Review: Japaz, Neutral Bay

Chorizo with Veal Cutlets and Pesto Mayonnaise

So, where do I start?

For as long as I can remember, SK and I have spent many a days in the office and at uni simply compiling a list of all the places we would like to visit around Sydney. I believe the last time I checked, the list rather resembled an ad hoc extended version of the Good Food Guide than a "list". I believe we may be onto something...

Either way, Japaz has been one of those places which we had been dying to visit, but simply never got around to - and when the occasion finally arrived, I think we were so excited that Coca Cola could've bottled our excitement and used it as fizz in their soft drinks.

Mixed Plate: Coriander Crab Puff, Barcelona Salami, Chicken Yakitori

Japaz has an intriguing menu. The name of the place is pretty self explanatory - Japanese Tapas. Did I ever mention that there's nothing more I love than hanging out with friends over tapas? And beer? And more tapas?

Since AY was joining us for the evening, it meant that SK and I could happily order away at our favourite dishes without having to worry about wastage. (And AY says, "what wastage?") First up was a beautiful Mixed Plate. I absolutely fell in love with the deliciously crunchy crab cakes. Seriously, I have no idea what the bedding of the crab cakes were, but they were absolutely divine. I think they may be been egg baskets that were lightly fried. We also ordered the roasted eggplants which were soooooooooo melt-in-your mouth. I could've licked 2 plates clean happily.

Left: Pork Belly with Sauteed Rocket, Sweet & Sour Piquillo Capsicum; Right: Oven-roasted Snapper in Mustard Jus with Braised Fennel

The pork belly was also another melt-in-your mouth addition which was just so flavourful. Fat rendering is seriously man's second most awesome invention after sliced bread. I don't know what I would do in a world without flavournoids.

Fun fact: most flavour-molecules are hydrophobic and hence dissolve in fat. That's why fatty things tend to taste good. Yum!

The oven-roasted snapper with mustard jus was also a fingerlickin' delight to tuck into. The fish was a tad on the dry side, but it wasn't anything that a good slashing of the delicious jus couldn't fix.

Left: Wagyu Steak on a bed of Sauteed Chinese Cabbage and Red Wine Jus; Right: Wagyu Meatballs & Seasonal Vegetables in Tomato Salsa

And now as I am trawling through the photos and attempting to find the names of each individual dish on the menu, I've come to the epic realisation that we may have ordered every meat dish on offer minus the lamb (since JL doesn't like lamb). I blame SK for the lack of dietary fibre. I'll get on to that in a little more detail in the future.

Wagyu meatballs and wagyu steak. Seriously. I love meatballs. I scoff down Ikea meatballs at a pace that makes JL hand me a stack Jenny Craig brochures. I also drooled onto my table as I watched Tiffany make her smackalicious ballpark meatballs in this week's Top Chef.

I nearly faceplanted into the meatballs at Japaz.

Did I mention that I love meatballs?

Left: Wagyu Steak on a bed of Sauteed Chinese Cabbage and Red Wine Jus (served); Right: Braised Wagyu Beef Cheeks & White Almond Puree

Another special mention goes out to the braised wagyu beef cheeks. I think AY may have mentioned on the night that this was a recommended dish from all the other foodblogs out there. I must say I'm jumping on that bandwagon and furthering the recommendation because seriously, this is something I would come back to Japaz for. The meat was soooo beautifully tender and moist, and the sauce was rich and flavourful.

Left: Torrijus (Spanish Style French Toast) with Poached Apple & Brandy Ice Cream Pedro Ximinez Honey; Right: Raspberry Tart, Nut Semifreddo & Raspberry Coulis

Last but not least, dinner with SK just wouldn't be dinner with SK unless we desserted the night away. I wouldn't say that these were Japaz's strong points - especially after the incredible braised wagyu - but they were refreshing and satisfying as a way to tie up all the loose ends in the evening. Needless to say, the Raspberry Tart looks smashing as it arrived at the table, and the Torrijus was definitely something different to tuck into and explore. Lightly sweet with a lingering aroma...

"Please sir, may I have some more??"

Japaz

165 Wycombe Street

Neutral Bay, NSW 2089

Tel: (02) 9904 0688

Website: http://www.japaz.com.au

Review: Rise, Darlinghurst

So, like. This post is totally like...3 months overdue. Gosh.

For those of you who may remember, JL and I visited Rise for a very special dinner last year for our anniversary. So smooth and memorable the night had been, that when the same question of "where should we go?" was asked again this year, the only natural response was, "well, let's go to Rise again".

Steamed chicken, tofu & tomato salad with sesame miso sauce (1)

So off we went to visit one of what would perhaps be one of Sydney's most underrated restaurants to enjoy once again its beautiful omakase.

Grilled polenta, prawn tempura, Chinese sausage & chunyan chilli sauce (5)

There were slight changes in the menu - for one, our beloved potato soup was no longer there, instead replaced with an equally satisfying tempura of prawn on a soft cube of polenta. Alas, I miss their potato soup!

Assorted sashimi (3)

The thing I love about Rise is not only the fact that there is plenty to smell and taste, but this time we sat at the counter, meaning that we could watch the chef methodically plate up the sashimi dishes ready for the next sitting. It was really incredible watching the sheer precision and thought-out system of setting everything up.

Behold. The German Sushi Army!

Seasonal Plate - Rice paper roll with cured tuna & avocado, soy milk flan with Shitake sauce, Cured ocean trout with "yuzukosho" tartare (not pictured) (4)

The taste profile here at Rise remains nevertheless on the side of umami (at least for the first few courses), intricately balancing the delicate taste of fresh produce with the occasional burst of bold flavour coming from a tiny something on the plate. It almost always catches one offguard.

Some things don't change so much. I.e the fresh spring rolls and the Chawanmushi.

Tom Yum with Scallop Tortellini and Mussel (2)

An interesting addition this time round was the Tom Yum soup. Taste-wise it was incredibly refreshing. Perfect #2 plate to get the tongue salivating. I see how it works on the menu, but I must admit a question mark did go off in my head when I first noticed it on the menu.

Roast duck breast, grilled witlof , mushroom, french beans, mash with Hoisin sauce. (6)

Mmm...duck. My favourite protein in the world! Here at Rise they sure give serve you some finger-lickin', fork'n'knife-lickin', plate-lickin' duck. The breast was cook beautifully (as you can probably tell from the picture), and the fat rendered just enough to give it a touch of sweetness. The bed of potato mash beneath it is also to die for. Brilliant supporting act - smooth, creamy and so full of flavour. I was almost sad to see it slowly disappear from my plate.

Amaretto granita, pink grapefruit jelly, panna cotta. (7)

Lastly, as a brilliant palate cleansing way to finish off the evening, came the refreshing pink grapefruit jelly, panna cotta with amaretto granita. Amaretto? Yes. Amaretto. For someone who generally dislikes the taste of amaretto, I was really surprised to see myself wanting this by the bucketload.

'Nuff said. I'll most definitely be coming back sometime soon.

Rise Restaurant

23 Craigend Street

Darlinghurst, NSW 2010

Tel: (02) 9357 1755

Website: http://www.riserestaurant.com.au

Review: Wagaya, Haymarket

'Tis been a long hiatus.

Sorry all, I've only just re-settled into the whole Uni+work thing so the blog has been neglected for a couple of weeks. Either way, as AY is still stuck trying to get his life in order, I'm going to resume the usual blog routine - first stop, WAGAYA!

"Oooooh, touch screen!"

A trip to Wagaya almost always involves the token "ooh"s and "ahh"s at the touch screen menu selection. This trip was by no means an exception.

Soft Shell Crab Salad - $10.40

WW was eager and jumped right into ordering before we had settled into our booth. First course - Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab Salad. While being a tad on the difficult side in terms of sharing (let's not even talk about the price), we happily divided the crab with our chopsticks and nommed away at the salad. The crab was fried in a light batter, and the crunch was evident as we sank our first bite into it with all the fresh vegetables.

Scallop Sashimi - $7.30

As Tetsuya would put it, always start with the cold and raw before moving onto the cooked. So next up was a selection of sashimi. Scallops for TZ and I, while a deluxe assorted sashimi was selected for everyone to feast on.

Assorted Sashimi (Large) - $42.50

I found the scallops on the night to not be as fresh as I would've liked them to be. There was no doubt a slight fishy smell and lack of sweetness to them that made me a little reluctant to go for seconds. Other selections, on the other hand, had little to be complained about, and the only piece that was left behind in the end was a sad little piece of raw prawn that nobody dared to try.

Eel Tempura - $10.40

Not long before the sashimi arrived, my absolute LOVE (and possibly the dish that brings me back to Wagaya time and time again), arrived at the table. Eel Tempura. You seriously don't need a very vivid and wild imagination when it comes to imagining the taste sensation when you bite into a piece of this stuff. It's light and crunchy on the outside, and melt-in-your-mouth on in the inside. All the while you have the creamy tang of Japanese mayo in the backdrop as you happily nom away.

Uni Chawanmushi - $9.90

TZ requested a serve of Chawanmushi (Egg flan), and I jumped onto this opportunity to request that it be a sea urchin roe (uni) chawanmushi so that I may have a try of the pieces of sea urchin on top.

Being my first time, I was a little hesitant at first and closed my eyes and hoped for the best as I took my first bite. Luckily it wasn't as fishy as I thought it would be - someone once told me that it resembled lobster brain. TZ claimed that the chawanmushi tasted "like the sea - I feel as if I've just been dunked by a wave." The egg was lightly salty and a little fishy from the sea urchin, but beautifully delicated and creamy.

Rainbow Roll - $10.30

We also had a serve of the Rainbow Roll. The dish very much lived up to its name and was briliantly coloured by slices of avocado, salmon and kingfish. It was difficult to decide which piece to take, but regardless, the sushi was fresh and full of flavour.

Dragon Rolls - $10.50

I must say, Wagaya does a pretty good job on its Dragon Rolls as well. The cream cheese in the centre was an absolute heaven to delve into - soft and creamy and very light in flavour. It provided the perfect contrast to the sweet and saltiness of the eel. Decadence at its best.

Agedashi Soft Shell Crab - $7.90

Not having been satisfied with just a small piece of soft shell crab, we delved into a second serve- this time in the form of Agedashi Soft Shell Crab. Personally I preferred this one over the salad as the agedashi had a good bonito flavour to extend the flavours of the crab. The pillows of tofu which the crab rested on were meltingly soft and totally more-ish.

Wafu Pizza - $8.30

Lastly, just as I had been introduced to the Wafu pizza on my first visit to Wagaya, I passed my knowledge onto the group of friends I was with. The Wafu pizza is a cheesy delight for anyone who likes their chicken and seafood. Sadly, more often than not, there's just not enough to go around and what you end up with is a chopstick fight if you're as immature as I am.

So there you have it folks! Team Nom is back in action after a wonderful holiday!
(P.S. I still don't have my photos from Vietnam, but I'll try getting them soon)

Wagaya
Level 1, 78-86 Harbour Street
Haymarket NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9212 6068

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

Review: Sakura-Tei, Sydney

The age old question for us - "So where should we eat tonight?"

It can be answered in a split second or could take the whole day to decide. Sometimes we can't even decide at all and just walk into the first restaurant that we can find. Fortunately, on this particular night, WX told me to check out Kabuki Shoroku on my iPhone. Our criteria for the night was something relatively cheap as most of our dinner companions were to be travelling very soon and needed to save up as much as possible. When we arrived and looked at the menu however, we decided that we could add this to our list but probably dine elsewhere for the night.

 

Right across from here, we spotted Sakura-Tei which at a brief glance looked like a small, hidden restaurant that no one knew about inside the arcade. When we walked in and surveryed the place, however, we realised most of the diners were Japanese people and the atmosphere was of a traditional izakaya (居酒屋) which is a Japanese bar where businessman usually go for cheap after-work drinks and snacks. When I was in Japan on exchanged, I saw first-hand how popular this places were and how delicious yet cheap the food was.

From the menu, we observed that kushiage and yakitori were the specialties of this little bar and boy, was I excited! Since coming back from Japan, everytime I've eaten Japanese cuisine, it's been the usualy sushi and sashimi. I never realised that kushiage even existed in Sydney! Kushiage is basically a variety of skewers which come deep fried while yakitori as you can see in the photo below, are grilled chicken  (mainly) skewers which are especially delicious in the streets and arcades of Tokyo!

 

Since WX was craving sashimi, we ordered a small Sashimi Assortment to share which consisted of salmon, tuna and kingfish served fresh on a bowl of ice. Great way to start our battle plan against slightly hotter, oilier and more fried food assortments!

 Sashimi Moriawase $16.00 (Sml)

This was followed by a dish of Cuttlefish Natto (納豆) which are fermented soybeans with a side of cuttlefish which is a healthy and frequently eaten dish among the Japanese. For those of you who haven't tried it before however, be warned, those of us who like it will like it a lot but it will also leave you with an extremely bad impression if it doesn't rest well in your mouth. The texture is sticky and slimy with an almost web-like substance around the beans and many people won't be used to the powerful smell and flavour. I really liked eating it when I was on exchange and had no problems mixing it with a bit of soy sauce and wasabi on rice but most of my dining companions were quite put off - you have been warned!

 Cuttlefish Natto $12

At this point, it was every man for himself (or woman for herself in the case of WX and FYL). We went absolutely crazy with the Yakitori and the Kushiage.  I make no guarantees that we took photos of everything, or that you'll be able to differentiate between the variety of Kushiage! From the Yakitori list we ordered Chicken Thigh & Shallots, Ox Tongue and Chicken Cartilage. Unfortunately, they didn't have any Chicken Skin left which was a shame! This was all served with pinches of salt and a squiz of lemon juice.

Ox Tongue $2.40

Chicken Cartilage $2.20

 Chicken Thigh & Shallots $2.50

From the Kushiage list, we ordered King Prawn Wrapped in Shiso, Quail Eggs and  Scallops & Shiitake Mushroom. My personal favourites from our orders would have to be the Ox Tongue  and the Scallops & Shiitake Mushrooms - so succulent and flavoured. Having said that, I loved all of them - I don't think I missed them this much until I saw the platters of them appear in front of me! Needless to say, we made another order after that and continued to consume skewer after skewer.

Assortment of Kushiage

There's even a special little place to keep those used skewers that the waitress told me was called a kushi-ire which was shaped as a fish.

And finally, our selection of alcohol. They had a selection of beers from which we picked two popular Japanese ones - Sapporo and Kirin. Just to be different I ordered something of a lower alcohol content Chu-Hai which is like a lightly flavoured mixed drink. I chose the Green Apple flavour - it's almost like soft drink!

It was definitely a authentic experience and one which I truly missed (or my tastebuds did anyway) about Japan and their small hidden bars. Word of warning however, if you're hungry you should really keep track of how many skewers you order. We made the mistake of ordering without that in mind and racked up about $60 per head. In Japan, we paid about $30 AUD for kushiage tabehoudai which is basically a buffet of kushiage that you can choose yourself and cook for yourself - well worth the money. Having said that, finding this little gem in Sydney was a surprise I was quite happy about!

Sakura-Tei

Ground Floor, St Martins Tower

202 Clarence St Sydney 2000

PH: (02) 9267 4552