Niji Sushi Bar @ Kingsford

 

When you spy a Japanese restaurant and keep talking about it and then the boy suggests actually going (after only recently discovering he likes sushi) I could not refuse!  Since our first visit we have been back again and will continue to do so.  Over the last two visits we have enjoyed quite a few dishes off the sushi train and I am looking forward to going back for dinner and enjoying their evening menu. 

Niji Sushi Bar is in Kingsford and the lines on a Sunday at noon are already getting long.  We are seated at the train and within minutes most of the seats are taken.

The first dish I spy turns out to be my all time favourite now and is the tiger roll. The prawn, avocado combo with chilli is amazing topped with crunchy tōgarashi sprinkled on top. 

 

Each plate is coloured coded to a price (typical sushi train style).  Dishes range from $3.50 to $6.50. The mixed fish plate looked really good and was very happy with the choice.  The tuna was particularly good.

 

Who else judges a restaurant on their staple dish.  For sushi train it is usually the salmon nigiri.  My friends little Miss 8 devoured 3-4 plates of it in one sitting! 

 

 

Always nice to have a pot of green tea to sip on while perusing the train.

The deep fried soft shell crab caught out eye.  It was crispy and lightly coated in a tempura batter and was very tender.

 

Another unique sushi roll was the duck skin roll that definitely made my mouth water and was really delicious.  Crispy skin topped a sushi roll with tender pink duck and avocado in the middle.  Sticky and sweet it was great.

 

 

The lobster salad roll on the other hand was a slight disappointment.  The flavour wasn't awful it was more that the texture was a bit mushy for my liking.  

 

 

 

Niji also offer a few lunch time specials ranging from bento boxes including tempura  which the boy devoured on our first visit.

 

 

 

To sushi rice bowls like this dish heaped with kingfish, tuna, salmon, butterfish and tamago with seaweed, roe and wasabi. 

 

 

Always a favourite choice for me at any sushi train is the seared scallop.  Niji's is topped with sauce and mayo too.

 

Finally ending one of the visit's with a serve of crunchy karaage chicken we are sated and happy sushi campers! 

 

 

 

I am very happy with my find in an area that I am just discovering.  I will definitely be putting Niji on my list of go to sushi trains.  They also offer a dinner service with a full al la carte menu including a degustation menu.

 

The restaurant also services beverages and is also BYO wine.

 

 

Yebisu Izakaya @ Regent Place

 



 

Yebisu is a charming Japanese Izakaya snuggled inside Regent Place on George Street. It’s very popular amongst the Japanese community, along with everyone else in the know! I have eaten here previously, pop over here to read about that night here. 

Regent Place appears to be the 'new' dining scene with loads of restaurants and Assembly Bar downstairs.

We arrived on a Friday night a little before 6pm and the line was already stretching. As we had been invited by Yebisu to dine with them we were whisked in quickly and sat at a table along the back wall offering a great view of the restaurant.

It's pumping on a Friday night. Don't be deterred by the long lines and waiting times, it dishes up some decent and fair eats and both the menu and beverage list is fairly extensive.

First up we grabbed a couple of Asahi’s including a Super Dry Black and a cold Ippin sake.

 

Asahi and Sake make for a great start to a meal

Using the menu and the touch pad to select from the menu we worked our way through picking and choosing our dishes. Dishes do come out fast once ordered so if you want to have a more leisurely dinner make selections throughout the meal to pace it (and yourself (hahah) !!!).

We start with a bowl of the lotus chips.  Paired with beer and/or sake these are just the devils food.  AMAZING.  Whatever the seasoning is that is sprinkled on these chips is very addictive!

lotus chips

 

In hindsight we should have had a bowl each. These were so utterly glorious and we neither of us could stop eating them (to the point that we were arguing who was eating more!!!)

 

As mentioned the dishes come out fast and soon we had a table laden with dishes!

 

just to start!

 

 

We begin with a serve sashimi entrée of the day. A selection of tuna, salmon and kingfish. A good palate cleanser.

 

Today's sashimi entrée

 

The chilli pork dumplings are served in a decorative bowl. They are steaming and plump with pork mince with a small kick of warming chilli. 

 

chilli pork dumplings

 

You can not eat at an Izakaya and not order yakitori or skewers!   We are swayed by the pork belly, pork and kimch (salt) and the salmon belly (in all it’s fatty gloriousness). These were all very tasty and the salmon belly was a favourite.

pork belly

 

pork and kimch (salt) and salmon belly

To finish our meal we ordered the chicken meatball hotpot.  A big wok of soup and ingredients are placed on the table to simmer.

 

chicken hotpot

 

The hotpot bubbled away with the occasional stir until we were ready to dig in.

 

 

Spooning out tidbits and morsels of fresh chicken, mushrooms, noodles, cabbage and fragrant broth was comforting and nourishing.

 

slurp away

 

Yebisu is a fun night out and you won't leave hungry!  It's a fun atmosphere and good food.

*Roofood was invited by Yebisu and Washuko Lovers.