Sunday, February 7, 2010

Review: Kashiwa Yakiniku, Crows Nest

Falcon Street. It's a place filled with memories of my high school years and the place to be for us to eat and chat with friends. Ryo-tei and Bravos Trattoria were our biggest haunts back in the day and I'm glad they're still doing very well. More recently, I noticed a bright orange new development when I drove past and when I read Yas' post on it, I was even more tempted to try it out. Having dined in the city so frequently, it was also just a nice change to be on this side of the bridge closer to home.



The restaurant isn't particularly well furnished but it was bustling with energy and really gave off an authentic Japanese vibe. Of course, the fact that almost all the customers were Japanese probably contributed to this. The seating was a bit cramped with the three of us squashed on one half of the table huddled around out own grill and having the occasional waft of smoke coming from our neighbours cooking. This was however, easily remedied by the adjustable fan which was positioned directly above the grill and really made a difference - we didn't come out smelling like BBQ!




We were all starving by the time we sat down and with SK not wanting to have anything to do with Ox Tongue and the like, we stuck with the traditional but delicious selections of Special Wagyu Beef Rib, Wagyu Beef Skirt, Pork Rib and Chicken Thigh Fillet to be slowly seared. On top of that we also ordered the Koebi Karaage and later, because I was still hungry - the Torikara.


Special Wagyu Beef Rib $9.80



Wagyu Beef Skirt $11.80

Delicious, tender and juicy. Although I can't say I really knew how to differentiate the two types, they were both marinated heaven in my mouth and I didn't really feel the need for any additional sauce. I think SK might've agreed with me on that one. These two were by far my favourites for the night - not just because they tasted good, but on a totally different point...it cooked fast! My stomach is quite hard to satisfy...it always requires a fast production line at yakiniku and I think this wagyu satisfied both taste and speed aspects.

Pork Rib $8.80

The pork rib wasn't quite as appetising as the beef and slightly too oily for my liking. It seemed a bit like bacon with lots of fatty rind! However, dipped in the sauce and having it served all sizzling hot was admittedly quite yummy. I may have been a bit too health conscious on that one!

Chicken Thigh Fillet $8.80

I loved the chicken thigh - when it was cooked well. It took a bit of trial and error to cook it for long enough without being worried that it would give us food poisioning but when we did manage that the fillet was nicely marinated and tender. If I hadn't already eaten so much of everything else, I would have loved to have ordered at least one more serving of this.

Koebi Karaage $5.80

When this dish arrived, DD was pretty confused. For most people, I think when you say Karaage, they will naturally assume that you mean chicken. Koebi Karaage however, was actually small shrimps deep fried. SK was a bit put off by the beady little eyes of the shrimps staring back at her and it took a bit of convincing and putting my hands over her eyes before she conquered that fear. I love anything that goes crunch in my mouth (almost anyway) so this was a nice little snack plate for me.

Torikara $7.80

DD's prays were answered when we decided to get one more dish and got the chicken variety of karaage. I can't say it was the very best I've tried - and believe me, I've tried a lot - but it was a nice way of finishing off a meal. It was just a small entree size but hit the spot for the end of what I would consider quite a filling and delicious yakiniku meal!


Kashiwa Yakiniku
7A Falcon Street
Crows Nest, NSW 2065
PH: (02) 9906 7393

3 comments:

  1. Haven't been to a Japanese barbecue for a long time; this one looks good!

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  2. I really have to try this as I've driven past it quite a few times and have wondered what the food's like. Thanks for your review!

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  3. kiffany33@hotmail.comMay 21, 2010 at 8:47 PM

    I had a very bad experience there. Me and my friend walked in without booking, on friday night @6.50pm, waited for a while, before we were given a seat. However, 5 minutes later, while we were still looking thru the menu, the female boss came over and told me that we have to give up this seat to someone who had made a booking @6.30pm and they had just arrived. She also told us that the place is now fully occupied, and tell us to come back at 8pm.

    This is the first time I had came across such a incident. In my opinion, I would think the staff should tell the other party to come back at 8pm instead of asking us to stand up and leave, even though they made a reservation, but they were 25 minutes late!!!

    Poor management by the female boss.

    I will never go back there again, no matter how gd the food is.

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