Yayoi Teishoku (Sydney)

We took a visitor to Yayoi at the Galleries Victoria building for a quick dinner. Fortunately we went early as a queue quickly formed after 6pm.

You ordered via the touch screen and I went for the Unagi Hitsumabushi Teishoku set. It was a different and refreshing way to have unagi when mixed with the seafood broth and eat it like a soup.

The fried dishes such as pork katsu and chicken namban are also recommended.

Details:
Yayoi Teishoku Restaurant
Level 1, The Galeries,
500 George Street
Sydney
http://www.yayoi.com.au/japanese-teishoku-restaurant/

Osteria Francescana (Modena, Italy)

We have made Osteria Francescana the main dining event of our honeymoon trip. We chose to stay at Bologna, which is a 45 minute train trip from the restaurant’s town of Modena.

The classic menu offers a twist to all the regional cuisine and ingredients. Every dish was a highlight but my favourites would be the “5 ages of Parmigiano Reggiano in different temperatures and textures” (self-explanatory), “all the tongues in the world” (very tender veal tongue with exciting choice of sauces), and “foie gras crunch with Traditional Balsamic Vinegar” (best pre-dessert I have had).

World #3 ranking well deserved.

1. Tempura with carpione
2. An eel swimming up the Po River
3. Caesar salad in Emilia
4. Five ages of Parmigiano Reggiano in different temperatures and textures
5. Cotechino 365 days a year
6. Snails under the earth
7. All the tongues of the world
8. Foie gras crunch with Traditional Balsamic Vinegar from Modena
9. A potato waiting to become a truffle


Details:
Osteria Francescana
Via Stella 22
Modena, Italy
http://www.osteriafrancescana.it/

Unagiya Hirokawa (Arashiyama Kyoto Japan)

We had lunch at Hirokawa, a 1 Michelin star unagi (eel) specialist, during our visit in the reputed hot spring region of Arashiyama, located 15 minutes from Kyoto.

On top of the grilled eel in the traditional sauce, known as kabayaki, we also ordered the sirayaki which was the plain version and the signature kimoyaki (grilled eel liver). The texture of fresh unagi was nice and firm, definitely not mushy like the ones in typical Japanese restaurants. And experiencing the actual taste of eel served plain, only lightly dipped in soy sauce and wasabi if required, was a revelation.

Details:
Unagiya Hirokawa
うなぎ屋「廣川」
京都市右京区嵯峨天龍寺北造路町44-1
Kyoto, Japan
http://unagi-hirokawa.jp

Sepia Restaurant (Sydney)

We went to Sepia, the 2012 Restaurant of the Year, for our Christmas (eve) meal to finish the year.

The quality of the degustation menu reflected the restaurant’s accolades. My favourite was the scampi with shellfish custard. The texture of the custard worked so well with the scampi. However I hoped the scampi, rather than the intensely savory soy smoked eel with sea urchin cream, to come after the mild fish starters as it gives the menu a better progression for the palette.

We paid $25 extra for famous black stone dessert, but I much favoured the complex black forest.

Details:
Sepia Restaurant & Wine Bar
Darling Park
Ground Level, 201 Sussex St 
Sydney NSW 2000
http://www.sepiarestaurant.com.au/