Ichimaru

Sydney’s lower north shore is abundant in Japanese eats, which is quite serendipitous for Monsieur Poisson as it means he has easy access to his beloved cuisine on a whim’s notice. Ichimaru opened more than a few months ago now, and was stumbled across accidentally whilst on travels to seek out something else.

The gyoza are nothing to write home about, being of the deep-fried variety which I wish would be advertised explicitly on menus so that I could avoid ordering them as I’m a pan-fried purist. However the soft-shell crab salad proves to be excellent value – for $14 you are rewarded with two crabs which are a little on the heavily-battered side, but thankfully aren’t greasy. A mound of mixed greens and tomato wedges underneath help to make the dish a meal in its own right but the carrot threads, also seen later, are a little unnecessary.

Miso

We take a numbered ticket and join the throng of people milling around outside Miso on a Friday evening. Miso is known for its tonkatsu and everyone seems to have tried it except for Monsieur Poisson. So before a night of outdoor ice-skating fun with friends, we stop in at Miso for dinner.

 

There is a special set on offer of ‘Sukiyaki Wagyu’ and, drawn in by the array of side dishes as well as the promise of succulent beef, we order one of these to share as well as the ‘Tonkatsu pork loin set’. Bentos are the best fun with all their little compartments and cute portions of food. You feel like you’re eating so much more than you really are due to the variety and Miso’s sides are quality ones to boot – salmon sashimi, deep-fried soft-shell crab, potato salad, fruit and more!

 

But nothing can take away from the star of our dinner – the tonkatsu pork loin! The fillet of pork is served ceremoniously elevated on a wire rack to ensure its golden-crumbed exterior remains crisp. The meat itself is gloriously juicy with an ideal fat to meat ratio. Condiments of mustard and tonkatsu sauce help to alleviate any heaviness from the fat, but take it easy with the mustard unless you’re looking for a sinus-clearing experience!

Miso

World Square, Shop 20, 680 George St, Sydney NSW

Tel: (02) 9283 9686

Opening Hours:  Mon-Fri  11:45am-2:30pm (lunch)

                                     5:30pm-9:30pm (dinner)

                        Sat  5:30pm-9:30pm (dinner only)

                        Sun  CLOSED

happy eating!

Exceeding expectations at Sakana-Ya

Crows Nest is littered with eateries, especially Japanese ones, and you’ll find Sakana-Ya just down the road from Ju-Rin. With its unassuming and slightly dated entrance, it is hard to gauge what style of Japanese food Sakana-Ya serves within and what type of market they’re catering for. But venture through the blue curtains and the sliding glass door, and I can guarantee you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

The décor within matches the doorway and is somewhat non-descript with wood panelling halfway up the walls and dark brown café-style furniture. Apart from the paper lantern light fixtures and the odd fishing rod and paper fan affixed to the walls, it could just as easily be an eatery which serves neither Japanese nor seafood but rather a different cuisine altogether. However the aromas upon stepping in are unmistakably Japanese – being those of pickled ginger and sweet sukiyaki sauce.

We are seated and served small complimentary dishes of edamame, each containing several pods. Whilst perusing the menu, we notice how “fishy” the place is – the aforementioned fishing rods on the wall, the fish painted on our sauce dishes and the two little guys printed on the paper placemats hiding underneath the serviette and chopstick setting. There is a serious amount of seafood offer and Monsieur Poisson politely complies by ordering, first up, one of his favourite things: sea urchin.

The uni sashimi is presented attractively in an open abalone shell surrounded by sides of colour, and is the largest we’ve ever seen. Monsieur Poisson attests to their sweet freshness, whilst a particular food blogger may or may not have been seen dangling a piece between her lips to resemble a tongue. (All photographic evidence of which has been destroyed. Ahem.)

This is followed by ‘Tuna Tar-tar’ which we feel required more lubrication. Whilst the ingredients and especially the tuna are fresh, the raw egg yolk when mixed through doesn’t provide quite the amount of creaminess of which we had hoped. Perhaps mayonnaise might have been a welcome addition?

Their tempura and sashimi platter doesn’t disappoint with its fresh, cold and bouncy fish slices and light, crunchy tempura. I do wish we’d been afforded the other half of that soft-shell crab though!

The ox tongue is thinly sliced and well seasoned, and we order a bowl of green tea soba in hot soup simply because there aren’t enough places which serve flavoured soba. The noodles are slippery with a slight bite but don’t top those made in-house at Ju Ge Mu & Shimbashi.

And because we greedily wanted to try too many things, we are already quite full by the time our bara-sushi is brought out to us. Lifting the lid off the lacquerware box reveals masses of shredded egg omelette shielding the seafood and rice underneath, apart from the cooked prawns and strategically placed salmon roe on top. Digging in, we discover a delightfully high topping to rice ratio but can only make our way through half of it and take the remainder home. The rolled egg omelette branded with Sakana-Ya’s name in Japanese is a cute touch, as are the serving plates again emblazoned with fish – one of which is of a fugu.

But there is somehow always room for dessert! The ‘An-mitsu and green tea float set’ proves much better value than ordering the two separately, and we are rewarded with a bowl of green tea and vanilla ice-cream sitting on a base of chewy discs of mochi and springy cubes of agar jelly alongside a generous scoop of azuki paste. All this is washed down with a slightly unattractive, aloe vera-tinged green tea drink which becomes enjoyably creamy when the large scoop of ice-cream bobbing about is allowed to meld into it.

Admittedly Sakana-Ya is on the pricey side, but in exchange you do receive quality, freshness and simplicity which respects the true flavours of the food. The service is polite and it has been around for years, which serves someway of attesting to its enduring standards.

Sakana-Ya

336 Pacific Hwy, Crows Nest NSW

Tel: (02) 9438 1468

*Bookings are highly recommended, especially on weekends.*

Opening Hours:  Mon-Fri  12pm-2:30pm (lunch)

  6pm-10:30pm (dinner)

                        Sun & Sat  6pm-10:30pm (dinner only)

happy eating!

Food to nurse hangovers

It’s hot and stuffy. The sun is blazing outside and rudely creeping in through the blinds. Oh, my eyes! Why is it so bright? You move to roll over. Whoa…the bed, or wherever you parked yourself last night/this morning, feels like a tiny dinghy bobbing about on rough seas. *Bob, bob, bob, bob…* It’s too hot to keep sleeping and you really need something to settle down the party which has been continuing in your stomach and bloodstream despite you stopping hours ago.

Good morning (or afternoon), and a happy new year to you, your stomach, your pounding headache and…so nice of you to join us, Hangover!

Although there are no foods which can miraculously cure hangovers, there are certain foods that somehow make you feel better through nothing other than comfort or placebo effect. If you’re wanting something fast-food yet can’t bear the usual international chains, then Ocean Foods has many deep-fried and more virtuous non-deep fried options. The grilled barramundi with chips (below) is just one of them – it is unbattered and cooked on the spot like all their hot foods. Paired with some sweet, crunchy and not-at-all greasy crab claws as well as a small tub of salad (coleslaw in this instance, pictured below) and you can soothe that hangover whilst having a balanced meal. For something in a more central location, there’s that famous soft-shell crab omelette (unpictured) from Café Ish which the husband keeps raving to everyone about.

Or perhaps you want something a little more pure and soothing. Pho An has any combination of beef, fatty beef, beef meatballs, beef tendon, tripe, chicken, etc in a fragrant Vietnamese beef or chicken broth with slippery flat rice noodles where chewing isn’t even required. Topped with fresh herbs to awaken the senses, stir in chopped chillies for warmth and slurp to restore some much-needed hydration. Noodle bowls are available in small (regular) and large sizes, and your food will appear almost instantly by magic. Peruse the menu at the doorway or ask for a printed menu when seated, as the wall menus are in Vietnamese and Chinese only.

To combine the best of both worlds Ton Ton Regent has ramen, karaage chicken, gyoza and tempura amongst other things, whilst Menya Mappen has udon, soba, lots of fresh crunchy tempura and kakiage, poached egg and small rice bowls all for very affordable prices. And runny eggs always make things better.

Gumshara will give you a thick, sticky, flavoursome and soul-restoring soup where each bowl is taste-tested by the master himself before being served. The noodles are springy and the pork is plentiful. Add a soft-boiled egg and you’re absolutely set for the day. If you want an alternate to noodles the ‘Special Rice’ bowl is serious value at around $8 with a foundation of rice mixed with sesame seeds, soft-boiled egg and vegetables topped with roast pork, and then the whole thing repeated on top of it again – it will satisfy the most ravenous of hangover hungers.

For a variety of eats including deep-fried things, rice, noodles, soups and Hong Kong fusion-style pastas then you simply cannot go past a “cha chaan teng” (茶餐廳). Iced lemon tea rates highly on my long-time loves even though it’s only black tea, sugar syrup and fresh lemon slices. You’ll find sweet drinks incorporating azuki (red) beans and grass jelly as well as Hong Kong-style French toast “sai dor see” (西多士) – typically two slices of white bread sandwiched with peanut butter, deep-fried in eggy batter before being served with butter and golden syrup. Trolley/cart noodles used to be street food sold, well, from a mobile cooking trolley, allowing for personalisation of soup noodles (flat rice noodles, rice vermicelli, Hokkien noodles, flat egg noodles, thin egg noodles, etc) and toppings (dried squid, fish balls, fried fish skin, luncheon meat, ham, pig’s blood jelly, beef meatballs, pork meatballs, chicken wings, mushrooms, etc and an array of vegetables). Not available at many Hong Kong fusion-style cafés in Sydney, Victoria Noodle Restaurant offers a great selection of noodles and toppings as well as other menu items. Try their salt and chilli chicken wings with rice – hangover or no hangover – if you get a chance.

For something healthy and sweet, wowcow serves 98% fat-free yoghurt with active cultures that is smooth and slides easily down the throat. One of Sydney’s earlier frozen yoghurt chains, mix in whatever toppings take your fancy from their display window and pair with cinnamon-sugared wow-sticks (baked churros) for dipping. I spotted Joh Bailey bringing a group of friends here late one night, and don’t forget to crane your head back (provided it doesn't induce too much dizziness) to marvel at the cow feature adorning the ceiling!

Ocean Foods

Corner of Lyons Rd & Gipps St, Drummoyne NSW

Tel: (02) 9181 4336

Opening Hours:  7 days  9am-9pm

Café Ish

82 Campbell St (cnr Foster St), Surry Hills NSW

Tel: (02) 9281 1688

Opening Hours:  Mon-Tues  7am-4pm

                        Wed-Fri  7am-10pm

Sat  9am-10pm

Sun  9am-2:30pm

Pho An

27 Greenfield Pde (near cnr Stewart Ln), Bankstown NSW

Tel: (02) 9796 7826

Opening Hours:  7 days  7am-9pm

Ton Ton Regent

Shop 10.16, Ground floor of Regent Place, 501 George St (cnr Bathurst St), Sydney NSW

Tel: (02) 9267 1313

Opening Hours:  7 days  11:30am-10pm

Menya Mappen

Shop 11, Ground Floor of Meriton Tower – Skyview Shopping Plaza, 537-551 George St (near cnr Liverpool St), Sydney NSW

Tel: (02) 9283 5525

Opening Hours:  Sun-Wed  11:30am-10pm

                        Thurs-Sat  11:30am-10:30pm

Gumshara

Shop 209, Lower Ground Level, Harbour Plaza, 25-29 Dixon St (Chinatown), Haymarket NSW

Tel: 0410 253 180

Opening Hours:  Mon  CLOSED

                        Tues-Sun  10am-10pm

Victoria Noodle Restaurant

Shop A8, Lower level of Victoria Plaza, 369 Victoria Ave, Chatswood NSW

Tel: (02) 9410 1822

Opening Hours:  7 days…11am-10pm

wowcow

Shop 2, 304-308 Victoria St, Darlinghurst NSW

Tel: (02) 9326 0400

Opening Hours:  Mon-Thurs  11:30am-11pm

                        Fri  11:30am-12 midnight

                        Sat  11am-12 midnight

                        Sun  11am-11pm

happy eating!

Let’s do brunch: Café Ish, 10 Oct 2010

To my knowledge this is the first year that Sydney International Food Festival has featured set-brunch deals adjunct to its well-established Let’s do lunch. Almost all places participating in this weekday lunch event are located in or close to the CBD, which has precluded me from taking advantage of them due to my not working in the area. So with my well-documented love of brunch it was pretty much a given that I would try out at least one of the Let’s do brunch deals, and where better to start than at Café Ish.

This cosy corner café is situated only a short walk from Central train station and offers a native Australian-Japanese fusion menu reflective of owner-chef Josh Nicholls and his cute-as partner Ai. Monsieur Poisson and I turn up early for our reservation due to having allowed extra travel time to account for traffic diversions in place for Breakfast on the Bridge. We are seated at a table by the window and are soon served the first part of the brunch offer – ‘Breakfast trifle of “lush yoghurt”, native berry compote and housemade muesli’.

Presented in irregularly ridged glasses, a base of thick, creamy, tangy yoghurt is overlayed with the capturing red of a native berry compote (Ai patiently explained to us what berries were contained but I’m afraid my mind lacked the concentration to remember due to lack of sleep – sorry Ai!) along with a hibiscus. I’ve only ever seen these sold in jars with syrup and served topped with sparkling wine. The flower is crunchier than I expect, providing a contrast to the yoghurt, along with fresh-tasting crunchy, toasted muesli. I say ‘fresh-tasting’ because it is nothing like the store-bought muesli I have at home, which is usually chewier in texture than this.

Café Ish’s signature ‘coffee’, the wattle macca-cino, is brought out next artfully decorated with a fern for the husband and a love heart for myself. Awww…

Latte art aside, this caffeine-free drink tastes remarkably like a mocha and my husband with the known sweet-tooth doesn’t even need to add sugar! No doubt the sweetness being attained from the nutty flavour characteristics of both the wattleseeds and macadamias used.

The pièce de resistance, which Josh confesses he has never eaten himself despite cooking countless plates of them, is the ‘Kara-age soft shell crab omelette with garlic, chilli, soy-vinegar dressing, avocado, shallot and lemon myrtle’. A trio of salts is served alongside – Murray River pink, green tea and chilli flavours – which I find are not needed as far as seasoning is concerned, but are fun to play around with and try regardless.

A crispy, deep-fried soft-shell crab is encased in a thin egg crêpe along with creamy avocado and chopped spring onions. A small pile of watercress alongside provides crunch with a barely-there bitterness. The segment of lime is not there for aesthetic purposes – squeeze it over the omelette for a refreshing zing as well as an added dimension to the salty-sweet dressing. Fried but not greasy, this is the type of wake-up brunch you want to indulge in to nurse a hangover (not that I had one) with its sense-awakening flavours.

All items featured as part of the Let’s do brunch menu at Café Ish are available on their standard menu. The soft-shell crab omelette is normally $23 itself, making the $25 per head Let’s do brunch offer exceptional value. Food-blogger or not, remember to ask nicely beforehand if you plan on taking photos and, depending on where you’re sitting, you may catch a glimpse of Josh working solo in the kitchen alcove preparing your food with utmost efficiency.

The Let’s do brunch offer is available at Café Ish on weekends only during the month of October, from 9am-2:30pm. That leaves three weekends to try out this value-for-money deal! Bookings are highly recommended to avoid disappointment.

Café Ish

82 Campbell St (cnr Foster St), Surry Hills NSW

Tel: (02) 9281 1688

Opening Hours:  Mon-Tues  7am-4pm

                        Wed-Fri  7am-10pm

Sat  9am-10pm

Sun  9am-2:30pm

happy eating!

Mizuya, 30 Jan 2010

It’s a family night out, but not the type with polite smiles intercut with awkward conversation or tension threatening to explode into arguments. Tonight we are without our usual chaperones – it’s the cousins only and, well, me as the spouse of one Monsieur Poisson. The location is Mizuya underneath the hustle and bustle of George Street and we are confused as to where we are meant to meet the others when we discover there are two entrances – one slightly further north for the karaoke end of the establishment, the other more convenient for the dining end.

We have not been organised enough to book a karaoke room in advance and have to settle with a booth in amongst the purple-illuminated, cherry blossom-like trees. However, each booth is fitted with a touchscreen menu and we spend way too long flicking through all the menu pages and gawking at all the photos of the food choices.

There are six of us so we conveniently start with the ‘Mizuya test tubes’ which we can’t go past in their pretty colours. They arrive sitting in a plastic test tube holder and there are two in each flavour – peach, green apple and strawberry. The menu actually depicts six different flavours but that’s a minor detail as these are the perfect aperitif with their fruity flavours and being slushie-like in texture.

And then we move onto some food! The grilled shiitake are smoky but unfortunately a tad dry without a sauce to baste it. The crispy chicken skin is a let-down as the pieces are small, dry and, for me, possibly as I had high hopes of it being like that at Azuma Kushiyaki. Never mind though, as all is redeemed when we receive our plate of juicy, bouncy, grilled beef tongue.

This is followed by a plate of thinly sliced gyu tataki. Fatty strips of beef are neatly arranged down the centre of the plate and are surrounded by a wonderfully tangy ponzu and topped with a small amount of black caviar. At this point we are told that the deep-fried camembert we ordered is sold out and we are collectively disappointed for who does not love the prospect of crumbed and fried soft, gooey cheese?

Next, a contrast of textures arrives with our soft-shell crab salad and grilled quail eggs. The soft-shell crab is lovely and crisp with the salad offering a nice break from all the previous meaty and slightly oily dishes. The renkon chips adorning the salad are more chewy rather than crunchy though. The quail eggs are, unfortunately, just boiled quail eggs with only the faintest of grill marks. Bring on more colour, flavour and smoky grilled-ness, I say!

The scallop carpaccio arrives sitting in a shallow pool of thin, golden dressing that lends an almost creamy coating to the scallop slices. And despite there being flavour and fragrance from the scattered caviar and snipped chives, we have trouble identifying the dressing as it really isn’t prominent in taste. Luckily the scallops are fresh and firm and hold their own court.

Takoyaki are rarely disappointing when made fresh, as they are here, but I always have to be careful so as not to burn the roof of my mouth on these little balls of potato and octopus. The crocodile kushiage are firm and moist, and sparingly drizzled with a mildly sticky sauce which is sweet with hints of tartness. The eel roll is your classic combination of a cucumber and cream cheese maki topped with slices of unagi.

 

‘Nasu Dengaku’ is only a dish I seem to have recently discovered with its contrast of sweet, roasted eggplant and salty miso flavours. The flesh is soft and squishy which may bother some people but, oh no, not I. I quite like how it’s presented as a big slab of eggplant akin to a piece of steak.

We order two chawanmushi – one chicken and the other seafood. We dig into the wobbly, silken surfaces with the teaspoons provided but soon discover that they’re both still quite liquid underneath. We flag down a waitress and our chawanmushi are whisked away and don’t seem to reappear for ages and ages.

When they are served again we get a better grasp of the flavours. They’re lighter in taste than other ones we’ve tried, perhaps due to use of a less rich stock, and there is little difference between the chicken and seafood variants. For our troubles of having to wait for these little pots to be recooked, we are rewarded with complimentary vanilla soft-serves all round which appear to be sprinkled with Special K Chocolate Flakes – a variation of the usual cornflakes accompaniment. If only we could’ve had a choice of that or the green tea soft-serve!

Mizuya

Basement level, 614 George St (near cnr Central St), Sydney NSW

Tel: (02) 9266 0866

Opening Hours:  7 days  11:30am-midnight

happy eating!

Koi (again!), 8 Jan 2010

With the array of wonderful food choices in Sydney it can sometimes be difficult making return visits to those that are extra spectacular. So when Ms London was back in town, we absolutely had to take her to Koi as she loves her Japanese food. The fact that she is also an avid photographer meant that I knew I wouldn’t be the only one taking photos of the beautifully presented food on their rustic plates. Yes, friends can serve so many purposes aside from providing enjoyable company.

With us being firmly ensconced in summer, I get a better appreciation of Koi’s entrance compared to our last visit in the darkness of winter. The pair of stone lions at the doorway seem less menacing but the daylight doesn’t take anything away from the dark wooden interiors under their soft, warm lighting.

Our square table in the corner has a beautiful floral centrepiece and we start our evening, as we did on our previous occasion, with ‘Seared scallop carpaccio with soy butter.’ The fragrance of butter drifts up to us and we dig into the scallop slices with their smoky seared surfaces and decoration of salmon roe and snipped chives.

This is followed by the ‘Tuna Tartare’ presented in a martini glass. A gentle prod of the egg and golden yolk is released from its centre to coat the springy tuna ‘mince’ in a lather of creamy, sticky goodness. The caviar on top provides some salty and almost crunchy contrast but this is a dish which we discover is rather hard to share!

There is no chutoro nor ootoro available when we enquire and Ms London orders the ‘Whiting usuzukuri with ponzu sauce’ instead. It is something that neither Monsieur Poisson nor I are familiar with and we are met with thin, almost translucent, slices of whiting arranged in a radial pattern. With a squirt of lemon and a quick dip into the ponzu, the thin yet firm flesh of the whiting is sublimely refreshing.

And because we are greedy, we order the ‘Large mixed sashimi’ (21 pieces) even though there are only the three of us. A long wooden plank makes for a dramatic entrance and Ms London and I snap away with our cameras in a flurry. Closest to my end is the snapper arranged as a rose petal atop a slice of lemon, followed by oyster with ponzu, kingfish and salmon before the intricate centrepiece of cuttlefish pinwheeled on top of a lime. The cuttlefish is sliced so thinly that it takes on an almost creamy texture.

The other end of the wooden plank plays host to sashimi of tuna, bonito, scampi, seared scallop arranged on a slice of lime, and cod. The lime and lemon which support several sashimi arrangements impart a subtle fragrance without their tartness dominating the fish in flavour.

Our gluttony is followed by my husband’s favourite uni sashimi which arrives atop a thick slice of grapefruit with half the peel pared back and tucked back on itself. It’s still not my favourite thing but I trust Monsieur Poisson and Ms London when they say it is fresh, creamy and sweet.

We then finally move onto our warm dishes of the meal with ‘Miso grilled silver cod’ which has a sweet miso ‘crust’ balanced by the peppery side salad of baby rocket dressed with an apple-y vinairgrette and sweet, stuffed zucchini flowers.

This is followed by our soft-shell crab roll which is served warm with a filling of finely shredded cucumber, avocado, tobiko and mayonnaise.

We decide that we can, indeed, squeeze in dessert and this is preceded by a palate cleanser of watermelon granita with chamomile and citrus foam. Oh, how I could just eat more of this as an actual dessert! So refreshing and fragrant and perfect for the season.

We order three desserts; all of which must be different of course. The ‘Single bean chocolate marquise’ is served with a sesame tuille which is chewy and nutty but not crisp or crunchy as we expect. Short rounds of coconut pudding adorn the plate with a texture akin to pannacotta and reminds us of the coconut pudding/jelly which is often seen at yumcha.

The ‘Macadamia cake with salted caramel mousse and wattleseed honey ice-cream’ is unfortunately the least attractive of the three desserts chosen and is very brown to photograph. However the cake is dense with a fine nubbly texture and is great with the wattleseed honey ice-cream and its smoky, charred flavour. The revelation is the salted caramel mousse which reminds both Ms London and Monsieur Poisson of Columbines!

I, of course, order the ‘White peach soufflé’ which is served in a copper pot and a side of raspberry sorbet. The soufflé is thinly crusty on top and is marshmallowy in the centre with the subtle flavours of white peach.

Full to the brim and feeling very happy with our efforts, no meal is complete at Koi without their complimentary fish-shaped chocolates served on a chilled stone platter.

We chat a little more while our green tea is continually topped up. It is dark by the time we leave and we wander down the road in search of our cars with satisfied bellies, wondering when we’ll be back at Koi once again.

Koi

102 Woolwich Rd, Woolwich NSW

Tel: (02) 9817 6030

Opening Hours:  Mon & Tues  CLOSED

Wed  6pm-10pm (dinner only)

Thurs  12pm-3pm (lunch)

           6pm-10pm (dinner)

                        Fri & Sat  12pm-3pm (lunch)

                                       6pm-10:30pm

                        Sun  12pm-3pm (lunch)

                                6pm-9:30pm (dinner)

*EDIT*: As at mid-2011, Koi has been "temporarily closed" according to their voicemail message.

happy eating!