FoodieChat

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What can I say… chocolate….. chocolate…..

  …..chocolate….chocolate….

 chocolate….

Before you think this is my most profound blog yet – just a few points – the cakes are really expensive (ie average $9.50), but they are so rich you don’t need much and it’s good quality; the drinks are supersweet, the handmade chocolates are super good. Oh, and try the ice cream.  But don’t look at the fat content… There is PLENTY of outdoor sitting – bring your friends – and you won’t get shoo-ed away either. Open late.

As you walk into the dark entrance that leads to the dark dining room, let me warn you that someone will shout at you – loudly. “Welcome”!! I have been dying to come here ever since I sampled some of their teriyaki salmon (the dish that overcame my dislike of this fish) at one of the SMH Good Food Month events.  Described as modern Japanese with a twist , I went with open mind and very high expectations.  Let me say first up that the service is FAST, and not to please you, but feels more like they want your table! We were in and out within an hour – helped by the fact that our mains appeared before we finished our entrees! (more on that later).

The food was good, but the presentation varied alot.  The prawns tempura ($16.50 for 4) were flawless – light, crispy and not oily, and very large.  I had trouble finding a sushi roll without raw stuff in it (I don’t understand why one would eat raw fish when cave man discovered fire ) Anyway – I found the crunch roll – $16 for 8 bites of tempura prawn with crab salad and cucumber layered with tempura flakes and smelt roe.  A bit small for its price, but good none the less. It’s garnished with a thick BBQ sauce.

Baked Dynamite Scallops – $15.50 sounded intriguing and looked amazing – a baked mountain topped with like flakes of bonito.  Sadly, I suspected and was right that this dish was slathered in mayonnaise (my worst nightmare!), and cheese stirred through the rice – eww eww. But I was told it wasn’t bad, and had alot of scallops for good value.   As mentioned, as I was still munching on my crunch roll my main (just mine, not any others), and without anyone assisting in moving my set up around to place it in front of me!! Very very annoyed – they didn’t even bother bringing all the mains at once!  I pointed this out to one of the waiters who tried to explain that this is usual practice and didn’t my waittress ask me how we wanted it served? Nope.  Anyway, annoyance aside – the salmon was a generous two person sized serve which I could not finish. Cooked perfectly, served with rice and stir fried chinese veges (weird combo – this must be the twist!). Sadly, it came ungarnished.

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My favourite place for Japanese in Sydney (and yes I have been to Tetsuya’s!) is Masuya, tucked into the basement of a building on Sydney’s O’Connell Street.  Its unassuming position in the middle of Sydney’s lawyers and bankers offices mean that its clientele is predominantly lunching corporate types, and that means be sure to book! Which really surprises me that the food is so affordable, for the amazing quality that you get.  For example, the Masuya Set, at $23.80 provides teriyaki chicken, 2 tempura jumbo prawns and veges, sashimi, sushi along with rice and miso soup is huge! The tempura is no dodgy gluggy oily job either, it’s the real thing – light and crispy and not oily at all.  The chicken is tender and moist (thigh fillets), and not too salty.  And the sashimi fresh daily.   For those non-sushi eating types, the Teriyaki Angus Beef Steak ($19.80) really is as promised “prime angus scotch fillet cooked with ginger teriyaki sauce”.  And I reckon you get more than a whole steak there, and it is plenty for one person and more. (And it comes with rice). It’s perfectly cooked – cooked through (just) and not dry at all, and sweetly scented with teriyaki sauce that enhances the tender sliced beef.

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