Yayoi Garden (Sydney)

After our visit to Yayoi Teishoku , we visited Yayoi Garden for a more elaborate Japanese meal.

I really enjoyed the overall flow of the meal. The fish dishes were cooked very well. The shabu shabu beef was a highlight. I wish the pork kakuni was softer and there was more unagi on the rice.

And thank you to the staff for being attentive to my wife’s dietary needs and provide substitute dishes.

Details:
Yayoi Garden
38 Bridge Street
Sydney
http://www.yayoigarden.com.au/

Rockpool est 1989 (Sydney)

For our annual Christmas celebrations (and last one before the baby arrives), we went to Rockpool Sydney to try their degustation menu. This would be my first visit at their current location, after great experiences from their original restaurant.

We really enjoyed all the dishes and the flow of the whole meal. The Asian ‘fusion’ was executed beautifully – not over the top at all. The highlight for me was the sauces in 3 of the dishes – prawn mousse, partridge, and wagyu beef. Afterwards the vacherin of pandan dessert gave the meal a refreshing finish.

Details:
Rockpool Sydney
11 Bridge Street
Sydney
http://www.rockpool.com/rockpoolsydney/

Tapestry Dining (Auckland New Zealand)

During my numerous stays at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland, I dined at Tapestry Dining at the lobby level often.

Trying the bluff oysters while in season is a must, the wonder crunch of the flesh was extremely enjoyable. I also liked the angus steak main course accompanied by the wagyu sausage roll.

For breakfast, they offered a NZ special white bait fritter in room service – a must try over the usual omelette and scrambled.

Details:
Tapestry Dining at Pullman Auckland
Corner Princes Street and Waterloo Quadrant
Auckland
New Zealand
http://www.pullmanauckland.co.nz/online/tapestry_dining.csn

Wagyu Angus Grill (Sydney)

For a family dinner gathering, we arrived at the Wagyu Angus Grill, an Asian fusion steakhouse. The restaurant has a small but intimate dining room, operated by a retired couple with aspirations of owning a restaurant.

The set menu offers the best value and a lot of food was offered for my surf and turf menu. The starters (baked scallops, mango salad and pumpkin soup) were above average. My angus steak was very well cooked which was a pleasant surprise for an Asian restaurant. The lobster was not super fresh but that’s expected given the price.

Details:
Wagyu Angus Grill
51 Majors Bay Road
Concord
https://www.facebook.com/WAGrill

The Bridge Room (Sydney)

For our pre-Christmas celebrations, the wife and I chose The Bridge Room for some modern Australian cuisine.

We came with very high expectations due to the restaurant’s recent awards and were not disappointed. Our sake cured John Dory and reputed raw wagyu shoulder with robata mushroom had a nice touch of Japanese flavours which we liked. My wagyu sirloin was fantastic (do order the potato puree to match).

The white chocolate with mango dessert had this uncanny similarity to a Thai sticky rice with mango – but much more sophisticated.

Details:
The Bridge Room
44 Bridge Street
Sydney
NSW 2000
http://www.thebridgeroom.com.au/

Hana Sakazuki (Hong Kong)

Before we left Hong Kong, our friends took us to Hana Sakazuki which is very popular fine dining Japanese restaurant on island. Omakase was the order of the day.

The restaurant sources very high quality seafood and that was reflected in our meal. Uni (sea urchin) sushi was excellent. Our favourite was the progression of texture and flavours of toro sashimi. I also liked the choice of rice, udon or soba noodles at the end of the meal. And the super attentive service from the chef and waiting staff made the meal very enjoyable.

Details:
Hana Sakazuki 花盃
2/F, China Tai Ping Tower
8 Sunning Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
http://www.hanasakazuki.com

Uncorked (North Sydney)

For our pre-wedding photoshoot, we invited our photographer to dine with us at Uncorked in The Union Hotel in North Sydney.

The dining room was rather quiet on the night of dinner which was great for us to talk over the details of our wedding plans. All the dishes were consistently good – from my smoked pig cheek starter to the tender wagyu steak. My fiancé’s foie gras salad starter was also interesting. I also enjoyed chocolate terrine dessert which had the right mix of textures.

Details:
Uncorked Restaurant at The Union Hotel
Corner Pacific Hwy & West Street
North Sydney NSW 2060
http://www.unionhotel.com.au/uncorked

The Grill by Sean Connolly (Auckland New Zealand)

Wrapping up my project in Auckland, I managed to find time to stroll to Sky City and be a tourist for a moment. I dined at Chef of The Year Sean Connolly’s (I still remember the old Astral) The Grill.

The kind waiting staff was very helpful to get my orders straight away to get me fed, without making me feel rushed at all. The wagyu rump was cooked to medium, the perfect way to let the great marbling to shine through. The swede and carrot ‘crush’ ably mopped up all the jus from the steak – a perfect winter side.

Details:
The Grill by Sean Connolly
Sky City Grand Hotel 
90 Federal Street, Auckland
http://www.skycityauckland.co.nz/restaurants/the-grill/

Ormeggio At The Spit (Mosman Sydney)

We took advantage of the ‘Stress Less Sunday’ menu offered by Ormeggio At The Spit for a, well, relaxed dinner on a warm Sunday night. We picked the 4 course menu at the time of the booking.

All 4 dishes were beautifully presented and delicious. Kangaroo tartare had the right level of texture and not too tough. The eggplant tortellini had a subtle smokiness which complement well with the cheese sauce. Wagyu steak was extremely tender and worked well with the sesame puree. And the cardamom ice-cream dessert was a revelation with coffee powder.

If only the portion was bigger…

Details:
Ormeggio At The Spit
D'Albora Marinas
The Spit
Mosman 2088
http://www.ormeggio.com.au/

Big Stone (North Sydney)

We went to Big Stone which is a fusion Japanese tapas restaurant. The restaurant was really convenient for me as it is a short stroll from North Sydney CBD.

The menu offers a good range of both Japanese and Spanish dishes. There were some innovative fusion ideas as well. The takoyaki ‘sandwich’ was delicious with the squid ball squashed between crunchy prawn crackers. Wagyu beef skewer was nice and tender. For desserts, the chocolate fondant was perfectly melting on the inside, and the matcha brulee nicely balanced with the lentil ice-cream.

Details:
Big Stone
194 Miller Street
North Sydney NSW 2060
http://www.bigstone.net.au

Kisuke Japanese (Willoughby Sydney)

We went to Kisuke at Willoughby for a casual Japanese meal on a Friday night. The open air restaurant is fantastic for Australian summer, especially when the breeze was coming in.

Make sure you try the chef special 10 nigiri sushi set for the day, with creative combinations of fish and sauces. For a bit of fun you can also try the wagyu beef with a cook-it-yourself hot stone grill. Overall it is a great local eatery but slightly pricey.

Details:
Kisuke Japanese Restaurant
Shop 2, 56-58 Frenchs Road
Willoughby NSW 2068
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kisuke-Japanese-Restaurant/333168630058149

Rengaya (North Sydney)

I walked past Rengaya Yakiniku opposite North Sydney station often after work and was confronted by the fantastic grilling smell. Finally we were able to get in on a Friday night without booking.

The restaurant offered premium grade Blackmore Wagyu beef with perfect marbling. We ordered the sampling platter which allowed us to try the various textures from different cuts. Needless to say, they were melt-in-your-mouth after a couple of minutes on the hot grill. The Japanese dessert with green tea brulee and mocha was also excellent.

The bill did not come cheap but we expected it given the quality.

Rengaya
73 Miller Street
North Sydney NSW 2060
http://www.yakiniku.com.au/rengaya/

Glass Brasserie (Sydney)

We decided to head to the Glass Brasserie at Hilton Sydney for dinner to celebrate a big occasion in the family. We went for the degustation menu and the service was great from start to finish.

My favourite of the night was the blue swimmer crab omelette where the soft omelette complimented with the crunch from the herbs; and sweetness of the crab went well with the miso stock. Overall the meal was nice but should definitely be completed by little things such as a sorbet before desserts as well as some petit fours at the end.

Details:
Glass Brasserie
Hilton Sydney
Level 2, 488 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
http://www.glassbrasserie.com.au/