Japanese Feast for Three and a Half

Chicken Teriyaki with Cabbage & Japayo, Edaname, Flying Fish Roe Sushi, Seaweed Sushi, Cooked Tuna Sushi, Inari, Crab with Avocado and Cucumber Salad, Salmon & Tuna Sashimi, California Rolls, Fresh Oysters

I really enjoy making homemade sushi. Of course, my eyes are bigger than my stomach and I don't end up using half the ingredients that I buy. This time I found some frozen flying fish roe from Wan Long Oriental Supermarket. Hooray! So of course I made California Rolls and the Crab, Avocado and Cucumber Salad for the first time. Hubby's favourite's always makes an appearance as, unfortunately for him, he is not a fan of raw seafood. So, he gets to eat plenty of Chicken Teriyaki, Cooked Tuna Rolls and Inari. 

I also made sure to stock up on the Wasabi, Japanese Mayo and Soy Sauce, which we agree are the key ingredients to making our dinner a success! If our dinner guest wasn't driving, I would have warmed some sake as well. Maybe next time?

Kagaya, Hurstville

After nearly 10 years, this is still one of my favourite restaurants. Although the menu has expanded considerably over the years, I still find myself straying back to the traditional set menu-for-2 simply due to the value-for-money. With five in our group this evening, we ordered a few sides and the highlight was definitely this dish. This cucumber/avocado/fish roe salad was delightful, the oyster/mango combination refreshing. I highly recommend this restaurant (and especially this dish) anytime!

Wasabi Bar & Bistro, Darlinghurst

After all the bad reviews, I have to admit I was quite hesitant about going but I already paid for the coupon months ago. Fortunately, it was an enjoyable experience.

We went for lunch on a Saturday and had booked 2 weeks in advance, thinking they would be super busy. They weren't. The decor is "interesting" and definitely a topic for conversation. I wasn't impressed with the plastic cups for water or the plastic shoyu sashi. The waitress had trouble understanding our order and I had to repeat myself several times. I was trying to practice patience and be positive about it (after all, it was the first date my husband and I have had in a long time since our son was born, and it was our wedding anniversary). OK, so maybe we should have chosen a more intimate setting and a spent a few more bucks.

Anyway, they brought the complimentary sake and the food started coming and we found that we enjoyed ourselves!

There was more than enough food and all the staff were pleasant (although it was hard to understand them and they didn't seem to understand us). Although it was a 7-course tasting menu for 2, I counted more than 7 dishes and the portions were quite generous. We had the Fried Gyoza, Agedashi Tofu, Prawn Tempura, Assorted Sushi & Sashimi, Tofu Wakame Salad, Teriyaki Chicken, BBQ Beef (the mains came with rice, side salad & Miso Soup).

Having parked in a one-hour zone, we ran out of time and they let us takeaway the dessert which was Green Tea Ice Cream and a very yummy Black Sesame Ice Cream.

We left happy.

Asahi, Beverly Hills

The Chefs are very friendly and entertaining and the service is very good. I was disappointed in the food as it taste quite ordinary and the portions were small considering the price that we paid. I suppose when you go to Teppanyaki it's more for the fun and you're really paying for the service, not the food. I would recommend it for work functions, or when you don't have to pay.

Kagaya Japanese Restaurant, Hurstville

This is one of my favourite restaurants. If you are looking for yummy dinner where the food just keeps on coming, I suggest the dinner sets for 2. My boyfriend and I both agree it's value for money. The best thing about it is my boyfriend doesn't even eat seafood and he still loves it. Try the Teriyaki Dinner and you will see what I mean. I get to eat all the sashimi I want. *sigh* I am hungry now just thinking about it.

Fuji Yama Tepanyaki Restaurant, Wollongong

This is a place which I go for the entertainment. The food itself is too bland for my tastes however I like the idea of your personal chef cooking right in front of you. It's also fun to see him spinning the salt and pepper shakers when he's seasoning the food and then throwing food into your bowl for you to catch. I've been here on several occasions and each time I enjoy myself and think "it must be healthy" because there isn't much flavour. And I have room for dessert.

Roppongi Japanese Restaurant, Wollongong

This was my first experience with Japanese food. I was delighted to find out that there was much more to it than raw fish. Sushi and Sashimi was interesting and then I discovered Wasabi and I fell in love. I always order the BBQ octopus and the fried bean curd.