Suminoya, Martin Place
4 May 2009
18 Comments
We’re here for all you can eat meat
Not Japanese again ? Some of you readers might be getting sick of our Japanese posts but sometimes we just go with the flow with what our friends like to eat. But today we have something a little bit different in the form of all you can eat yakiniku.
Suminoya is part of the IS Holdings group who also have four other restaurants under it’s umbrella. Hidden in an alley outside of Martin Place is Suminoya. Don’t be fooled by it’s location, it has a pretty good reputation of being a half decent yakiniku joint that will have you smelling like a bbq once your done.
We all had cravings for meat and the first place that Minh suggested was Suminoya where yakiniku is their bread and butter. What it involves is grilling your chosen meats, veges and seafood onto a charcoal grill. I love charcoal, it makes the food taste so much better. On Fridays they only have the “premium” menu for $49 per person, pretty good value if you love your meat and sashimi. Once seated, you have 90 minutes to get through your meal. The waiter will come around after 60 minutes asking for your last order, don’t make the mistake I did last time by over ordering. I felt rather guilty, so I had to finish off all the meat and paid the consequences the next day.
Can’t …. breathe ….
I’d hate to come here in summer despite their best attempts at ventilation. To their credit, they do have these things where it attempts to suck up all the charcoal smoke but it can only do so much as there is a man constantly preparing fresh charcoal at the front of the restaurant. Either way, you still end up smelling like charcoal once your done with the meal but it is definately worth it considering how good the food is.
Dipping sauce (soy sauce, lemon & chilli)
Meet the meat
Yukke
This looks intimidating at first but actually tastes fantastic. Raw beef and spring onions are mixed with a raw egg and perhaps some sesame oil. Some people can’t fathom the idea of eating raw beef, but it’s not much different to eating beef tataki or sashimi.
Beef tongue
The beef tongue is probably my favourite meat out of what is available for order. It is succulent, thinly sliced and full of flavour, perfect when cooked over a charcoal grill.
Beef fillet, beef rib, beef tongue, pork rib
No joke, there is just so much meat to order that you would probably struggle to try everything. Once you order, they usually put it all on one plate which makes things easier as table space becomes scarce once you go overboard with the ordering. The meats are all fresh, very tender and some are nicely marinated.
Beef tongue, garlic prawns, scallops
Cooking is quite quick as the charcoals last for well over an hour at a consistent heat.
If you get sick of meat …
Even for myself, the copious amounts of meat can get quite overwhelming. Fortunately, the menu consists of a pretty good variety of non meat options.
Edamame beans
Edamame beans are mandatory whenever I go to a Japanese restaurant, they are so addictive.
Cucumber kimchi
I was expecting the strong pungent taste of normal kimchee, but this is definatel alot milder.
Sashimi (Salmon, kingfish, tuna)
I wasn’t expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised at the freshness of the sashimi. The knifemanship was also pretty good as well. Ever since I came back from Japan and witnessing how they cut their sashimi, I’ve been monitoring the cuts of sashimi. It’s an annoying habit which yields no benefits.
Garlic prawns
These tasted great despite the fact they were frozen prawns. The prawns are drizzled with oil and garlic and topped off with some cracked pepper.
Prawns
Plump and juicy regular prawns are also available. Throw a shrimp on the barbie will ya love ?
Middle : scallops & edamame bean
Leave room for dessert
Coffee jelly
After all the meat, you definately need to balance things out with a few sweet treats. The coffee jelly has a very strong coffee taste but goes well with the lightness and bouncyness of the jelly.
Lemon sorbet
This to me is Suminoya’s version of a pallette cleanser due to it’s sharpness and freshness. This is a must order, it made me feel alot ‘cleaner’ once I cleared my mouth with the lemon sorbet.
Vanilla & green tea ice cream with cornflakes and red bean
The green tea ice cream is rich and creamy, alot better than some of the other green tea versions I have tried.
Suminoya has a nice ambience and feel about it and kinda reminds me of a few yakiniku joints I’ve been to in Japan. The service is quick, food is great and the booth style seats are great for 6 to 8 people. They even have Asahi on tap which is the perfect light and sharp beer for grilled meats. With the colder months approaching, Suminoya and it’s yakiniku style food is perfect for this type of weather.
Suminoya
Booking is recommended
$49 per person for premium menu
Level Ground 1, Hosking Place
Sydney NSW 2000
P: (02) 9231 2177
W : http://www.yakiniku.com.au/suminoya.html
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Mmmm I absolutely adore yukke and their beef tongue here is very good. But I agree, this place is terrible for ventilation and clean air! *cough cough* I always walk out feeling dirty in the face lol.
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