Daruma - Haymarket, Sydney

A rather hurried lunch. The place is kind of objectionable because it's packed with noisy teenagers (most likely UTS Insearch students on lunch break - the restaurant is, after all, located on the same building as UTS Insearch), but the staff is amazingly friendly. The okusan (proprietress) personally greets every guests from her cashier desk, which makes you really feel like you're in a small family-run restaurant in Japan.

Oyako don and udon set

-> Definitely something that one can consume on daily basis. It's light, un-pretentious, perfect for frequent consumption (without eventually getting sick of it)

Rating: 7.5/10

Agemono set

-> Deep-fried stuff. Chicken, fish, prawn patty. The main dish is nothing to rave about, but what I particularly like is the agedashi tofu, which tastes really home-made (believe me, I know). Food just like mama makes it. Well. It's not that my mama is Japanese, but you know.

Rating: 6.5/10