Yebisu Bar & Grill Haymarket

Over the past couple of years I have dined at Yebisu Izakaya in Regent Place (which you can read here and here) and have had great pleasure in eating there. 

Recently I was invited to dine at the newly opened Yebisu Bar & Grill on Dixon St in Haymarket. I was definitely keen to taste more of those yakitori from the open grill. On arrival you can take the stairs or the lift up to the first floor.  The walls have a very modern street vibe which reflects Japanese heritage, cultural and colour!

I love the wall art!

We have prime seating (aka the counter that runs along the front of the kitchen) giving us optimum kitchen views. Being able to watch the chefs grilling over the hot smoke grill, a sushi chef slicing super fresh fish and making up delectable looking plates of sashimi and sushi, the hustle and bustle of a working kitchen.

There is the sake cart which rolls around the restaurant with the traditional bells when you order.

Tonight we try the Aged Jozen mizuno gooshi – it is a mild sweet sake, easy drinking and lovely.

Ordering is simple via the ipad but that doesn’t actually make it any easier to order from a mouth watering selection. What to order!!???? 

I can’t resist the aroma of smoke and meat 

With beer there must be snackage so we order a bowl of the Lotus Root chips

These are seriously awesome drinking snacks. I still cannot figure out what spice is dusted on these lovelies. Does anyone know?

Chicken Skin (salt)

The chicken skin is half crispy and full of fatty flavour. The salt sprinkles on it make a good pop through the oiliness.

Pork & Kimuchi (salt)

This was a favourite. The pork is so tasty with a sprinkle of salt rolled around a mound of kimuchi, which is similar to the Korean kimchi but is milder in flavour. 

Takoyaki

These freshly made balls were good. Good piece of octopus inside a ball topped with sauces, mayo and flakes of bonito flakes. First for the boy who appeared to like them.

and the dishes keep coming...... next up spicy karaage chicken

Pieces of spicy, juicy chicken fried to a delicious crunch is a winner!

Sapporo

Chicken skin with ponzu

This dish was crispier than the chicken skin skewer but after a few minutes swimming in the ponzu sauce became quite soggy. Definitely a dish to eat straight up!

Even though our bellies are full we muster up enough room for dessert.

Tempura Fried Icecream

I love a good deep fried ice cream so I was tempted by this dessert. This dessert was okay. The vanilla ice cream was creamy and the choc sauce was good, just that the tempura coating was not crispy or flavourful enough for my liking. Remember taste is subjective! 

I really enjoyed my dining experience.  I love nothing but watching a working kitchen (yeah Im a food geek) and the lovely dishes that came out of the kitchen.  

Thank you to Yebisu and Washoku Lovers for the kind invitation to dine at your new establishment. I would definitely recommend here for a night out in Chinatown. 

*Roofood dined as guests of Yebisu and Washoku Lovers

Rengaya @ North Sydney

 

Rengaya is not new to the restaurant scene having been in business for nearly 20 years. It’s reputation is clearly evident when all the tables are full by 6.30pm on a Monday night!

We are seated in one of the 3 main areas that are set in a ‘traditional’ style. There are 2 private dining areas that you can book if you want to have something more secluded.

 

 

 

 

 Shelves laden with old sake bottles make for great decor. 

 

 

 

 

In Japan BBQ is called Yakiniku and is a very social eating activity.  A grill/BBQ plate is placed in the centre of your table and you grill morsels of protein and vegies to your liking and dunk it into various sauces.  It's social and it go hand in hand with drinking. Beer, sake and cocktails are the norm. 

Chu Hai cocktails, rarely seen if at all in Sydney are a must! They are a refreshing mix of Chu Hai, fruit juice and soda served in a tall glass. Here it is served nama chūhai, meaning it is a DIY cocktail!
 

 

 

I have opted for orange and passionfruit one .After squeezing my own juice and mixing it myself and finding the right balance (ie all in!!).  It is light, fizzy and very refreshing!

 

 

I smile when our first dish arrives.   The premium wagyu beef sashimi is divine in it's simplicity. Six slices of well marbled raw wagyu is a beautiful site.  Atop crunchy shavings of daikon and served with fresh wasabi this is an awesome starter and the first time I have eaten raw wagyu. 

 

Check out that marbling!

 

 

To maximise the varieties of Wagyu we decide to try the Wagyu Amusement, comprising of a selection of (from left to right top row to bottom row) , Wagyu ribs, Wagyu loin, Wagyu oyster blade and Wagyu rib fingers and wagyu ox tongue.

 

 

and if you do not know your cuts of beef it comes with a handy list of which is what cut.

 

The loin and oyster blade are well marbled with a sprinkling of salt and pepper for a hint of flavour (not that this beef needs any assistance!)

 

 

ox Tongue (back pic) and rib fingers (front pic) look awesome. I cannot wait to try the ox tongue.

 

 

There is something fun and entertaining about BBQ’ing at your own table. Just do not forget about what you have on the grill and leave it to long.  You do not want to burn anything!

 

 

 

 

Placing pieces on that literally only take a minute or two to sear we wait......

 

 

 

 

 

Pork loin, slightly frozen and thinly cut are brought to the table along with milkfed lamb cutlets that look delicious.

 

 

 

 

We have ordered a bowl of Yukke bimiba, a Japanese dish similar to the Korean Bimibap served with raw Wagyu beef.

 

It is served in a piping hot stone bowl which you then stir all the ingredients together to make a lovely rice dish. 

 

The tender pieces of beef slightly cook through and the rice that has been on the base of the hot stone has gone crispy and crunchy.  This is comfort food and it is yummy!

 

 

 

 

 

We finish with a rich, hearty oxtail soup that is nourishing and warming.  A winner dish for next winter I reckon!

 

 

To finish off this fine meal a cold glass of sake is needed.  Otokoyama Junmai from Hokkaido is the choice tonight.  A huge sake bottle arrives table side and the cold crisp sake is poured into the small carafe with precision!

 

 

 

Visiting Rengaya was a delight.  I have never eaten Premium Wagyu beef before and I marvelled at the marbling of the meat.  If only I could could enjoy my steak as much as I enjoyed this meal!  Definitely recommend Rengaya.  I was surprised on how many people were there dining on a Monday night and clearly many regulars!

Thanks so much for the invitation!

 

 

*Roofood dined as a guest of Rengaya and Washoku Lovers

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.