lot of their food is served on sticks, great for sharing with friends, or holding while you sing 'Vogue'.

We started with some Kushiyaki, which is basically meat or vegetable on a skewer, which is then char-grilled. We also had some Kushiage, which is the same thing, except crumbed and deep-fried. They also had some sushi and sashimi, and an a la carte menu as well.

 
Marbled Beef Fillet Kushiyaki - $5.80 for 2 skewers

 
Chicken Thigh Fillet Kushiyaki - 2 for $4.80

 
Fish Cake with Cheese Kushiage - 2 for $4.80

 
Crocodile Fillet Kushiage - 2 for $6.80
Premium Wagyu Beef Kushiage - 2 for $7.80
Paradise Prawn Kushiage - 2 for $5.80

The marbled beef and chicken thigh were both incredibly tender and flavoursome, and the way they were cooked retained all their moisture. The fish cake wasn't really that nice - I personally don't like the combination of fish and cheese, but friends that were there found the fish very moist and flaky, and the outer layer a tad oily, but deliciously crunchy. Both the prawn and beef kushiage were fried to crispy perfection, and they kept their moisture beautifully. I also had the opportunity to try crocodile for the first time! The flesh was a strange cross between chicken and fish, with a flavour all of its own as well, and the texture was slightly chewy. It was great!

 
Spider Roll - $13.80

Of the sushi menu, we tried the spider roll, and I have to admit I didn't get very far, as I got a piece that was practically smothered in chili. Others didn't get any chili at all. However, they did say it was a delicious combination of crisp cucumber, avocado, soft-shell crab and egg.

  
 
Potato Wedges with Seaweed Salt - $5.80

 
Lotus Root Chips - $4.80

 
Wagyu Beef and Garlic Fried Rice - $12.80

 
Seasonal Green Salad - $8.80

We ordered some side dishes (too much meat!); the wedges were deliciously salty and crisp, thinner than your average wedge; the lotus chips didn't have much flavour, and were pretty oily, but they had an interesting texture; the wagyu beef and garlic fried rice was delicious! Tender bits of beef, soft, slippery pieces of egg, and crunchy chips of garlic and spring onion, and perfectly cooked rice.

The seasonal green salad had a good selection of vegetables, but they were drowned in some foul liquid that I assume was meant to be dressing. It was pretty shocking - salty and bitter and horrible.

 
Grilled Ox Tongue - $12.80

 
BBQ Premium Wagyu Beef Steak - $22.80

 Grilled Chicken - $9.80

The ox tongue was a new experience for me - I gathered my courage and took a bite, and it wasn't bad! It was very soft, and the marinade was sweet. The only downside is that I got squicked at the thought of pashing an ox :S

The wagyu beef steaks were served to us well done, but the quality was good because they were still incredibly soft and flavoursome.

The grilled chicken was unpleasant: while the chicken itself was tender, we received it cold. The skin was greasy, rubbery and full of fat, and the entire dish was hardly touched.

After all that food, we decided we were a bit parched, and ordered some liquid refreshment:

 
Berry Mix - $12.00

 
Mango Daiquiri - $13.00

 
Toblerone - $11.00

 Mizuya Test Tubes - $18.00 for 6 tubes (daily selection of alcohol)

The food here is decent (the kushiage and kushiyaki are great!), good for sharing amongst friends and with a lot of variety. The touch screen menu is an awesome concept, and the karaoke is great too (with over 100,000 songs to choose from!). The cocktail menu is varied and pretty good value for money, with most being under $15. Overall, I'm glad we chose this place for our celebration, and I would definitely go back.

Mizuya Restaurant and Bar

Basement
614 George St
Sydney, NSW
2000

Phone: 9266 0866
Fax:      9266 0855

www.mizuya.com.au

Saké Restaurant & Bar, The Rocks

Kombanwa!

Normally when I hear the words "Japanese" and "restaurant", images of badly-cut sushi rolls and funky-smelling, horribly prepared fugu flash before my eyes, and I need to sit down and have a glass of water (such preconceptions stem from my father's disdain for Asian food that's NOT corner shop Chinese). But on the way to an Amanda Palmer concert (awesome!) I was persuaded (read: dragged) into Saké Restaurant by one of my favourite eating-companions, FoxyRoxy.

Saké is located in The Rocks, and the outside of the building is quite plain and unassuming. But when we walked through the door, we encountered a chic and sophisticated bar area with traditional japanese decoration, but a modern minimalist feel that creates a lot of space.

Down a short hall we pass the open-plan kitchen, and all of the staff greet us. A waiter shows us to our seats; the layout of the room is set up so as to accomodate any number of people, from couples to large groups, and the lighting somehow manages to make every area feel intimate. The place settings are geometric and simple, reflecting the theme of the bar area.

Service is quick and pleasant; within moments we have our starters (wagyu new style and steamed prawn dumplings:

Wagyu New Style, $22

Steamed Prawn Dumplings, $16

The wagyu beef is delicious and tender, marinated in yuzu soy and finished in chives and ginger, which gives it a fresh, cleansing aftertaste, and before long it has been devoured. Normally not one for prawns or citrus, I was hesitant to try the dumplings, but once I did it was hard to leave Roxy any. I expected the dumplings to be bland and chewy, but they were anything but, and the ponzu sauce served on the side really complimented the dish.

Before too long we were eager to try our mains:

Spider Maki, $17 (cut rolls)

Miso-Cream Scallops, $29

Assorted Tempura, $28

First up was the Spider Maki with tobiko, chives and ponzu. The combination of beautifully fried crab, cucumber and mayo was extraordinary, and the saltiness of the tobiko and freshness of the chives and ponzu really made it a stand-out dish.

Next we tried the miso-cream scallops, and this was the first time I had actually enjoyed eating scallops. They were light and tender and yuzu miso cream was the perfect accompaniment.

Last, but definitely not least, was the assorted tempura. Quite possibly the best tempura we've ever had, it included seasonal vegetables and seafood lightly fried in a thin, crispy batter and served with tentsuyu dipping sauce.

Did I refer to the tempura as "last"? I lied :)

Deconstructed Russian Cream, $12

This delightful concoction of buttermilk panna cotta, raspberry jelly and sauce, and toasted coconut was smooth, creamy, and beautifully presented; the raspberry components were sharp and tangy, not at all cloying or overly sweet.

Saké is slightly expensive, but with the range of dishes on the menu, the quality, the ambience and layout of the restaurant, and the skill demonstrated in the execution and presentation of the meals, I would definitely say it's worth it, and I have a feeling Roxy and I are going to be regulars.

Saké Restaurant & Bar

12 Argyle St   

The Rocks, Sydney

NSW, 2000

Phone: 9259 5656

Email: www.sakerestaurant.com.au