Sushi Dai

With each Tokyo trip, as you research you will see Tsujiri Fish market come up. This is where you wake up before sunset to see the fish actions (why bother right?). However there is also another treat at the market, besides the usual market stalls affairs there is also a place call Sushi Dai.

Sushi Dai (寿司大) is an establishment within the market that has cemented itself as a tourist destination. The reason? Well great fresh amazing nigiri at a very reasonable price.

To eat here people line up around 2 hours starting from about 3am (they open at 5am and close by 2pm). Are people crazy? Well yes, personally I have been here twice before and once to it's main competitor (Sushi Daiwa 寿司大和 next door). Personally I still consider one of the top 5 sushi places I have ever eaten at (including the Michelin ones).

What do you get?
For ¥4000 is the Omakase set (Chef's choice). You get 9 pieces of nigiri sushi selected by the chef and an additional piece of your choice. If you don't like eating raw fish there is also a cooked fish option (but honestly, why would you?)

My Omakase started with steamed egg roll and miso soup. 

The nigiri were as follows:

Fatty Toro

Flounder had a bit of line and salt

Snapper

Japanese Horse Mackerel

Urchin

Tuna

Tokyo Bay Scallops

Cutlass - out of all the nigiri, I liked this one the least. 

Maki roll
Anago (Sea eel)

Round 2 fatty toro (you get to pick another piece of your choice, I went with more fatty toro)

Yellow tail (we paid extra and got a piece of the yellow tail as it was in season, it did not disappoint)

Overall, would I do it again? Well... this was my third visit.... The fish is great and fresh and for what you pay it's very good value. Could you get something just as good in a restaurant? Yes, but you will most likely be paying through your nose for it. The usual sushi trains which you will find across Tokyo, does not even compare to this. So I will leave the choice to you, if you decide to sacrifice sleep for Sushi Dai!

Words of Advice
If you happen to bother waking up before the crack of dawn here are some tips:

• Stay around Ginza. The subways don't start till 5am so unless you want to pay for the expensive taxi fares in Tokyo, Ginza puts the fish market at a walking distance. Each time I visit I stayed at either one of the Mitsui hotels in Ginza.
• Be prepared to wait. Bring a phone charger, you will be playing on your phone for a few hours. The wait at 4:10am on a Thursday morning was 47 people deep. Which translate to roughly eating 3 hours later.
• Know your sushi manners, when you get in, there is only omakase. Just sit down and let the sushi chef do his thing. He will tell you when to use wasabi and soy sauce. Also, there is a massive line of people outside, so they would appreciate if you don't sit around just for a chat afterwards.
• Bring cash, they don't take card. So don't be that person!
• You sushi chef knows you have waited a long time to eat there and they appreciate it, they will ask you questions with their limited English, so don't be surprise when they interact with you.
• There is other food to eat nearby, if you feel like you need more Jap food fix after your omakase, wander around the market and you shall be rewarded.
• The sushi master does speak some basic English so don't worry about not knowing what to do and looking lost. They also offer you an English menu for the extra piece you want to order

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Mr Miyagi

Mr Miyagi has become the talk of town in the last year or so. It popped up a few years ago and first caught my attention at the Night Noodle Markets, I have always been wanting to try the restaurant but due to the wait for a table (think 2 hours) unless you show up at 5.30pm, it has put me off until recently. As of late, I have been working hard and put myself in a vicious cycle of eating the same thing, same place and keep working so it was time to change that.

On a Friday night when D and I weren't all that hungry and was eager to try something different, we finally walked up Chapel Street and put our names down. We got there around 9.00pm (hoping it meant a shorter wait and it worked), at 10.00pm we were finally sitting down on a table. The staff were lovely from the moment we set foot into the place.

As soon as we sat down we were given menus and explained to us how the menu worked. Since it was our first time to Mr Miyagi, they ran through all the favorites and recommended a few more. Since we were starving at this point, we got our orders in quickly.

First up was the Nori Tacos. This was easily my favorite dish of the night. Think tacos but swap the corn shell for a seaweed shell and fill it with rice, salmon belly, spicy napa cabbage (kind of like kimchi), chilli mayo. The result is a mind blowing awesome taco where you just don't want to share. The spicy cabbage with salmon was a great bite then followed with the chilli mayo, it gave just enough creaminess to balance out the spice. If you come here, you must order this.

Second was Kingfish Ceviche. Kingfish cured in grapefruit and cucumber then finished with red sorrel, coconut panna cotta and ginger dressing. Maybe I am getting picky these days (as ceviche is quite a common dish now in fusion restaurant), I just wasn't wow'ed by this dish. The fish was cured perfectly but the cucumber pairing was a bit disappointing for me. I expected something more explosive in terms of flavour.

Third up was the Cracked Corn on Stick. This was a corn cob covered in corn crunch and miso butter. I never realized corned covered in more crunchy corn would be so good. The bbq flavour in the corn crunch mixed in with the miso butter made this quite the snack. I would happily sit in front of the tv with a cob or two of these.

Forth was the Tuna Tataki Pizza. I honestly had no idea what to expect with this one. It came as seared tuna on flat bread with heirloom tomatoes, jalapenos and finished with yuzu Caesar sauce. All those things don't sound like they belong together as a pizza but somehow it worked. The lightness in the fish made the punchy tomato, yuzu caesar sauce work well together, then to finish it off with the pinch of spiciness from the jalapenos.

Fifth was MFC, also known as Miyagi Fried Chicken. This was the main reason that D wanted to come here. Glorious seasoned fried chicken, served with kewpi mayo. The outside was crisp and tasty, inside the chicken was just right. It was damn good is the only way I can sum it up.

Sixth was Black Pig Gyoza. This was black pig filling with a thin skin that was lightly pan-fried and served with ginger soy. It was a bit on the salty side but still enjoyable.

Seventh was Steam Pork Buns. This came deconstrated, there was 12 hour pulled pork,
pickled pumpkin, cucumber and ginger. All that was to go into a soft steamed bun. This was more on the spicy side. I struggled with the heat but D took it find. The elements had an explosion of flavour, if it was less spicy, I would have happily eaten a whole plate to myself.

Lastly dessert, I had no room but the friendly waitress convinced me. We got the Pumpkin Toast, which as the name suggest is pumpkin toast served with white chocolate ganache, large chunks of honeycomb, yoghurt sorbet and spiced pumpkin ice cream. This was one big dessert with heaps to offer. I would suggest you share with someone. There all the elements on the plate, from soft to warm and sticky to creamy.

Overall 17.5/20 I was very impressed with Mr Miyagi, it exceeded my expectations. The nori tacos and MFC left a lasting impression. Coupled with exceptional service it was the perfect night out. If the wait wasn't that long, I would happily make this a regular place to visit.


 

Hakata Gensuke - Hawthorn

If you read my blog often, you will know that I really like eating ramen. It's one of those comfort food that is quick, easy and relatively affordable. I have found myself going to Hakata more and more often in the recent months. Unlike it's sister store in the city, the wait time here is a lot more reasonable and with parking being less of an issue, it is just an easy place for me to hang out with the girls or Miss P.

My favorite ramen to get here is the Black Tonkotsu, besides Japan, I have barely come across this so it's my usual when I come here. I love the rich soup and how it's enriched with a garlic and black sesame favour to make the body of the soup even more flavorsome. With the noodles, there is an option of hardness which to me is something I consider only 'serious raman' places would offer. When I pick normal here, it is the perfect balance of softness without being too chewy. The char siu is not too thick, and together with the soup it has the intense flavour but not to a point it's too salty to stomach. I also like to add bamboo shoots and a soft boiled egg in mine. The soft boil egg need to be marinated and just runny on the inside. Out of all my visits here, the egg has always been perfect.

D tends to opt for a more spicy ramen so he got the Aka Tonkotsu. This one is a special to Hawthorn only. It is a spicy cod roe in a tonkotsu soup base. It's a nice amount of spice without sending you into tears and breathing fire. Again it came with char siu, black fungus and

Gyoza is what I consider little pockets of goodness. It it that side dish in a Japanese restaurant that is full of taste. I find that the gyoza in Hawthorn is better than their sister store in the city. The one in the city is sometimes too dry, where it's never the case in Hawthorn. With some gyoza sauce, it's like a little party on my taste buds

Chicken garage came in a side dish portion. The chicken was perfectly succulent, it was seasoned with just the right of favour and fried just right. I find a lot of places struggle to get garage right, as it's always either too soggy or too dry, Hakata is one of the few places that find that good balance of crisp, fried bitey texture while retaining the chicken's moisture and juice.

Overall 17/20 great ramen, great broth. I think this is my current favourite ramen shop to visit in Melbourne right now. It's an all round great offering, love the fact I don't need to wait in line and it always hits the spot. Staff is friendly and the atmosphere makes it a good place to eat and have a chat with friends. It isn't bursting to the seams with people. Good food plus good service and great place to meet a friend. Two thumbs up for me!

 

Tokyo Tina

If you read my blog often enough, you will know I do enjoy eating out A LOT. Tokyo Tina was one of the latest places I became obsessed with over Instagram (yes I am very active on it and maybe even slightly addicted). So it gave me the perfect excuse when D asked to eat somewhere new.

Located on Chapel St, Tokyo Tina is the poster child for that hipster restaurant with fusion food, cool decor and filled with people. Oh and yes! There is a "no booking system" unless you come with a full posse. D and I learnt the trick over the years is to show up after 8pm with only 2 people, chances are there will be a seat at the bar (we don't mind) or it's just a short wait. AND yes it did work for us this time as well.

Once seated we had a lovely waitress attend to us straight away to explain how the menu worked and to take our drink order. Melbourne weather (being freezing cold right now), turned me off getting my usual cocktail. We were quite unadventurous and just got water (yes, I know how boring... and wow I am on fire with my attitude today). 

On to the important part, to start we got 2 ceviche. First one was the Kingfish with wasabi and apple in a charcoal cone. The kingfish's freshness was enhanced with the apple. Only complain for me, it was too small, I wanted more!

The other ceviche was the Tasmanian salmon tartare. This was fresh diced salmon with cucumber and nashi served with a crispy skin cracker. Great combination of fresh, crunch and sweetness. I thoroughly enjoyed this dish.

For the salad we got the poached chicken with wombok, edamame and mizuna. This was my favorite dish of the night. The chicken was succulent and refined. Wombok was a good change from the typical salad leaf options. The edamame and mizuna took it to that next level. You need to try it to understand what I'm talking about.

As a side we decided on the spiced edamame. This felt like a bad choice but a good choice. Bad choice because we were very full and it came with the main, good choice because it was freaking tasty and we wanted to clear the the plate but we were full to the brim.

For main, D and I got a ramen each. I went with the Ash ramen which had a tonkotsu base, pork belly, soft boiled egg, seaweed and black tahini (basically grounded black sesame paste). This didn't quite hit the spot for me. I am more accustomed to my ramen broth being rich and thick. This didn't hit the spot and I wasn't liking the ash taste either. The actual noodle was the right softness and the pork belly was good but sadly the broth was a let down.

D got the classic, he has a tendency to judge a ramen with the classic. This was just like the ash ramen with the exception of the black tahini. It had the same issue though, the broth was just not rich and thick enough. Everything else was good but the key joining element, the broth, just didn't hit that spot.

We were going to say no to dessert but we got talking to Kha (2015 Masterchef contestant currently working at Tokyo Tina) and he said we had to try the Tokyo banana, so we took his word for it. It was a very small dessert (lucky it was small, we were very full at this point) consisting of banana mousse and salted caramel parfait in a banana shaped macaron. This was a great finish to the meal, it was just the amount of sweetness I needed and the salted caramel played that nice twist in the flavors.

Overall 16.5/20 Even though the ramen didn't quite hit the spot everything else went great. It left me wanting to go back to try more (and I will). The service was attentive and the creativity on the menu provides a good twist but still with enough familiarity and an array of choice.

Eis

Recently I was fortunate enough to be invited by Hiro to try Eis' crispy chicken wrap and grilled eggplant. Prior to Hiro's email, I had heard about EIS from the ET book but that was about it. So this gave me the perfect excuse to try it.

Located in Albert Park it's a close neighbour of Andrew's Hamburgers, where it's a small residential shopping area. It's a small, cosy local Japanese restaurant. Unlike most other Japanese restaurants who either go down the path of fusion of traditional, Eis offers both to accommodate what it's guest may feel like for the day.

We decided, just chicken wrap and grilled eggplant wasn't going to be enough for us, so we decided to go all out and have a proper dinner.

To start I got the special which was a grilled oyster with yuzu miso paste. This reminded me of a Japanese oyster kilpatrick. I really enjoyed it, I could easily eat a dozen of these.

Also got the seared wagyu tataki with roasted garlic (also a special of the night). Loved the thin slices of beef and the tataki flavours infused with robust garlic hits.

Then there was the gyoza. It sat on the traditional side of the menu but to met it was more a modern twist to the classic gyoza I know of. It was deep fried and served with sweet chilli sauce and salad. The gyoza skin was very crispy but I still have a soft spot for the traditional way.

Next was the crispy chicken roll. This was like a cross between a peking duck pancake and a rice paper roll. The crispy chicken and sweet soy combo worked well but the wrap was a bit small.

Final tapas we got was the grilled eggplant. Nasu dengaku is one of favourite dishes to order when I go to a Japanese restaurant. Eis did theirs with plenty of miso paste and grilled the eggplant to a soft silky texture.

For mains, D and I decided on the curry udon and sashimi platter. I've never had a curry udon before so I wasn't sure what to expect. However I was very glad I got it. The curry sauce was served in a heavy soup consistency and it went beautifully with the soft, silken udon. Hiro noticed that we were sharing and was thoughtful enough to halve it in 2 bowls for us. This was definitely my favourite dish of the night.

The other main was the sashimi, good assortment. I was really happy to see scallops on the plate too. Not many places offer scallop on their sashimi platter but it's one of the most tasty seafood to eat fresh.

Hiro was nice enough to spoil us with dessert as well. Green tea ice cream served with red bean paste and almond. It was a great way to end the meal.

Overall 16/20 I like their offering of tapas. I really loved their oysters, curry udon and grilled eggplants. The choice of both traditional and fusion is creative and it's a place I will go back to again with friends