B’s coupon was a set menu with pretty nice variety of dishes and choices.

Tuna Tartar

This was just a starter, but the fresh tuna was mixed in with the right amount of creamy mayonnaise, buttery avocado and the salty pops from the roe really had us hankering for more (and it wasn’t just because we were hungry hehe).

Fried Gyoza

Given the choice between steamed and fried – fried goodness always wins, hands down; this is most certainly the case for the plate of gyoza. Some places don’t fry them long enough and so you miss out on that lovely crispy bottom, but these were fried just perfect – moist on the inside and well-seasoned.

Salmon Tataki

The salmon was very lightly seared, so it was pretty much like sashimi (not that I’m complaining, I love salmon sashimi!). I wasn’t sure if the sauce was just soy or a soy-vinegar mixture, but it accompanied the salmon wonderfully.

Assorted Tempura

The tempura batter was quite light and crispy; I liked that it wasn’t too oily either.

Sushi and Sashimi

Both sashimi and sushi were fresh as can be. It was a pity that there was an odd number of sushi, but after some tough negotiations, we came away with the pieces we wanted hehe.

Chicken Katsu

B opted for the chicken katsu, which scrumptiously succulent and crispy and came with a bowl of deliciously steaming miso soup (perfect for that cold, wet day) and rice.

Grilled Salmon

My grilled salmon also came with rice and miso soup. I thought the fish was well cooked (medium rare, just how I like it) and so perfectly seasoned that I hardly felt the need for any sauce.

Green Tea and Vanilla Ice Cream

We were a little relieved that dessert rolled around, as by this stage, we found ourselves surprisingly full. The green tea ice cream wasn’t “gritty” (for lack of a better term) like some past green tea ice creams I’ve had and was quite smooth; you can hardly go wrong with vanilla (and only then, I think, if you really tried).

There’s a few Wasabi restaurants around the town: there’s Wasabi Bistro on Stanley, Wasabi Bar and Bistro located in Kings Cross and Wasabi Bistro in Surry Hills. So best make sure everyone knows which one you’re dining at! Hehe. B and I dined at Wasabi Bistro in Surry Hills, which had a pretty casual, yet trendy atmosphere. The service was great: attentive, but not overbearing. The food was fresh and top-notch – we really couldn’t fault with anything.

Wasabi Bistro
Shop 6B-8, 417-431 Bourke St
Surry Hills, NSW, 2010
Ph: (02) 9357 2076
Web: http://www.wasabibistro.com.au/

© squishies for eatshowandtell, 2012. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Dessert, poultry, Seafood

Walk upstairs to the bar

Ms G’s opened  to a lot of hype. Everyone was excited about Dan Hong’s next project following the success of Lotus, this time partnering up with Jowett Yu. We all saw what they could churn out at Lotus. Dan, He’s a young chef who is in tune with culinary trends around the world (if you follow his Twitter, he goes around the world searching for inspiration) but also a guy who treks out to Cabramatta for a bowl of noodles in a hole in a wall joint which I’ve been frequenting for 20 odd years since I was a kid.

This blog post is long overdue, we’ve been to Ms G’s a few times since it has opened but we just never got around to writing about it. My memory might be a bit hazy when it comes to describing the dishes and the menu might’ve even changed since our visit. However, just enjoy looking at the photos taken by Minh and get a feel of what Ms G’s is capable of churning out.

Cocktails

Cocktails are served in bubble tea cups, with the wrapping and all. Its a nice and quirky touch, definitely gets people talking and for us, brings back memories of university at UTS where we use to frequent Easyway at least once a day. Subsequent blood tests ruled us all out with diabetes.(...)
Read the rest of Ms G’s, Potts Point (810 words)

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I guess it doesn’t matter in the end; he managed to surprise me by taking me to Blancharu – a restaurant that’s been on my to-eat list for the longest time.

I know we’re degustation ‘hos, usually choosing the largest degustation on offer, but this time we actually chose the smaller option: 4-course degustation for $75. We worked out that where the 7-course degustation is a set menu, the 4-course gives you a choice to pick an entrée, pasta dish, main and dessert from the a la carte menu – effectively we would be sharing a larger-sized, 8 course dinner. Awesome!

Once that was established, it didn’t take us long to choose our dishes (for once).

King Crab Mille-fuille, Iceberg Lettuce, Tomato, Crispy Potato, Basil Sauce

We thought the dish presentation was most striking, where the mille-fuille was a rather pretty centre piece.

The crab was wonderfully sweet and creamy, accompanied with the refreshing lettuce and tomato, and made for a light, delicious dish.

Aburi Ocean Trout with Red Cabbage, 'Egg Yolk Zuke', Garlic Foam

Our favourite entrée would have to be the ocean trout though; the trout was so fresh, succulent and wonderfully flaky. Combined with the red cabbage, egg yolk zuke and garlic foam, made for a delicately delicious and refreshing dish.

Organic Soba, Carbonara Style with Truffle Aroma Foam

The soba was hectic – for something that looks so deceptively simple, it was richly decadent in its creaminess and surprisingly heavy.

We loved the fact that you could faintly smell the truffle emanating from the dish. I took a second to breathe it all in before digging in.

I also loved the use of soba instead of an actual pasta noodle – the texture and flavour profile is a little different, but it made the dish all the more memorable and interesting.

Squid Ink Risotto with Beer Battered Calamari

I don’t think I’ve had many dishes with squid ink in them and I have to say that its blackness is a bit confronting. I think F and I both were taken aback with the dish and was a bit hesitant in trying it.

All our doubts disappeared though as soon as we tasted it. It was A-MAZ-ING.

The perfectly seasoned risotto was divinely rich and creamy with a sharp cheesy bite. The batter of the beer battered calamari was super light and crispy – almost like tempura – with perfectly cooked calamari within.

It was super simple, but it definitely packed a punch in flavour. F loved it so much that he’s declared it to be the best risotto he’s ever had (and he’s had a lot!).

Fish of the Day: Swordfish with Capsicum, Carrot and Witlof Salad with Passion Fruit and Orange Sauce

The swordfish was cooked quite wonderfully and was perfectly seasoned. While the salad was pretty good, it was the sauce that blew our minds. It was so zesty, refreshing and had so much flavour; the fish tasted sweeter all the more for it.

Wagyu Beef Sirloin with Sauce Chasseur

The wagyu was so utterly tender and succulent – something you’d expect from wagyu and would be terribly disappointed if it were anything else.

The sauce added a nice saltiness to the dish overall.

Lemongrass Panna Cotta, Pineapple, Coconut Sorbet

Now, I don’t really fancy lemongrass too much (I know weird for an Asian) and I try to avoid it as much as I can, but F seeing it in a dessert really piqued his interest. I was a bit dubious to say the least.

But of course I had nothing to worry about – the panna cotta was out of this world. The sharpness of the lemongrass was hinted at but not quite there, so there was this wonderful lemony zest playing off the creaminess of the panna cotta.

The pineapple added a nice sweet-sourness to the dish and the coconut sorbet was absolutely heavenly.

The components of the dessert worked quite well on their own, but once combined it was simply a spoonful of perfection.

Peach Compote, Verbena Jelly, Vanilla Ice Cream

Sadly the peach compote, while quite tasty in its own right, was totally outshone by the panna cotta. Unfortunately, it was outshone so much… we can’t really remember what it tasted like.

Inside Blancharu

Blancharu welcomes you quite whole-heartedly and has a friendly and attentive wait staff. The food is so fresh and while most of the dishes we had were quite delicious, there were a few that really surprised us and made us really fall in love with its creativity and simplicity.

Blancharu
Shop 1, 21 Elizabeth Bay Road,
Elizabeth Bay NSW 2011
Ph: (02) 9360 3555
Web: http://www.blancharu.com.au/

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Post tags: beef, Dessert, Seafood

Nikko

Nikko was so serene, beautiful and intensely cold. I was wearing two socks but even so, I could feel my feet quickly turning into blocks of ice in a matter of moments without my shoes within the temples and shrines. I was really grateful that M warned us how cold it would be and we at least had the foresight to wear our snow jackets. So note to anyone visiting Nikko in the winter: dress warmly, wear super thick socks (possibly with one of those heater pads inside), be wary of ice (cramp ons are a safe bet) and be ready to print out information on the places you visit as there are very little English translations of why something is so important. (I really feel like I missed out there).

Outside Junkadelic

We’ve passed Junkadelic several times on our way to the Metro, it’s cheery exterior (and it being Mexican of all things) piqued our interest. Also, M mentioned in passing that they served pretty decent Mexican fare, so we felt that we should at least try it before we left.

Nachos (Regular, 750 Yen) and Empanada (700 Yen)

The nacho chips were wonderfully crunchy and I loved the abundance of melted cheese. There was not, however, enough of that awesome guacamole. We had to ask for some more, which we also polished off. I still rave on about that guacamole – it was just simply fantastic: bright flavours, not too salty and dreamily creamy.

The empanadas looked a bit different to what we were used to and it tasted a bit different too. However, the description on the menu should have tipped us off that it was a bit different: seafood in bechamel sauce rolled into tortillas and fried.

Inside Junkadelic

Junkadelic was pretty cool, being so cheery outside and in, and the staff was really friendly. It’s a pity we didn’t get to try more dishes (it would appear that when you’re tired, the appetite is also affected – who would have thunk), I would love to come back and try their quesadillas!

Junkadelic
2-21-2 #102, Akasaka
Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Ph: 03-3224-0750
Web: junkadelic.jp/

Outside Akasaka Ittenbari

On our first day in Tokyo, M insisted that we try his favourite ramen place, which he touted to be the best in Tokyo. Best ramen in Tokyo? I was instantly sold.

Spicy Miso Ramen (750 Yen)

Unless it’s a meat dish, R would most certainly pick the spiciest dish on the menu. It looked pretty spicy too! I was told that the ramen was deliciously spicy and had a pretty decent kick to it.

Look how big that bowl is! That’s the standard bowl ramen comes in – there’s also “jumbo” bowls available as well and they are unbelievably huge. Who can possibly eat all of it?! Crazy. But I digress.

Awerse Ramen (700 Yen + Men-ma, 200 Yen)

I’m not sure why, but the rest of us ordered the same ramen – we differed in our toppings though. There’s quite a few on offer such as bean sprouts, more meat slices, seaweed and pickled bamboo (but I think they’re pretty staple add-ons?) for a few bob extra.

The broth was pretty rich and hearty, though a touch too salty for myself, but the noodles were perfect and the meat so wonderfully tender. It was however, surprisingly spicy. There wasn’t a lot of heat to it, but the heat built up as I ate and I found myself gulping down lots of water. My friends looked on with amusement as they didn’t think it was spicy at all. Sigh.

Inside Akasaka Ittenbari

Akasaka Ittenbari is a tiny, tiny restaurant where the ramen is dished out by a no nonsense wait staff and made by quick and efficient chefs. It seemed like one of those places where you order your usual, eat and then leave. No loitering, no shenanigans. A place where you go to sate you ramen craving and leave very well sated indeed. I think I need a ramen fix after this!

At Pierre Herme

On our last day, I dragged R to Pierre Herme. I was determined to visit his Tokyo store, as I missed out when I was in Paris a couple of years back. Determined as I was, when we got to Shibuya I quickly realised, despite looking at the map for a whole week, I had forgotten to write down the directions on how to get there. Geez. It took us a while, but we finally found it and it was like finding gold at the end of a rainbow.

We weren’t allowed to take photos inside (sadness, our waitress came out with this massive silver platter with the entire pastry range arranged just so that made our eyes pop), so sadly I had to make do with this shot.

While R went for a pastry that was accompanied with a chocolate mocktail concoction, I had two pastries and oh my goodness, it was like we had died and gone to heaven – they were so amazing! You could taste all the individual components, delicious on their own, but made perfect harmony when eaten together. Nothing was out of place or seemed unnecessary.

I gamely bought 6 macarons to take home for F, hoping that it would last the two days of being in transit. (It did, much to my relief and our tastebuds.)

Pierre Herme
5-51-8 Jingumae
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Ph: 03-5485-7766
Web: http://www.pierreherme.com/content/FR/EN/boutiques/index.cgi?&cwsid=6463ph0A000108ph6824407

Pastries and Bagel from Pompadour

We could not believe just how many pastries and bakeries there are in Tokyo. It’s like there’s one on every corner! And of course, we found it hard pressed to not go in and sample a little of their wide selection.

In the end, our favourite bakery was Pompadour. We were lured in with all the bread and pastries in the display window, then we were made giddy with the wonderful, sweet, warm smell of freshly baked bread and cakes.

Pompadour was not all show and no-go: the sour cherries in custard danish, the flaky and sweet pear and (what we think is) rhubarb pie, and the slightly sweet blueberry bagel were absolutely amazing. The flavours were just spot on and the pastry! Oh.. so good. Just so you know, we had gently heated them in the grill for breakfast the next day, but managed to burn a bit of the pie – so it wasn’t their dodgy baking skills, it’s more like ours haha.

We also had a gooey chocolate-centered brownie-muffin top hybrid topped with chocolate chips, but we kind of ate that deliciousness before I got around to taking a photo of it (sorry).

Pompadour
6-2-35 Roppongi
Minato-ku, Tokyo
Ph: 03-3401-5695
Web: http://www.pompadour.co.jp/

From Monjya Izakaya Smile Kojyo Shinjuku Nishiguchi branch

On our last night in Tokyo, we squeezed in a quickie dinner with some friends before dashing off for a midnight flight back to Sydney via Singapore.

Monjya Izakaya has a massive range of food (which I can’t detail here because I had no idea what we ordered), either a la carte or as a set menu. One of the set menus is an all you can eat for 3,500 Yen. You get an appetizer, salad, 3 types of teppanyaki, okonomiyaki, monjya, dessert and all you can drink. That’s right… All. You. Can. Drink. This includes alcoholic beverages, which my friends most certainly took advantage of.

It was my first time having okonomiyaki and it was so much fun to make, as well as eat! I can’t wait to do something like this in Sydney (if we even do have an okonomiyaki place that is).

Monjya Izakaya is a cheerful restaurant with enthusiastic and friendly wait staff. The food was quite delicious and with an all you can eat and drink set menu for 3,500 yen I know I’ll be back to properly take advantage of enjoy such a feast.

Monjya Izakaya Smile Kojyo Shinjuku Nishiguchi branch
Atlas Nishishinjuku building 5F,
1-15-8, Nishishinjuku,
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0023
Ph: 03-5339-7277
Web: http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g622511/lang/en/

So, here ends my brief foray into Japan. It’s more like a toe-dip than anything else, I know, so I just can’t wait to go back to try more scrumptious food, snacks and take in the history and culture that Japan has to offer!

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Post tags: Dessert, pork

So it was a bit of a rude surprise that when we got to Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport, I realised that I wasn’t so organised after all. I had our friend’s apartment address, but not much else; no directions, no idea which part of Tokyo where it was. Nada! I think we spent 2 hours working out where we needed to go and trying to get there.

When we finally met up with our friend M, we were a little tired, but rather pleased we made it and maybe also a little bit hungry. Not really sure what we wanted to eat, we roamed around Akasaka for a bit before M made an executive decision and took us to “Watami”.

I actually don’t know where we ate (I stupidly lost their business card), but he said it was “Watami or something like that” and stated that it was a chain restaurant, not worth blogging about. R and I actually quite liked what we had, so I’m going to have to ignore his advice (even though I don’t really know what it’s really called).

Prawn and Avocado Spring Roll (523 Yen) and Salmon Sashimi (500 Yen)

I don’t know about the other guys, but I was a little surprised when the spring roll came out; I was expecting something fried, not wrapped up in what looked like tofu skins. Not that it was a bad thing, it was quite yummy and refreshing. Kinda like a healthy spring roll option.

Scallops and Homemade Crispy Gyoza Dumpling (313 Yen)

After the odd scallops we ate in Niseko, I wondered what these scallops would turn out to be like (kind of hoping that it wouldn’t be too much like what we had). Happily they were pretty normal, if a little over done.

The gyozas made an impression on us when they came out.. they were upside down! They were also wonderfully crispy and piping hot.

Edamame (313 Yen) and Cheesy Rolled Egg with Mayonnaise sauce (523 Yen)

Funnily enough, we’ve been in Japan for a whole week already and we haven’t had what I consider to be an essentially Japanese dish: edamame. It was of course delicious with its light saltiness, though then again, I don’t think edamame can ever be bad.

Meanwhile, the cheesy egg roll was marvellously creamy and a total hit with the table. Definitely R’s favourite dish of the night.

Deep Fried Chicken Wings (363 Yen) and Barkeeper's Homemade Pasta Salad (373 Yen)

To be honest, I don’t think I’ve had so many deep fried chicken before… until I came to Japan and I’m starting to find that I miss the crunchy goodness and succulent meat.

I think the salad was more of an after thought than anything else, but it was quite nice and creamy.

Chocolate Fondant with Frozen Yoghurt and Ice Cream (600 Yen)

We had a little dilemma when we came to dessert. Ideally, three people dining usually means at least 2 different desserts, 3 at best. However, we all had our eye on the chocolate fondant and not really willing to try any other dessert just in case it wasn’t as good as the fondant (terrible, I know).

In hindsight, it’s always good to have a back-up. Not that it was bad – it was awesomely chocolate-y, just not oozing, gooey chocolate like we had expected and for some reason, that disappointed us more than I had thought it would. The fondant not only came with ice cream and cream, but frozen yoghurt! Yum. I thought that kind of made up for the non-gooey-ness… almost.

Walking into “Watami” was kind of funny – it felt like an international incident as I almost blundered into the restaurant with my shoes on and my friends behind me hissing, “Shoes! Shoes! SHOES!!!!“. The offending shoes were placed into a locker and we were given the wooden locker tag block thing before being ushered to a cosy booth; all of which I thought was rather interesting and cool (clearly I’m such a big tourist).

Studio Ghibli!

R and I are massive fan of Studio Ghibli’s works, so it was a no brainer that we would go to its museum in Mitaka (on Valentine’s day no less). We excitedly pointed out recognisable inspirations to each other (almost but not quite squealing) and were equally disappointed that we couldn’t go into the cat-bus; it was strictly for kids (toddlers, even). Although it was smaller than we expected, it was such an awesome experience – seeing the inspirations of our much adored Studio Ghibli animations, learning how they create them and appreciating just how much work goes into one feature. A definite must for any fans of animated movies / Studio Ghibli fans.

Museum of Nature and Science

The next day found us at the Museum of Nature and Science. We figured that it will take us about 2 to 3 hours to get through (like our Australian Museum back at home), but no… we were there for 6 hours. Yes, six!!! I know it sounds crazy, but the museum had more than six levels (across two buildings) and the amount of detail they put into their displays was amazing; half of one of the levels was modelled after a woodland scene (the bottom image), complete with stuffed animals and insects found in the woodlands like deer and warthogs. It was just insane. Also their collection of dinosaur bones (real and replica) was spectacular! There were so many dinosaurs… I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many ever!

Okay, okay… I’m likely to keep raving on about this museum, so I’ll leave it there.

Hatos Bar

That night, M took us to his favourite bar. He is currently obsessed with the ribs there, which he vows are the best he’s ever had. A pretty big claim, as I’ve had some pretty awesome ribs.

We travelled for what seemed like forever – going underground, through back streets – but we finally made it and feeling quite ravenous.

Chips and Salsa (700 Yen) and Baby Back Ribs (Half, 1000 Yen)

Hatos Bar’s menu doesn’t quite cater for pescetarians (or vegetarians), so R went with the chips and salsa, which wasn’t like the nachos she was told to expect, but it was still rather tasty.

Meanwhile, M and I tucked into the scrumptiously smoky, fall-off-the-bone ribs. It was seriously divine and crunchy shoestring chips were the perfect finishing touch to the dish. Did it meet my friend’s outrageous claim of it being the best? Mmm, almost; it’s definitely in my Top 3 in any case (and M’s probably feeling a little indignant after reading that haha… Sorry M! Just saying it like it is).

Pulled Pork with Cheese (900 Yen, 100 Yen for Cheese)

The pulled pork look absolutely fantastic and it tasted better than it looked, if that was possible. The pork was wonderfully moist and tender with the perfect amount of smokiness and then topped with that gooey cheese? Definitely yumsters.

M told us that this would be his standard order: half rack ribs with pulled pork and a glass of refreshing beer to chase it all down. It would be perfect had I the stomach space for all of that deliciousness – the ribs itself was surprisingly filling.

Corn Bread (500 Yen) and Brownie with Ice Cream (500 Yen)

To accompany the chips and salsa, R ordered corn bread, which she loved. It came out toasty and with the melted, creamy butter, the corn bread would make her moan with satisfaction (that sounded a bit dirty didn’t it? Sorry… totally unintentional, but it did!).

I’m not sure if the brownies are a fad in Japan right now or if they’ve always sold them, but they’re everywhere! And of course we couldn’t resist the chocolate goodness.

Old school smoker

To get that really authentic, smoky flavour, the guys at Hatos Bar uses a totally old school smoker, which I thought was pretty awesome. I think they said that they’re the only restaurant in Tokyo to use such an old style smoker.

Hatos Bar

Hatos Bar used to be a small art gallery displaying local artists until one idea lead to another and now it’s a cozy place where you can kick back with great food and interesting beer, surrounded by artwork that you purchase. Make that affordable artwork – some pretty neat looking pieces were going for 1,000 Yen! A must visit when you’re in Tokyo – I know I definitely will be back (in any case, I’m sure M would drag me there if I don’t hehe).

Hatos Bar
Prince Corp. 1F. 1-3-5 Nakameguro,
Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Ph: 03-6452-4505
Web: www.hatosbar.com

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Post tags: Dessert, pork

After two disappointing visits in which we were turned away from a fully booked Restaurant Rin, we were finally seated inside (bookings are a must, it would seem!).

There were quite a few choices on the menu and it took us a while to decide what to get, but a short time after we had ordered, the food started to roll in.

Salmon Carpaccio (900 Yen) and Agedashi Tofu (600 Yen)

The fresh salmon carpaccio was deliciously delicate in flavour and balanced so well with a citrus-y tang. Meanwhile the agadashi tofu was wonderfully silky and soft on the inside, encased in a slight crisp shell; the sauce adding a lovely salty flavour to the subtleness of the tofu.

Torikush, Lamb Kushi, Butakush and Torikawa

Eating at an izakaya place without having some yakitori would be simply incomplete. We had Chicken Skewers (Torikush for 300 Yen, 2 skewers), Lamb Skewers (Lamb Kushi for 400 Yen, 2 skewers), Pork Skewers (Butakush for 300 Yen, 2 skewers) and Chicken Skin Skewers (Torikawa for 420 Yen, 2 skewers).

The skewers was scrumptiously salty and perfectly cooked, though the lamb did taste a bit lamb-y.

As much as I love chicken skin on chicken, I wasn’t too sure about eating just chicken skin; it seemed a bit… odd. While it was quite tasty, it also tasted surprisingly fatty (well, fattier than we expected) and was quite heavy / rich.

Tebasaki - Chicken Wings (500 Yen) and Tsukune Ume Shiso - Chicken Meat Balls with Sour Plum (470 Yen)

The chicken wings were pretty tasty, but I kind of half-wished there was more bit more marinade to give it some more oompf. The chicken balls, were interesting – quite moist and well-seasoned.

Karikari Chicken - Crispy Chicken Garlic Sauce (650 Yen) and Torimen - Japanese Noodle Soup with Chicken (600 Yen)

The crispy chicken was scrumptiously crunchy, yet succulent and even more delicious with some tangy garlic sauce (though honestly, nothing could really beat El Jannah’s garlic sauce).

The noodle soup was incredibly tasty and it made me feel so… at home; soup perfectly seasoned and noodles done just right, it was comfort food at its best, I thought. Definitely something I would crave for on a cold winter’s night… or if I was sick (like now… it would be sooooo perfect, right now).

Gobou Sticks - Crispy Burdock (500 Yen) and Ikayaki - Grilled Squid (700 Yen)

Funny thing about the deep fried burdock. V was determined to order the burdock, declaring that they were these little fish he’s had before (while we had no idea what the heck it could be). I think we were more than a little dubious, looking at its picture in the menu, and even more so when it came out. The burdock had a satisfying crunch and it became evident the burdock was not any sort of small fish but unmistakeably that of some kind of vegetable. It was also strangely addictive.

I think we were all surprised when the squid came out – I think we weren’t expecting it to look almost whole (despite being chopped up, that is). One bite was all it took to remind me of why I love squid; its soft chewiness and subtle flavour, enhanced by a mildly tangy mayonnaise.

Hotate Butter - Scallops with Butter (600 Yen) and Kakifurai - Deep Fried Oyster (700 Yen)

The scallop itself was okay, maybe a little bit too “fishy” for me, but the others seem to enjoy it.

I wasn’t feeling too adventurous that night and so couldn’t bring myself to tasting the deep fried oyster. Again, the others seem to enjoy it.

Mmmm Sake

I guess if there was one drink you should have while you’re in Japan, it should be sake; we had ours warm and a little sweet. I thought it was cool that the menu indicated how dry or sweet each sake was and loved that we could choose our own cups!!

Brownie Ice Cream (600 yen) and Ice Cream with Blueberry Sauce (600 Yen)

V ordered just the vanilla ice cream with lashings of the sweet blueberry sauce. It looked delicious and I felt a slight pang of envy at the mound of ice cream.

Don’t get me wrong the chocolate brownie was scrumptiously chocolate-y and moist and of course, it would have been even more perfect if I had that much ice cream with it as well. Haha I’m such a pig.

Inside Restaurant Rin

Restaurant Rin is cozy, wholly welcoming (unless they’re booked out, which they usually are) and offers a wide range of delicious dishes.

Yosaku

On our last night in Niseko, we decided to treat ourselves to an hour long massage at this spa massage place (which was a-ma-zing). Hungry but not knowing where to go, we asked the staff where they would recommend for us eat at. Seeing how cold it was, we took the closest recommendation: an izakaya just around the corner.

Outside Yosaku

Yosaku was smoky and bustling. To fit us in, she asked a couple at a table for six to scoot over so we could be seated. It was right at that moment that two people vacated their spots at the bar. Hastily, we asked if we could be seated there instead, seeing how grumpy the couple were.

There wasn’t a wide range of dishes, but there were enough to interest us.

Eggplant Spring Rolls (300 Yen) and Tori - Chicken (180 Yen)

The eggplant spring rolls were wonderfully crispy and so tasty! The teriyaki chicken skewers were succulent and tender.

Shishitou - Peppers (130 Yen) and Shiitake Mushrooms (160 Yen)

R loves chilli and when she ordered the green peppers, she was a surprised (and perhaps a little disappointed) to find that they weren’t spicy at all. Strange but true; they even look like chilli! They tasted more like capsicum than anything else actually.

The shiitake mushrooms were deliciously juicy and smoky, with maybe a bit too much cracked pepper for me, but R ate it with gusto.

Noodle Salada (750 Yen)

Originally that’s all we ordered… until we saw the two ladies next to us chowing down some really awesome looking noodle salad; it was very much of a “we’ll have what she’s having” order hehe.

And boy, was it delicious. Sure the ingredients were super fresh and the noodles cooked perfectly, it was the dressing that really made the salad: refreshingly tangy with a slight bite and a touch of sweetness.

Inside Yosaku

The warm smoky air completely envelopes you when you enter Yosaku – kind of like a giant hug that’s been puffing away at some pork-flavoured cigar. The staff are so friendly and while the menu is not extensive, the dishes were made with obvious love and care.

We departed Niseko the next day in flurries of snow and with heavy hearts. “To have one more day to snowboard!” we sighed and gazed at the retreating sight of the mountain that would majestically loom in the background as we powered through powder snow and trees. Oh Niseko, how I miss you.

Mt Yotei.. heart!

© squishies for eatshowandtell, 2011. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Dessert, lamb, pork, poultry, Seafood

For the thousands affected by the terrible natural disaster in Japan, please give generously. It doesn’t matter how small the donation may be, every dollar counts.

I’ve never been to Japan before, though most of my friends have been there multiple times. So many of them have gone to the Land of the Rising Sun (and so many times) that they thought I surely must have gone too. Sadly, that was not the case… until now… YAY!!!

The first half of my trip was up in Niseko, Hokkaido, where the snow was re-don-ku-lous – perfect for the main objective of my trip: snowboarding on the much lauded about sweet, sweet powder.

We stayed at Grandpapa Lodge (the sweetest people you would ever meet) and while it wasn’t in the centre of town, it was walking distance to some pretty delicious restaurants.

Redonkulous Amounts of Snow

See! The snow was really crazy!! Our room was on the second floor, so you can see just how high it’s all piled up. And then trying to snowboard whilst it’s snowing was a little tough, but rather exhilarating with the low visibility. Much <3

Tozanken

Inside Tozanken

Anywho, so the first restaurant we went to after a hectic first day of snowboarding was Tozanken, a cheerful ramen place close to the centre of town (just down the road from the Welcome Centre at Hirafu).

Fries (?? yen) and Rice with Green Tea with Toppings (500 yen)

Who orders fries in a ramen place?? Well, it would turn out, that D does and we would come to expect an order of fries at least once a day during the entire trip. I love potatoes, but that was dedication right there.

R, being our resident pescetarian, ordered the rice with green tea. I’ve never heard of such a thing and stared at it in wonder. It was really rice with green tea!!! R lamented that she didn’t get to pour the tea into the rice, like this other restaurant she went to on her last trip. Despite the initial disappointment, she loved the dish and ordered it each time we came back.

Pork Cutlet and Rice in a Bowl (900 yen) and Small Ramen (600 yen)

D adored the pork cutlet and being too busy with eating, I couldn’t get anything else from him hehe.

Looking around, I noticed that the ramen bowls were maaaassssiiiivveee (later I found out, this is totally usual) so I opted for the small ramen. I adore ramen and wondered how much different it would taste in its homeland. Turns out, while overall it might be a bit tastier than back at home, it’s the little things that made the dish a lot better. Like the consistency and texture of the noodles and the rich broth, just naming a couple of things. Maybe it being super cold outside and having something so hearty just plucked at all the right heart strings while cocooning one in its warmth at the same time.

In any case, it’s hard to describe what made it so delicious good, but oh man, Japan definitely has made me love ramen even more (hard to imagine). This bowl of ramen was most definitely the first of many! Yumsters.

Specially Made Asahikawa Ramen (1100 yen)

Tonzanken

Tozanken resides underneath a souvenir store (which is opened til late) and is wonderfully welcoming with food definitely made with love.

Tozanken
Down the road from the Welcome Center
Hirafu-Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan
Ph: 0136-23-4549

Yummy’s Restaurant and Bar

It was kind of funny how we ended up at Yummy’s. There’s a izuyaki restaurant about a minute’s walk from our accommodation, but found out rather disappointingly that they were full. Just as we were about to leave, two elderly gentlemen came in seeking a table as well.

Seeing that getting a table was impossible, one of them wondered out loud if they should go to Yummy’s instead. Although we really didn’t know where we were going to go, we joked with them that we’ll go to Yummy too and steal the last of the tables. I don’t know if it was accidental or one of the guys had guided us, but we found ourselves at Yummy’s 5 minutes later and were ushered upstairs. About 10 minutes later, the two elderly gentlemen also arrived haha.

Proscuitto with Avocado (2,000 yen) and Chicken Mix Pizza (1,200 yen)

I mean, don’t get me wrong – proscuitto is delicious and so is avocado, but together? On a pizza? All my reservations were wiped clean away as soon as it came to our table. It looked delicious and tasted even more so. Who would have thought?

The chicken mix pizza modestly included green peppers (which I took for green capsicums), mushrooms and onion. The chicken was still quite moist and the thin pizza base had a nice crispy edge (and no soggy middle). I loved their liberal use of the tomato sauce – the saucier, the better!

Seafood Mix Pizza (1,600 yen) and Tacos Pizza (1,400 yen)

The seafood mix pizza had shrimp, squid and scallops. I had imagined fat, juicy scallops dotting the pizza, but they actually just had chopped them up, which I guess makes sense as it would be easier to eat. For R and I, this our least favourite pizza, considering we both love seafood. The flavour wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t spectacular either.

As soon as we saw Taco pizza, we had to order it. It sounded so bizarre! The pizza tasted pretty much like a taco (but with very little meat) – a giant soft-shelled taco. A little hard to get our head around the fact that we were really eating a pizza.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings (700 yen) and Garlic Bread (400 yen)

The garlic bread was sour-dough with a bit tamer garlic flavour than what we are used to, but it was still pretty good! The buttery bread was nice and crunchy with a soft inner core.

The sweet and spicy chicken wings were insanely good. Thankfully it wasn’t too spicy, but it did have a nice kick to it. Although we were surprisingly full by this stage, we were pretty tempted to order another plate of wings.

Brownie Ice Cream (600 yen) and Hot Chocolate (500 yen)

The brownie was wonderfully moist and the vanilla ice cream pretty decent, while the hot chocolate was awesomely creamy and chocolatey; it really hit the sweet spot!

View from the top

Yummy’s a pretty fun place to go to eat, where the tables upstairs are the tradition low tables I associate with Japan (downstairs are normal, “western-style” tables). The food’s pretty satisfying and surprisingly filling.

Yummy’s Restaurant and Bar
Next to #3 Grand Hirafu Shuttle Bus Stop
Hirafu-Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan
Ph: 0136-21-2239

So, here ends the first part of some of my eats in Niseko. Next week, we finally get to eat at Restaurant Rin (third time lucky!) and the funky izakaya, Yosuke.

And because it’s just too pretty not to share, I shall leave you with a most common sight bordering the slopes (thanks R for letting me use her photos!).

Heart!

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If you take a stroll to the other side of Chatswood train station, you’ll find Chatswood Chase and a slew of other restaurants. The last time I went to Chatswood, Chatswood Chase looked totally different (10 years ago), so I was surprised to see it get a make over.

What you’ll also find is a new restaurant called The Rice Den. Situated away from the crowds of Eat Street, it sits halfway between Chatswood Train Station and Chatswood Chase. A few friends of mine have been meaning to take us here, it’s a bit of a regular joint for them since they live in the area.

It’s hard to explain the cuisine type here, it’s ‘Modern fusion Asian’ but it doesn’t really stick to one cuisine. You’ll find a bit of Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Malaysian. It’s a jack of all trades, but master of what?

Steamed cheong fun - $6

The balmy summers evening is kicked off with the steamed cheong fun. It’s a photogenic plate of soft steamed rice noodles with a sweet sesame and ‘Rice Den’ sauce, which had hints of hoisin and soy. On top were fresh shiitake mushrooms and shiso leaves and fried onions which added a bit of texture.(...)
Read the rest of The Rice Den, Chatswood (567 words)

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This may be slightly scandalous, but I’ve said it and I’m going to stand by it.

The best Tonkatsu in Sydney is at Miso, World Square.

Miso is somewhat awkwardly situated in a little walkway on the street level of World Square. I’ve often walked past on my way through, the brightly lit interior and queues have always made me mildly curious but never enough to try it out.

It takes a coworker poking me and raving on about the Tonkatsu before I’m finally motivated drag myself over to try it out, because to be honest, I’m not that much fan of Tonkatsu!

Tonkatsu Pork Loin Set with all-natural Otway pork $16.50

(...)
Read the rest of Miso, World Square, Sydney CBD (529 words)

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Post tags: favourites

Also, having a bit of a competitive streak, I wanted to see who could make better-looking sushi (despite knowing fairly well who’s the more adept cook).

It took a while to get into gear to book in the class, as there was always something cropping up, but every time I tried, the class was always booked out! Finally, I managed to secure a date… way out in August.

Waiting for class to begin

(...)
Read the rest of Sushi Class, Surry Hills (935 words)

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Post tags: Seafood

Happy Belated Independence Day!

Yes I know it was back in July and now it’s August. Independence Day in the US reminded me of how we spend Australia Day. It started off with a breakfast of homemade margaritas (with my new blender), sitting on the rooftop with my feet burning on the hot roof, beer and rice paper roll lunch then a night of burgers, cheese, wine and fireworks! As you see in the photo above, it feels like NYE in Sydney.

So for the past few months, I have been hard at work eating my heart out. Luckily I don’t own scales so I cannot say whether my body size has been affected by this, but I’m pretty sure it has. That’s one thing to watch out in NYC… the heaviness of the food!

Happy Independence Day!

(...)
Read the rest of Hello from NYC #2 – My Food Trail (1,898 words)

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Post tags: Hello from NYC, Momofuku

Unlike me, they both were dutiful and timely bloggers and have already posted up their take on Kansai. My bad – I actually have no excuse really and it’s all really a bit of a mystery why this hasn’t gone up earlier.

Kansai offers an all-you-can-eat dinner for $28 per person (excludes hotpot and sashimi, or $18 for kids) or $38 per person (includes hotpot and sashimi, or $28 for kids). We figured with such an extensive menu, we could do without the hotpot and sashimi and opted for the $28 all-you-can-eat.

Agedashi Tofu

The agedashi tofu wasn’t too bad, being a bit more firm than expect and slightly chewy, but the sauce saved it.

Gyoza

I had to laugh when I saw the gyoza, as it reminded me of my shock on seeing just how big the Korean dumplings I had at CeCe’s were; these gyozas were a lot bigger than I’m used to seeing… and more deep-fried. Though I can’t complain, they were crisp and tasted quite decent.

Salmon Skin Roll (Grilled Salmon Skin and Cream Cheese); Volcano Roll (Crabmeat, Cucumber and Avocado filling topped with Baked Salmon, Tobiko, Spicy Sauce and Mayonnaise)

I have a bit of a love-hate thing with salmon skin: I love the crispy texture, but its slight fishiness puts me off a bit. However, the addition of cream cheese pushes me more towards liking it, as I think it helps cuts through the fishy flavour.

My worry that the volcano roll would be a bit too spicy for me was unfounded as the “spicy sauce” was merely a mild sweet chilli sauce. While I rejoiced, Ffichiban lamented on the (almost non-existent) heat. Though to be honest, with such a name, one would expect to see an explosion of flavour or heat, so I can see where he’s coming from. I really enjoyed its creaminess and crunchiness topped off a hint of spiciness (for me anyway, I don’t think the guys even experienced any heat! Haha).

Chicken Karaage

When Ffichiban ordered the karaage, he chortled at Ninja’s obvious discomfort and I hoped Ninja wouldn’t cave into the temptation of chowing down these crispy morsels. I felt slightly bad for eating them, but they were rather good and I couldn’t help but assist Ffichiban in polishing them off.

Yakitori

The guys absolutely adored this dish and ordered it several times! I can’t say that I was immune to its deliciousness and suspect that its addictive nature lies in that amazing yakitori sauce liberally drenching succulent chicken pieces.

Soft Shell Crab, Scallop Tempura and Spicy Tuna Handroll

Salmon Roe, Scallops, Scampi and Salmon Sushi

The handrolls and sushi seemed to have more rice than filling and the fillings we had weren’t too bad, but it also wasn’t that great either. I think subconsciously, we all moved onto better things on the menu. Except for the scampi, that is; the guys seemed to be really taken with it and was the only sushi that was re-ordered.

Tonkatsu

Deep-fried, crispy, succulent pork – I don’t think you just can go wrong with Tonkatsu! And I think to make up for not being able to eat the kaarage, Ninja ate this with gusto.

Dragon Roll (Avocado and Deep Fried Prawn Filling with Eel, Tobiko and Kansai Eel Sauce) and Rainbow Roll (Crabmeat, Cucumber and Avocado filling topped with Seasonal Sashimi)

Contrary to Ninja’s description of my reaction to both dishes when I first clapped eyes on them, I did not squeal – I oooh’ed. With such colour and decorativeness, you can’t help but appreciate! Both were really delicious and I wished I had a bigger stomach… or four to fit more of them in.

Italian Roll (Crabmeat, Cucumber and Avocado filling topped with grilled Mozzerella Cheese, Spicy Sauce and Mayonnaise) and Salmon Skin Roll (Grilled Salmon Skin and Cream Cheese)

The Italian roll was something I haven’t seen before and glad that I didn’t have to beg the guys to order it. They seemed a bit hesitant because it sounded so strange, but that was the very reason why I wanted to try it!

The grilled cheese really added a different dimension to the roll in a very scrumptious way, as well as the roll being wholly warm. We all wanted to order another Italian roll, but by this stage, I think we were completely and utterly stuffed.

Putting aside that I find it odd that there is a restaurant open at night in the Hunter Connection (right by the escalator heading towards Hunter Street) when everything else is closed, it is definitely a “cheap and cheerful” place with friendly and quite attentive staff. The food comes out with little delay and while the quality varied with each dish, I thought there were more hits than misses. I think if I ever feel the need for all-you-can-eat sushi, I’ll be sure to come back.

Rolling out the door, and despite how full we were feeling, we went looking for a place to have dessert. Deciding against Lindt at Cockle Bay for its distance, we found ourselves at Max Brenner located in the Metcentre just around the corner from Kansai.

Dark and Milk Italian Thick Hot Chocolate ($6)

The chilly night made me yearn for something hot and also wanting something sweet after dinner, the Italian thick hot chocolate really hit the spot. Ffichiban told me that he likes getting the dark version over the milk because the milk tend to get overly sweet after a while. I thought I’d get the milk hot chocolate anyway as I prefer milk to dark chocolate (blasphemy I know to those who don’t think milk chocolate is proper chocolate). He was right though – halfway through, I found myself needing a glass of water to combat the cloying sweetness; the thickness of the hot chocolate didn’t help things much, but oh! It was wonderfully scrumptious at first. Next time I’ll get the dark version, as I felt terrible not being able to finish my drink.

Chocolate Souffle ($10)

We all wanted something sweet to eat as well, but none of us had space for a dessert alone – so we opted to share a dish: chocolate soufflé with an oozing chocolate-y centre. Oh! It was absolute bliss and we easily polished it off, leaving only chocolate sauce scrapings on the plate.

We definitely rolled home after that. I was so full I thought I was going to pass out on the way home! I think that will teach me to try and keep up with the guys. Tsk.

Kansai
Shop B1, Hunter Connection
7-13 Hunter Street
Ph: (02) 9231 5544
Web: www.kansai.com.au/

Max Brenner
Shop MG 24, Metcentre,
273 George Street, Sydney, NSW
Ph: (02) 9251 7788
Web: www.maxbrenner.com.au/

© squishies for eatshowandtell, 2010. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Dessert, Seafood

Tramping down the narrow staircase, we found ourselves bidded by the wait staff to take our shoes off and into the plastic bags offered.

Ju Ju is exactly how I remembered: the warm, wooden decor and the pits! I love how the tables are basically sunken and you have to sit on square black cushions.

We poured over the various laminated menus provided, taking quite a while to decide on what to get. We were so spoilt for choice – it was so hard to choose!

Yukke - Fresh Raw Beef and Egg Yolk with Special Ginger Sauce ($9.80)

(...)
Read the rest of Ju Ju, Kings Cross (1,188 words)

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Post tags: beef, Seafood

Now in saying that, every now and then there is a reason to come out of financial hibernation. This evening I am at the new-ishly opened Tokonoma Shochu bar and lounge with Shez and Fiona and Sian from Mark Comms . It’s right next door to the old Toko, which still rakes in a healthy crowd. It’s a Thursday night and Tokonoma is buzzing, the after work office crowd is slowly trickling in and I spot a cougar with a mid 20′s bloke looking very nervous while drinking his Yebisu beer.

I’ve been here a few times with my friends. It’s a great restaurant to chill out while sharing plates of food over a few drinks. This is one place which does wallets justice not just with the food, but with their extensive drinks menu. They have some of the most interesting combos of cocktails I’ve seen in a while. Oh, and the booths are handy. We often find ourselves in the booths, you get that extra bit of privacy so other people don’t hear you yapping away about the latest episode of Glee.

Now if you are hungry, the tasting menu is a good option. It’s a Chef’s selection of ‘signature’ dishes ideal for sharing, were they any good though ?

gyu niku no tataki seared beef, pickled onions, mizuna, garlic chips

This is what ‘seared’ is supposed to look like. The amount of times I’ve had ‘seared’ turn into ‘overcooked’ in my kitchen has been way too often. Slightly cooked on the outside and rare on the inside, melt in your beef. The pickled onions and garlic chips help cut through the meat too. Four pieces ? I could do with eight myself.

watari-gani kara-age crispy soft-shell crab, wasabi mayonnaise

Soft shell crab, the token item which is on nearly every Japanese fusion menu. It’s one of those things which have a ‘must order’ tag on it, even though I know how easy it is to make at home. Tokonoma’s version ? Lots of crab meat, light on the coating and the wasabi mayonnaise is a killer combination with anything that is fried, let alone the crab.

maguro no miso taru taru : tuna tartar, baby shiso leaves, barley miso dressing

Tartar, great in moderation but not so great when you have to eat it all by yourself. I recently had that problem with a beef tartar because Linda doesn’t eat meat anymore. At Tokonoma, they shake things up a bit with the barley miso dressing. It’s interesting and unique and is a welcome change from tuna and avocado combinations I’ve had at a lot of other restaurants.

omakase zushi assorted selection of toko rolls and nigiri

Ever since having sushi and nigiri in Japan, I refer to it time and time again as a benchmark. They keep things so simple with the freshest and best cuts of fish with sushi rice so good that the individual grains can be tasted. The assorted selection here has clean and sharp flavours, thankfully with no overpowering mayonaise to mask the freshness of the ingredients. I like my sushi and nigiri simple and for a restaurant who’s menu features kingfish paired with truffle oil and pork crackling, I find it welcoming that they don’t tamper too much with it.

omakase zushi assorted selection of toko rolls and nigiri

piri kara dofu to abogado : spicy fried tofu, avocado salsa, barley miso

A lot of people I know feel intimated when cooking tofu, it’s deemed ‘boring’ and ‘tasteless’ which I can understand to a certain degree. How to overcome this ? fry those mofos into submission. The tofu was piping hot and crispy on the outside but soft and moist once you bite into it. Brave combo of flavours and textures too, the avocado salsa and barley miso is a great combination.

hotate no jalapeno amazu zoe robata : grilled scallop, sweet pickled apple, jalapeno garlic

This was probably my favourite dish, you can smell it from the kitchen almost. Perfectly grilled scallops with an intense and flavoursome jalapeno and garlic sauce. To balance it all, sweet pickled apple sits on top. We all one-shot these into our mouths and there was a collective response of ” damn this is good ” .

ami yaki ro-su niku to : wafu sauce scotch fillet steak, wafu sauce, garlic crisps

They say that an unexpected gift at an unexpected time is the key to a woman’s heart, I firmly believe a good steak is the key to a man’s heart. As long as it’s cooked medium rare, or medium at most you can’t go wrong. Tokonoma makes this interesting with the wafu sauce and crispy garlic chips. Sadly, I can never make scotch fillet taste this good at home.

zucchini no wafu yaki : zucchini, wafu sauce, sesame

A day is not complete without at least one serving of vegetables. I can’t say zucchini makes it way into my fridge that often, but if it’s grilled in wafu sauce and sesame I ain’t complaining. Simple once again, yet enhances the sweetness of zucchini.

dessert plate : chef’s selection of desserts

First of all, I suggest you share this with at least one other person. The variety is amazing and I had no clear cut favourite, but I was slightly leaning towards the chocolate fondant and the yogurt pannacotta. From memory (after a schochu or two) the plate had : yoghurt pannacotta, green apple, rockmelon sorbet, pistachio brittle, warm dark chocolate fondant served with vanilla-miso ice cream, ice cream and sorbet and a trio of creme brulee.

At the end of our dinner we were luckily enough to have a brief chat with the head chef Regan Porteous. He’s a well built bloke, fairly young and you can sense a great appreciation and respect for Japanese food and culture when he speaks. He regularly travels to Japan for ideas and inspiration and even has his pottery custom made somewhere in Japan. We both agree that while Sydney is great for food, it is missing the hole in the wall ramen joints where you can just rock up and eat bowls of ramen elbow to elbow with other diners.

Right, so where do I start. I guess, Tokonoma for me is a breath of fresh air for decent modern/fusion Japanese or whatever you wan’t to call it. They nail it spot on in terms of service, ambience, design, food and drinks. It blends in perfectly with it’s sister store Toko on Crown st and is a great place to catch up with friends if you start a tab and not have to worry about the bill until the end. Keep an eye on the tab though, the shochu and cocktails start to add up after a few. Also if you want a booth, I suggest booking ahead.

es&t dined as guests of Mark Communications.

Tokonoma shochu bar & lounge

490 Crown St
Surry Hills, 2010

Ph : 02 9357 6100

Web : http://www.toko.com.au

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Post tags: cocktails, fusion, modern

Hidden away in one of many dark alleys in Sapporo, Japan, it’s a hard restaurant to find and even more hard to find since it is off the beaten track. We somehow managed to find it on our recent trip to Japan, but I suggest you get someone who speaks Japan to make a booking or find directions if you ever decide to go here.

Picchu symbolises what is great about Japan, hole in the wall eateries. Restaurants which are off the beaten path, away from the masses and where people naturally come to the restaurant regardless of it’s distance. Picchu is around twenty minutes from the main area of Sapporo, away from the loud bars and flashing lights of the main tourist trip. The illuminated sign you see there is a godsend, without it I wouldn’t of found the restaurant. From the outside, it looks more like someones house or even a small bar. Little did we know, it’s home to one Chef, his assistant, twelve bar seats and the some of the finest Italian inspired food I’ve eaten outside of Sydney.

View from outside window

The restaurant fits about 12 people and is extremely cosy. There are no tables, only bar seats in plain view of the chef and his kitchen. The Chef has roughly 5 to 6 metres of space to work with and mans the kitchen by himself. There is a younger gentleman who plays the role of a waiter, translater and dish washer quite admirably. Serving plates are stacked neatly near our bench, they are constantly re-filled as the younger bloke washes them as each customer finishes their meal. All the Chef’s equipment is on display too, it really was an awesome restaurant to eat in if you are into seeing how your meal is prepared.

We don’t speak Japanese, therefore ordering was a bit difficult. We asked for an omakase which helped a little bit, but had to use hand signals to show how hungry we were so that the Chef knew how much to serve us. We had a big lunch so we only wanted a few dishes. The chef was more than happy to cater for our unusually weakened appetites. I think it worked out to around $40 AUD per person with a bottle of wine, which was pretty good value for a four course meal.

The Chef looks like he is in his mid 30′s, he barely spoke during the dinner, even to his Japanese speaker customers. He was as cool as a cucumber when preparing all the meals and I noticed he discarded a few of his creations on a few occasions after taste testing them. This is not something I normally get to see as a customer, maybe he had the luxury to do so because he only gets to serve a maximum of twelve customers at any one time, but it was reassuring none the less to see and know a chef is making sure what he sends out is up to his or her standards.

The wine list is pretty decent, with a large and affordable range to choose from. We decide to take it easy and order a bottle of prosecco.

We had a bit of a communication breakdown when this dish came, neither of us (the waiter and Chef ) had any idea what the type of fish was called in English. It tasted a bit like kingfish, but I’m not sure. Anyone have any ideas? Either way, it was a refreshing and fantastic start to the meal. At the bottom of the dish is a carpaccio-like layer of fresh raw fish, topped with lemon rind and graited daikon (oroshi). Flavours were clean and minimal, allowing the freshness of the fish to dominate.

Home made crab sausage w/ crab reduction

The crab sausage was surprisingly good. I was worried that it would be too ‘fishy’ for lack of a better term or that it would be a mix of crab meat and some sort of filler ingredient. Instead, the sausage is made up almost entirely of crab meat and sat on top of what tasted like a crab reduction. It’s not much to look at, but the highlight really is the crab sausage. Sausage is such a simple piece of food which you rarely see on a menu unless it’s a cafe or pub, but the Chef here manages to make the sausage the focal point of the dish.

Crumbed pan fried cod sperm (shirako)

I’ve had cod sperm a few times now, at you know, restaurants. Cod sperm, also know as shirako is regarded as a delicacy in Japan. On both occasions which I’ve had it, it was with sushi, so it was interesting to see how it was prepared here. It is crumbed sparingly and pan fried until golden brown, served on top some sort of reduction which I couldn’t exactly pin point what it was. The taste of shirako is hard to describe, it’s very soft and creamy but has the same effect on me as foi gras. I love the taste of it, but only in small portions because the flavour is too strong and overwhelming. I guess the fact that it was pan fried made the dish more enjoyable than usual, the crispy exterior balancing well with the creaminess of the cod sperm.

Spaghetti w/ fish roe, garlic

We finish off with a spaghetti tossed in olive oil, garlic and parsley and with a generous portion of fish roe. The dish is simple, not outstanding, but I can appreciate a well cooked pasta dish especially when cooked al dente.

Hokkaido milk ice cream w/ cracked black pepper

We still had a bit of room for dessert and we could only make out the words ‘gelato’ on the dessert menu. I asked the Chef whether he had anything with hokkaido milk in it because I became addicted to the stuff whilst I was in Hokkaido/Sapporo. He recommended the vanilla ice cream, which I presume was made with hokkaido milk. It was totally worth it, unbelievably rich and creamy and tasting like something from a box of premium ice cream such as Maggi Beer or Connoisseur. What was interesting was the black cracked pepper which the waiter put on top of the ice cream, it gave the ice cream a bit of a kick and is something that has grown on me in desserts.

It’s funny how some of my favouritr meals in this recent Japan trip were from non-Japanese restaurants as the primary cuisine. Picchu is certainly one of them, the fact that I traveled halfway around the world to Sapporo and spend a good ten minutes trying to find the place with the taxi driver and still walk out very happy with my meal is a testament to the food and the restaurant. I love it’s cosy and warm feel, some people might regard it as claustrophobic considering how close you are to the person next to you. But to me, Picchu is everything great about Japan when it comes to making use of small spaces on serving great food in great ambience. Here is a Chef who has never been to Italy, yet can churn out amazing Italian inspired food with the finest Japanese ingredients. It was a bloody good meal and experience in the most random of places in Sapporo, but it’s these type of experiences which make me constantly want to travel, explore and eat.

Picchu

Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
南三条東1-chome, 5-1-2 011-222-6144

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Tokyo

We spent our first two days in Tokyo before heading to Sapporo. We wanted to take it easy and have a quick bite to eat while enjoy the laid back atmosphere of Ginza on a weekend. It seems that they close off the entire main street, equal in size to George St in Sydney.I was walking through from alley to alley checking out stores selling suits which were way out of my price range ($5000 to $10,000 AUD) when I saw six business men walk into this restaurant. Without even thinking I dragged Linda with me into the restaurant and much to our relief it was a restaurant specialising in tonkatsu with english menus.

Left to right: Ginza, Typical restaurant layout, Tonkatsu sandwich, Tonkatsu w/ rice

They offer different types of pork, we chose the most expensive one on the menu which is a type of veal which takes 15 minutes to cook. The result is a moist and very thick piece of pork, covered lightly with a panko crust. The crust was very thin, but very crunchy. The rice set meal cost us 2700 yen which was roughly $32 at the time, so it’s not exactly on the budget eats side of things.

Las Meninas, Koenji

I’m not lying when I say that I’ve had some of the best Spanish food in Tokyo. What makes this statement even more ridiculous is that the restaurant is in a suburb called Koenji, which is considered to be in the “burbs” and not to mention the restaurant being run by an English man from Newcastle in the UK.

This restaurant is very hard to find amidst the narrow alley ways all occupied by hole in wall eateries and bars. But once you walk inside you realise that this is the type of place which Sydney is missing. It’s small and simple, but has a warm and ‘hole in the wall’ atmosphere. It feels almost as if you are walking into someones kitchen in an apartment as there is one long communal dining table in the middle and low slung tables and chairs towards the side. At the very front of the restaurant is the bar which barely sits six people.

Up there is owner-chef Johnny Miller, an absolutely top bloke who whips up every single dish on his menu behind a tiny open-kitchen in front of the bar seats. There is a menu with the usual Spanish food such as chorizo and paella, but if you want a good feed all you have to do is tell Johnny how hungry you are and he will create enough dishes to fill you up based on whatever he could pick up from the market on that day.

Left to right : Jamon, mixed plate, seafood paella, koenji alley way

The jamon is freshly sliced, you tell him when to stop when he is slicing it. We wanted to try a few things so he created a sampler dish consisting off marinated egg plant, Quiche with kewpi aioli and slices of some sort of salami. The flavours were amazing, the most simple combination of food had me in heaven. Linda and I could sit there all night just eating the sampler dish and knocking down a few jugs of sangria.

Tokyo is a long way to travel for Spanish food. But Johnny Miller produces awesome food regardless of whether it is a bar snack or a main dish. I’ll definitely come back with a few more people next time to try out what else he has up his sleeve.

Henri Charpentier

Left to right : Plaque, mini petit fours, disection picture of desserts, toilet entrance via secret door

In Sydney, we are still missing a dessert salon which is open till late. In Japan, there seems to be a few and one of them is Henri Charpentier. They call themselves a boutique dessert salon and they not only sell cakes for takeaway, they also have a downstairs restaurant for dine in off an ala carte menu.

Bombe Alaska

I thought it was pretty neat when they cooked the bombe alaska at the table.

Left to right : bookshelves, creme brulee, bombe alaska, hot chocolate

Scattered around the dining area are shelves with books for your reading disposal. They also have a larger bookshelf with so many books that they need a ladder with wheels to reach some of them.

In terms of the desserts, they were bloody amazing and on a different level to dessert which you find on most restaurant menus.

Pierre Hermé

left to right : espresso, millefeuille, vanilla tart

No visit to Tokyo is complete without  a visit to Pierre Hermé. My favourite thing to buy every time is the vanilla tart, an absolute winner every single time.

Aoyama

Aoyama was on my to-go list because of the A.P.C, one of my favourite clothing brands. We didn’t expect to eat anything because we had already planned to goto the Spanish place above. True to form, we stumbled upon a very cool looking coffee cart which churned out impressive coffee for Japanese standards. I say Japanese standards because the coffee I’ve tasted is generally poor, we have it pretty lucky in Australia for good coffee.

On the way to A.P.C we stumbled upon a le cordon bleu cafe where we stopped for a coffee break. To go with our espresso we had duck liver pâté with freshly baked baguette. The café looks like an extension to the actual school as there were classes being run right next door to where we were eating.

Sapporo

Sapporo is famous for their King Crab, therefore it is a must try. The claws are huge, I’ve never seen anything like it before. Each claw cost nearly $30AUD each, but there is enough meat in each claw for a main meal. There are numerous restaurants which serve this local delicacy, we asked our hotel and they recommended Sapporo Kani Honke Susukino.

If you are into Ramen, make a visit to the ESTA shopping centre where they have a level dedicated to ramen restaurants. They call it the hokkaido ramen hall of fame and I can see why because the ramen I had there was one of the best I’ve had in Japan.

Left to right : Typical izakaya, smoked bacon in cherry blossoms, bakery, yakitori

Japan has an amazing array of food ranging from michelin star places to hole in wall izakayas.  Even though I’ve visited three times, I’ve barely touched the surface of Japan and I’ll most likely find myself back in the near future. But in saying that, my next travel priority is Europe. I’ve traveled to most parts of South East Asia, I need a change.

My next two posts will be at a few restaurants I went to in Sapporo and Tokyo, one of which hurt my wallet but made my stomach very happy. Stay tuned.

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You may have noticed that we really love japanese food. Between the five of us we’ve attempted to cover most of Sydney’s Japanese restaurants and the Azuma restaurants have definitely not been missed. A last-minute invitation from Taryn from the Azuma restaurants asking if we’d like to attend an ‘Introduction to Japanese Food’ session at the Azuma Kushiyaki restaurant found Teresa, Myself and Lorraine in the Lumiere building on a rainy weekend.

Our Japanese lunch has been organised by Gourmet Safaris, a company which hosts a number of Gourmet walking tours both locally and internationally all designed by Maeve O’Meara.

(...)
Read the rest of An Azuma afternoon at Gourmet Safari with Maeve O’Meara (1,209 words)

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Quite possibly.
Nested in the back streets of Elizabeth Bay, near the back of Kings Cross, Blancharu is another gem worth trying in this area. Around the Kings Cross, Potts Point & Elizabeth Bay area, you will find most cuisines to your desire, and the quality is top notch. Specialising in Japanese-Franco cuisine, chef Harunobu Inukai (formerly of Galileo & Bilsons) has expanded his horizons and opened up his own culinary experience for those to not enjoy his one-hatted restaurant quality dishes, but also to escape the flurries of the city and cook in a non-pretentious space.

For the past few months, my dear friend Mandy had completely hyped up Blancharu, and when it was time for me to FINALLY pay Blancharu a visit, her last words were “I hope it lives up to your expectations… I’m scared now!”(...)
Read the rest of Blancharu, Elizabeth Bay (792 words)

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It took us a while to figure out what we wanted. We had an hour and a half to eat as much delicious meat as we possibly can, where the last order for meat and other dishes was an hour into our session. So we had to be smart and efficient with our ordering to maximise eating time without over ordering (though we did kind of get a word of caution from our waitress that we were over ordering haha).

Seaweed Salad and Edamame

The seaweed salad wasn’t quite what we expected. Lynda thought that perhaps they had given us the Lettuce with Home-made Miso Dip by mistake because she couldn’t see any seaweed in it, but upon ordering it again, we got exactly the same thing. We found the seaweed, after picking through the salad, and it was undeniably not what Lynda was thinking of when she ordered it (she was thinking of that stringy seaweed salad with sesame seeds). Despite that, I quite like what tasted like soy jelly sitting on top of the mound of lettuce.(...)
Read the rest of Iwa, Chatswood (587 words)

© squishies for eatshowandtell, 2010. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: beef, chicken, pork, Seafood

As we move into the hot weather, I crave for Japanese food more and more. The lightly-flavoured dishes offered by the japanese cuisine is a great refreshing touch to balance out the heat. So whenever this heat looms, I call my bubbly eating chickadee, B, for a cleansing dinner. There is an abundance of Japanese restaurants in Sydney, which makes deciding where to eat a tough choice.

I enjoy eating around the Surry Hills area due to its quiet and easy-going environment; less crowds, less traffic, less everything but eateries! As a last minute choice, I decide to go for a japanese-style cafe/restaurant called Emon. Located on Cleveland St on the next block from one of my other favourites, Sushi Suma, we walk into Emon welcomed to a warm, cosy atmosphere, filled with a japanese homely decor, an open kitchen and sake bottles of all sizes lining the kitchen counter. (woohoo Sake!)

Cute table decorations

Sake Bottles

(...)
Read the rest of Emon, Surry Hills (603 words)

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