Melbourne: Shoya Nouvelle Wafu Cuisine

Shoya is one of Melbourne’s best Japanese restaurants offering a wide range of degustation menus composed of both traditional and modern Japanese dishes at its finest. After hearing very good feedbacks from their relatives, J and her family decided to treat themselves to lunch on the last day of their trip to Melbourne.

After comparing the menus, most of us went for the Shoya Festive Course priced at $100 per person as it is probably offers the most for its value with salmon caviar, truffle, wagyu beef and Taraba crab leg etc. :p

The eel canapé and grilled perch were extraordinarily tasty… the luxurious flavours of the truffles, caviar, and foie gras perfectly complements and enhances the aromatic grilled fish… these should definitely be eaten in one big bite as it creates a great sensation on the tastebuds as the rich flavours from each layer of ingredient unfolds one after the other inside your mouth! haha

Unagi Canape- Grilled miso marinated eel canapé topped with crab meat salad, Salmon caviar and truffle

Golden Perch- Lightly grilled miso flavoured perch topped with tomato mousse, foie gras, and semi dried Mullet Roe

Look at this crystal ball! or maybe.. ice ball? haha what a great way to keep your sashimi nice and cold :D especially when it’s this fresh. their wasabi also seems to be freshly grinded  :)

Assortment of Sashimi

The stewed ox tongue was very soft and tender, flavoured with a hint of sweetness possibly from Mirin?   The spinach soufflé was more like a sheet of pastry :)

Beef Spinach Roll- Stewed Ox Tongue wrapped with spinach soufflé served with lemon, basil yogurt

It actually looks much smaller than it really was! The crab leg could probably extend from the elbow to the palm when stretched :O note how the salt is mixed with green tea powder!

Crab Tempura- Whole ‘Taraba’ crab leg deep-fried in tempura style

The fish steak of the day was tuna toro (which is the best part of the fish from the underside, graded according to fat content, similar to wagyu) :D

Fish Steak- Chef selection of fresh fish fillet, served then laid on a bed of teriyaki sauce and sesame vinegar

The wagyu also had a sweet flavour to it similar to the ox tongue. It was served with a slice of pastry, possibly a potato quiche?

  Wagyu Beef Steak- Wagyu eye fillet dressed with black truffle, enoki, shiitake miso sauce

The light and mildly flavoured mixed rice was a perfect way to end the series of savoury dishes :)

Mixed Rice- Mixed tasty steam rice with chicken, vegetables and mushrooms

Today’s dessert were a chocolate mousse cake and a sea urchin cheese cake. Though none of us could really taste the sea urchin, the cheese cake was fluffy like most Japanese cheese cakes. And the mousse cake was velvety rich in chocolate :D

Chef’s Dessert

The Shoya Special Business Lunch Set at $65 was similar to the Festive Course menu, just without the Stewed Ox tongue and fish steak… well and there was only half a crab leg and the wagyu from the Festive course was of course of higher grade and had no truffle. But it was already very satisfying :D  

The lunch sets were more simple and basic, but were also of high quality :) … The Kaisen Oyako Set ($24.80) included Kaisen Oyako Don, Mini UDON, Chilled Bean Curd, Savory Egg Custard, Dessert.

Kaisen Oyako Don- Sushi rice topped with Salmon Sashimi and salmon roe

The Ume Set ($32) included Sashimi, Seasonal Grilled Fish, Tempura, Teriyaki Beef, Savory Egg Custard, Mixed Steamed Rice, Miso Soup and  Dessert.

Does anyone else think that the presentation of the sashmi looks kind of like a bird? or maybe my imagination is just a bit too crazy :P hehe.. and also note that the white-ish looking thing beneath the leaf is acutally a frozen half orange!

Assortment of Sashimi

The seasonal grilled fish was eel :) with edamame

Grilled Eel

 

The teriyaki beef is prepared in the same style as the wagyu beef in the business lunch set.

Assortment of Tempura

Savory Egg Custard

The dessert was a choice of ice cream. The sesame ice cream was very nice and was probably house-made. The flavour was very strong, the texture was very smooth and creamy with actual pieces of crushed black sesame :)

Shoya also serves a many other styles of authentic Japanese dining including bbq, a la carte and you could also rent your own chef! (wow :O!) It was definitely one of the best dining experience J has had in Melbourne this time :) really looking forward to going back next time! hehe

Nibble on Nibbles! xx

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Shoya Nouvelle Wafu Cuisine
25 Market Ln
Melbourne, 3000



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Melbourne: Meko Dining - Fusion Cuisine

J was down in Melbourne for a couple of days to visit her relatives during the Easter break.  Being a member of a foodie family, the first thing we did upon our arrival was undoubtedly going to be dinner hehe

Meko might not look like much from the outside, but they certainly do serve some quality Japanese fusion cuisine.. and for pretty good value too :)

The dinner banquet menu for $29.90 included the Beef Tataki as an entrée and the main was Garlic King Prawns pan fried in garlic butter sauce served with steamed rice and vegetables.  The beef tataki is thinly sliced beef that has been briefly seared so that it remains raw on the inside.  It is only briefly marinated so the dish really depends on the freshness and the flavor of the beef itself. The meat at Meko was tender and fluffy and the dish was enhanced by some shaved parmesan cheese.

Beef Tataki

We also ordered some Meko platters to share. The platter was huge and very filling even though it was just an entrée, included were some salmon sashimi, sea scallops with fish roe, mussels, salmon tartare, smoked salmon, gravlax, hokigai, oyster shooter, cold cooked prawns, prosciutto with melon, chicken karaage (Japenese deep fried chicken), cherry tomatoes with mozzarella cheese, grilled capsicum, beeg tataki and goji berries (some sort of dried berries) salad with seaweed.  The sashimi scallops fresh and sweet, the beef tataki was as nice as the ones from the dinner banquet menu and the salad and cherry tomatoes were particularly refreshing once you’ve had a bite of everything else on the platter hehe :P  it was also very thoughtful of them to serve it on a lazy susan, making it much easier to share :)

 Meko Platter (minimum 2 serves, $23.50 per serve)

We also had some drinks while waiting for the main courses. The Summer Garden was a very colourful mocktail made with orange juice, pineapple juice, soda and grenadine and the Flamingo, which we expected to have looked prettier, was a sweeter mix of mango, banana and guava juice. 

Summer Garden Mocktail ($8)

Flamingo Mocktail ($8)

Lemon, Lime & Bitters ($4) 

A while later, our main courses arrived :D The garlic king prawns came with a very tasty sauce that tasted a bit like a prawn/lobster soup- perfect together with the rice. 

The duck was slightly overcooked but went nicely with the Japanese plum sauce, which worked in a similar way to an orange sauce.

Breast of Duck Umeboshi ($28.90)

A piece of white turnip puff added slight a Japanese twist to the piece of grilled beef with black pepper sauce.

House Aged Eye Fillet of Beef ($28.90)

The braised ox tail was very tender and the ginger, mandarin peel and star anise made an interesting and distinctive combination.

Braised Ox Tail ($26.90)

The tempura of whole flounder must be the most impressive of all dishes in terms of presentation :) The meat of the fish was separated and cooked as a tempura, the meat was still very moist and juicy; and the rest of the fish was deep fried till even the bones were really crispy and edible :D

Tempura of Whole Flounder ($27.50)

Everyone was pretty full and satisfied with our meals until we all got tempted by the baked Alaska that was being served to our neighboring table so we ended up ordering one …… and some of the other desserts too hehe :P

Baked Alaska ($12.50)

Tri-Colour Ice-cream: Green Tea, Red Bean and Black Sesame ($9.00)

Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Mousse with Soy Bean Cookies ($12.50)

Having never tried any chili flavoured desserts, J opted for the platter of three crème brulee with vanilla, green tea and chili chocolate. To her surprise, she couldn’t actually taste the chili flavor, though it definitely gave the sharp tanginess! 

Taste of Crème Brulee ($12.50)

This was another interesting and spicy one- black pepper panna cotta with rhubab compote and ginger-scented mango salsa.

Black Pepper Panna Cotta ($12.50)

Though it might seem like just another local restaurant, Meko was definitely more than that… the dishes were nicely prepared and presented.. the owner always wore a smile on her face and the place has a somewhat homey atmosphere.. you can feel that owners have put some thought into their food and the restaurant, making our visit quite an enjoyable experience :)

Nibble on Nibblies! xx

Ps: Stay tuned for more posts from Melbourne :)

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Meko

Shop 31, Wantirna Mall 

348 Mountain Hwy 

Wantirna, Victoria 3153 

Kimama Kitchen

L and J were already running late for Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball Tour :( but knowing that we would be dancing and jumping around the whole night, we knew it would be a bad idea if we went with an empty stomach. 

 Kimama Kitchen

So we thought the food court would be a quick and easy option. We originally wanted to have ramen at Gumshara but unfortunately the place was closed due to broken kitchen equipment of some sort :(. So we settled for some Karaage Don from Kimama Kitchen just next door. They offered a wide range of sauces to go with the deep fried chicken :D L ended up trying the new miso garlic sauce while J, being a vinegar-lover, went for the soy and vinegar. 

Chicken Karaage with miso garlic sauce($8)

Chicken Karaage with soy and vinegar sauce (served in separate container)($8)

Hmm… is there a particular reason why the miso garlic sauce is infused into the chicken while the soy and vinegar is served in a separate container?  

haha anyway…the chicken was juicy and tender and both sauces were quite tasty and went well with the crispy chicken :) the soy and vinegar sauce gave the dish a zesty tanginess and the miso garlic sauce added a strong garlic flavour to the chicken. 

We also found their service really friendly and thoughtful when they asked if we’d like extra sesame (for soy and vinegar sauce) or some fried garlic (for miso garlic sauce) on top of our dishes :) Also, rice and miso soup are also generously available for free refill hehe, though a single portion should probably be enough to fill you up! Neither of us could finish our meal even though we were literally starving before we ate- or is it because you know how when you’re too hungry, you’ll tend to get full easier when you eat? hmm.. but either way, our tummies were satisfied and we’re ready for our bad romance with lady gaga!  

 Lady Gaga <3 (photo credit: Grandia)

Nibble on Nibbles! xx

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Kimama Kitchen

Shop207, Eating World Habour Plaza

25-29 Dixon St 

Haymarket NSW 2000

 

Mizuya Japanese Karaoke Restaurant

When it came to pleasing their target market, Mizuya definitely got it right. Sleek touch screen menus, sophisticated karaoke rooms and even 50c Green Tea Ice Cream Takeaway... it all appeals to the young urban Asian demography – the typical residents of Sydney’s George St. 

Mizuya Japanese Restaurant & Karaoke

J&L had already tried lunch at Mizuya some time ago but with the desire to try some of the dinner-only items AND the opportunity to try their karaoke rooms, we grabbed along a few more stomachs (and voices :P) to join us. Accompanying us was Y, P and T and we were starved! =)

Dim lit, air-conditioned and separated private booths, it was a perfect place to relax and escape from the heat. Upon arrival though, we discovered that the dinner karaoke package required us to spend a minimum of $198!
“Umm... Wasn’t it like $20? For Food and Karaoke?” questioned Y.

“Yeah! That’s what we read last time...I remember! ” J confirmed.  

A quick reference to the menu, it turns out that during lunch Mizuya offers a Karaoke and Lunch Package for $20 (2 hours) and a Karaoke and Dinner Package for $198 (3 hours). With that in mind, we decided to just skip karaoke and go straight to the food...after all that’s what we were most interested in anyways right? ;)

We really wanted to try these test tube drinks which we saw from our previous visit. But even after several attempts to find it on the menu, we still couldn’t find it =( So we asked the first waiter passing by ...

“No sorry. We don’t have them anymore. Probably later,” he brusquely explained before rushing off to assist another table.

Still unfeeling satisfied, we couldn’t help but ask the waitress this time.

“Ohhh...we might have finished them already today! But let me check with the kitchen first ok?” she offered.

A few minutes later she came out with a smile on her face

“Do you still want the test tubes? We can make them for you!”

“Awwww yes please... THANK YOU! ” we chorused, ecstatic that we had asked a second time.   

Mizuya Test Tubes ($18)

The test tubes came in a rack of 6 with 2 of each of the flavours – peach, grapefruit and pineapple. They had very little alcohol, making it a nice light fizzy drink. It was actually quite hard to get the crushed ice and liquid to come out, but we definitely enjoyed this novelty.

Looking at all the hotpots around us, J Y and T decided to follow their lead. Y went with the Wagyu Beef Shabu-Shabu while J and T chose the Wagyu Beef Sukiyaki. The Shabu-Shabu was a light and clear meat broth, whereas the Sukiyaki was a stronger-flavoured sweet soy soup base. They both came with the same ingredients- thinly sliced tender wagyu, vegetables and mushrooms… it was a feast on all of its own. Extra rice or udon noodles can also be ordered to eat with the tasty soup.

Small Wagyu Beef Sukiyaki ($15.50), Small Wagyu Beef Shabu-Shabu ($15.80)

 Shabu-Shabu

 Sukiyaki (with cracked egg in soup :P which you're not supposed to do as it's meant for dipping-like a sauce)

Udon noodles ($4.80)

P had the Ochazuke- a  tea soaked rice dish with a generous serving of salted salmon, japanese pickles and seaweed on top. The portion was very tasty and very filling for P.

Ochazuke ($6.80)

L went for the Salmon Kushiage which was crunchy thanks to its deep friend coating. The salmon inside was moist and very soft. L also ordered the Chicken & Prawn Chawan-Mushi which actually took ages to come out – even after alerting the attendants multiple times. It was however a pleasant dish with generous chunks of chicken, vegetables and prawn in the soft steamed egg mixture.

Salmon Kushiage ($4.00)

Chicken & Prawn Chawan-Mushi ($4.00)

One bad thing about having a touch screen menu with us is that we get to see photos of all the dishes they offered. Flicking through the menu again and again, we got so tempted by the looks of the cheese baked oyster and scallops! Mmmm… anything topped with baked cheese can never go wrong hehe

Creamy Miso Cheese Oyster ($10.80)

Creamy Miso Cheese Scallop ($9.80)

And of course... dessert =) We couldn’t resist ordering the Green tea Crème Brûlée which was a definite pleaser. A Japanese take on the classic dish, we could taste the creamy green tea goodness with the unmistakable top layer of caramelised sugar.

Green tea Crème Brûlée ($6.50)

While Mizuya lacks in restaurant service, the menu boasts affordable prices and a wide range of innovative choices.  Next time we go, we’re thinking karaoke... for lunch :P



Nibble on Nibbles! xx



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Mizuya Japanese Restaurant & Karaoke
 

Basement, 614 George St 
Sydney 2000