Nishiki Wagyu Yakiniku (Crows Nest)

To continue the feasting during the Chinese New Year period, we headed to Nishiki Wagyu Yakiniku for their mid-week buffet. The family got to sample a large range of wagyu beef and Japanese dishes at $55 per head.

For an all-you-can-eat venue, the quality of wagyu beef offered was very high – tender and wonderfully marbled. The buffet had a time limit of 100 minutes which did not seem enough, given the fun I was having at the grill. However, we all left the restaurant completely satisfied.

Details: 
Nishiki Wagyu Yakiniku
270 Pacific Highway
Crows Nest NSW 2065
Note: buffet is only available Monday to Thursday

Hotplate Steak House (Sydney)

$20 seldom gives one a full serviced meal these days. However we found a gem in the middle of Chinatown, Hotplate Steak House, which offers a complete set menu for just $20. Its dining room upstairs is clean and simple, coupled by friendly service.

The set menu includes an entree salad, soup, garlic bread, a main course served on a hotplate, dessert, and a palate cleansing sorbet! It is certainly great value. The sight of meat sizzling on the hotplate always generates an excitement. However the meat will be slightly overcooked towards the end of the meal.

Details:
Hotplate Steak House 
13 Goulburn St 
Sydney NSW 2000 
http://www.facebook.com/HotplateSteakHouse 

Rhodes Phoenix (Sydney)

Dinner with family on Chinese New Year’s Eve is an important tradition. Rhodes Phoenix was packed with diners looking forward to the Year of the Dragon.

The large tables were enjoying traditional banquets. With only 4 of us, we went for the timeless dried oysters with ‘black hair’ seaweed (homonym to ‘great business profit’), a 1.9kg lobster with ginger and shallots, and the modernised cumin lamb shanks.

I have always loved the dried oyster dish and enjoyed the rare occasion to taste the intense savory fishy, yet subtly sweet flavour. However, lamb shanks were very tough.

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

Details:
Rhodes Phoenix
Rhodes Shopping Centre
Level 5, 1 Rider Boulevard
Rhodes NSW 2138


See previous blog entry on Manly Phoenix here