Ajisen Ramen - World Square, Sydney

I'm officially running out of places to have a quick, hassle-free, cheap Japanese lunch in the city. At times like this, I wonder why don't I live in places like Hong Kong instead - where you can find even the most appaling examples of Japanese food (wafu beef stroganoff at Tsim Sha Tsui, anyone?). Even in a city as cosmopolitan as Sydney which is blessed with diverse and abundant culinary choices, VERY demanding people such as myself often wonder, "where can I find a good taraba crab rice doria a walking distance away from Pitt Street mall?"

That said, I took a surprisingly un-me step one day and decided to eat at Ajisen Ramen. You know, that ubiquitous, seemingly-mediocre Japanese ramen chain. It seems that you can't escape Ajisen anywhere you go - It's practically the first restaurant you see when you stepped out of the customs area in Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok, it's in every major shopping mall in Singapore, it's crowded with schoolkids in Jakarta, and a couple of years ago it opened its door in our very own Sydney.

In fact - I'm so sick of looking at that min-min (or min-may or any quintessentially-Chinese name according to the Japanese) mascot I want to literally scald her face with hot ramen broth (okay, that might be too cruel). Not to mention that the said mascot's image has been identified with any product that has anything to do with noodles - so in China, the image has been unlawfully used on lots and lots of noodle products. It's like, slap that mascot's image on a product and you know that it's a noodle.

Chicken Katsu Ramen

-> Too heavy on the oil. The tonkotsu soup is essentially made up of FAT, so I see no reason why they should add extra layer of oil by drenching that freshly deep-fried chicken cutlet on it. So in conclusion, this ramen is BAD for your heart. And your figure. Which means that it's delicious.

Rating: 7/10

Beef Teriyaki Set

-> Another surprisingly good dish. No wonder Ajisen is very popular worldwide - their food is actually not THAT bad. I actually define this dish as "good but I won't be craving it anytime soon"-type of dish.

Rating: 6.5/10

Poporo - Market City, Sydney

The other day, I was showing this friend of mine from overseas (I wouldn't say which country, but if you keep on reading, I guess some of you would be able to tell anyway) - he's an exchange student doing his PhD and he'll be spending a couple of years in Sydney. One day, he asked "where's the center of Asian civilization in Sydney?" and I said, "what in heavens name do you mean?" - to which he replied "you know, the largest Asian shopping mall in Sydney".

He spent his undergraduate and postgraduate years in Toronto, Canada, and as some of you might know, there's this really big Asian mall called "Pacific Mall" in Toronto (well, big for a non-Asian country at least) - and this guy wanted to find out if there's something similar in Sydney. At first, I thought, uh-oh, the closest thing we have is Market City in Chinatown, and it's nowhere as big or lively as Pacific Mall in Toronto (or at least that's how I remembered it when I went there about 10 years ago).

So I said, "There IS this thing called Market City in Chinatown, but don't expect much, it's kind of small-ish and there's nothing much in there but some outlet-type shops and a food court". Anyway, I almost NEVER go to Market City except for the supermarket part (can't be helped - it's the largest Asian supermarket in...Sydney, I guess?).

So, the guy expressed his enthusiasm and we headed for Market City to get something to eat. Look, I almost never eat in Market city - I think their food court is kind of lame (the food, not the place), but oh well, might as well check it out, who knows there's something new in there (the food court is located on the top floor, and I never go beyond the first floor on Market City, LOL)

Suddenly, I stumbled upon this restaurant, Poporo, which slightly reminds me of those cute-ish cafes in Shinjuku that Japanese schoolgirls hang out in all the time - so I got excited and I immediately suggested for us to eat there. HOWEVER...this guy - this friend of mine took a gander of the place and soon realized that it's a Japanese Western-style cafe run by Japanese people and he immediately said "no".

Soon, it became apparent that this guy doesn't like Japanese food, or Japanese-style food, and basically shun everything from Japan. (well, one thing for sure, this guy CANNOT become my friend. Ever.) LOL. So, we went to the food court to have our meal.

The VERY NEXT day, I went straight back to Market City to grab a bite at Poporo. Alone.

Chicken Cutlet with Mushroom Cream Sauce

-> Oh, HEAVEN...this is SO my kind of food. And look at their food arrangement, it's very Japan. Especially the consomme in the cup thingy (well, the consomme sucks, but the rest are good!). The cutlet is actually served with 2 types of sauces, there's this shoyu-type sauce on the base, and then topped with creamy, fragrant mushroom sauce. My tongue is definitely happy.

Rating: 8/10

So, this place kind of incorporates kitschy Japanese 'technology' into their ordering system - you're supposed to order your food at the counter before being seated. Kind of like Hong Kong's Cafe de Coral but you're supposed to operate the touch screen monitor yourself.

Blue Soda

-> Calpis based. I'm a sucker for blue-colored drinks. Interestingly enough, the Japanese serve a LOT of blue-colored drinks. I couldn't help but remember my very first blue-colored drink which was "Blue Cola" I had at Crepe House in Singapore (not the current Bugis Junction outlet, but the one at...Paragon, I guess? Anyway, it was like, 17 looong years ago). Crepe House is a Japan-based, very cute, very nice crepe cafe. It's such a 'moe' food (you'd understand what I'm talking about if you're a Japanophile).

Rating: 8.5/10 (yum yum)

Madono - Haymarket, Sydney

Post-theater dinner. *watched Billy Elliot at the Capitol*

Anyway, the entrance to this restaurant looked convincing enough - the mini Japanese zen-ish garden concept is nice, but the actual inside of the restaurant looks somewhat detached from the entrance decor scheme. The inside interior is simple and minimalist, with so-so lighting and rather boring furnitures. It's okay for casual dinner, but definitely not for a night out.

Service lacks smile, but is prompt enough. Water glasses refilled without asking (for me, that's really important because I drink like a camel storing water in the desert when I eat). There's a serious lack of ambient music inside the restaurant, which really dulls up everything. However, everything was forgiven because the food was quite nice (with some exceptions). Prices are reasonable, too - I'd say it's good value for money because similar dishes in other similar restaurants can cost more.

At the time of dining, the place was half-full, with a big table consisting of very noisy Hong Kong kids. Their sheer volume (especially when they laughed) literally blew the roof - and remember, there was no music inside the restaurant, so all we could hear was their raucous jibberjabber. At some point, I even heard them laughing while banging their chopsticks to their glasses. Seriously.

Salmon maki

-> Surprisingly nice. Everything you'd expect from a nice salmon roll. I love how they roll the avocado outside the rice - it's hard to get this right.

Rating: 7.5/10

Sukiyaki set

-> Nice. the tofu is very fresh and just the right firmness and texture, good fat ratio on the meat, and the sashimi is fresh as well. A good, solid dish

Rating: 7.5/10

Katsudon

-> This one, however, is a joke. The crumb is too fine, it's not warm enough, the eggs overcooked, and the whole dish is not moist enough. Avoid it like you'd avoid being seen carrying Anya Hindmarch's "I'm not a plastic bag" tote.

Rating: 4.5/10

Anyway, this place is kind of nice if you want to have different types of Japanese food at a reasonable price. Based on the few dishes I've tried, it seems that their sushi is quite OK. Too bad the place is kind of depressing and too sterile.

Kimama Kitchen - Eating World Haymarket, Sydney

Chicken katsu curry

-> Just delightful. Generous portion, crispy katsu, sweet curry with a hint of apple and honey - just perfect! In addition to the katsu, they've also added tender beef cubes in the curry sauce, which is such a nice surprise! It's really similar to curry rices in Japan. In fact, this is how good curry rice should be made - no matter what the main meat is (katsu, karaage, hamburg), the gravy should always be cooked with beef - it does wonder to the aroma, plus, provides a good overall texture. And oh, the katsu is served with tonkatsu sauce, which makes this dish even better. In fact, I can't find much flaw in this dish, but just one disappointment - they don't serve fukujin-zuke on the side (which I think is inseparable with curry dishes)

Rating: 9/10

King Curry

-> For huuuge appetite. It's seriously big. I definitely can't finish this by myself. In fact, share this dish with someone else even if you're quite hungry. So, this dish is basically a glorified katsu curry, with curry fried rice (a.k.a. 'dry curry rice') covered with a thin omelet a la omurice, and finally topped with a huge chicken katsu and splashed with curry sauce on top. It's delicious, but the portion is just too much and it would be better if they put more curry sauce on top because after awhile, this dish can get pretty dry and tiresome.

Rating: 7/10

Note:
This place has just opened a few weeks ago, and it already becomes one of my favorite lunch spots in Chinatown. I just love this place (it's at Eating World in Sussex St.), the staff are very nice and sincere. Let me put it this way - it's good and 'homey' enough for me to say 'gochisousan' (thanks for the meal) to the staff & cooks before leaving the place after the meal. It was a nice, wholesome and uplifting dining experience. Recommended!

Duomo - World Square, Sydney

This place blows. Well, 'blows' may be too strong of a word, but let's just say that it's not worth coming back to this place. Firstly, it's their misleading sign "No. 1 Sapporo Ramen in Japan". What the?? Is this true? I honestly have no idea. I have never heard of the name, and after vigorously researching for quite awhile, I simply can't find a restaurant or chain called doumo ramen in Japan.

Secondly, it's run by Koreans. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Koreans whatsoever, but based on my experiences, Japanese food handled by Korean chefs outside Korea is just...well, let's just say DIFFERENT. Not in a good way, I'm afraid. It doesn't taste like authentic Japanese food - not because these Korean chefs are not competent - nonono I don't meant that, but because Korean-run Japanese restaurants tend to modify the taste of their Japanese food to better suit Korean palate. That's why the misoshiru is rather different, the choice of ingredients, condiments, and sauces are rather atypical, and some menu items are either too sweet or too sour - it's quite messy, to be honest.

The problem is, since this is Australia, most Caucasians would be oblivious of these subtle differences only Asians can spot (discounting Caucasians who are experts in Japanese food or have broad knowledge in Japanese cuisine, of course).

I can't believe I was fooled with the "No. 1 Sapporo Ramen in Japan" sign!

Teriyaki chicken set

-> A little weird...and a little bit off...

Rating: 6/10

Tonkatsu set

-> This is exactly what I mean. You don't serve tonkatsu with sashimi! And I'm not just talking about Korean-run Japanese restaurants here - SOME Japanese-run Japanese restaurants does this as well, I think. It's just weird - and un-necessary. I mean, why would I want to have sashimi when I order a Tonkatsu? I believe that this sort of thing is very, very unlikely to happen in Japan.

I guess I can see WHY they put sashimi in a tonkatsu dinner box - it is mainly to allow Caucasian diners who are unfamiliar with Japanese cuisine to taste a broad range of Japanese food. However, I think these people should be educated - you DON'T HAVE SASHIMI WITH TONKATSU in the same box!! You can have teriyaki with sashimi, grilled sanma with sashimi, tempura with sashimi, whatever - but Tonkatsu is different. It's a different GENRE of Japanese food. Like oden and chazuke etc - tonkatsu belongs to a distinct cuisine group and the only accompaniment to a tonkatsu meal should be shaved cabbage or salad, tsukemono (pickles) and misoshiru. That's it! Nothing else!

I mean, unless it's a kaiseki (multi-course dinner), there is no reason why you want to serve tonkatsu with sashimi. If you're looking for something cool and fresh to complement the tonkatsu, a salad would suffice.

Maybe I complain too much, but I'd rather having $2 off and NOT have the 'bonus' sashimi.

Rating: 5.5/10
*grumbles and pouts*

Tonkichi - Isetan Scotts

Sesame Seeds
comes with the tonkatsu... yes they make you work for your food...

Rosu Katsu Set
somehow i was craving pork... i dont think i've ever ordered the tonkatsu other than the first time i was here... i still dont like it much...

Crab Croquette Set
a special order... someone just got her teeth fix and cant bite... hahahha...

Party Cafe & Restaurant - Sydney

A tiny-ish, unnoticeable Korean restaurant just off George st (along the road where Cafe C'ya is) that specializes in donkasu (that's Korean for tonkatsu). (that's Japanese for pork cutlets). (that's English for schnitzel). (That's German for...ah what the hell).

I think it's a new restaurant, and apart from their uninspired name, the decor of the place is rather uninspired as well. See, they're going for the 'party' theme - balloon murals, whimsical colors, but alas, the lighting is very, very dull, tables too far apart and sombre music creates the image of a party that nobody would care to stay.

Cheese donkasu
served with red rice and salad

Rating: 6.5/10

-> Again with the 'slapping cheese in everything food philosophy'. This time, it's the Korean who made the abomination. Well, actually, it isn't that much of an abomination to slap some cheese on a schnitzel - after all, the French does it (Chicken Cordon Bleu, etc). Also, it isn't fair for me to call every non-French food invention an abomination.

Oh, by the way, this cheese donkasu is quite delicious. The sauce is rather predictable Korean western-style sauce / gravy (basically made of tomatoes, capsicum, sweet with a hint of sourness), but the Mozzarella is melted to perfection. The cheese doesn't overpower the donkasu, but on the down side, the donkasu is rather bland. I love the red rice (perhaps Westerners aren't familiar with this variety of rice - the rice in its raw form is already reddish in color, and when cooked it becomes white with a hint of redness on the edge of the rice grains). Although known as 'poor people's rice' in my native Indonesia - red rice is actually very beneficial health-wise, and very fulfilling.

BTW, the portion is hu-uge. two large slabs of pork cutlets. Suitable for the hungry.

Menya - Haymarket, Sydney

One of the few ramen shops in Sydney that feels extra Japanesey - in the sense that just like many ramen shops in Japan, you order and pay before you're seated. Queues can be horrendous around 7 - 8pm at any day.

Miso katsu bento (chicken)
-> Considering the price, I'd say that this is quite good - but this dish really re-affirms my belief that money really doesn't lie. Can't really compare this to the real deal miso katsu in tonkatsu restaurants, but good enough for a quick meal.

I'd say that this is somewhat like standard ekiben (bento boxes sold in train stations in Japan) miso katsu quality. Not that good, but can't really complain.

Rating: 6/10

Menya ramen
-> Tonkotsu based and chashu with a twist. Instead of rich, pork-y aroma, this one is really leaning towards egg-y. Overall taste is so-so, and sometimes, it even tastes like very thick noodle water (i.e. water that is used to boil egg noodles over and over again 'till it's yellow and very cloudy in color). So....I guess...yuck?? LOL not really.

Rating: 5.5/10

Menya Gyoza
-> It's fine, except for the fact that they put SRIRACHA sauce on the top of the negi...AAARGH I hate sriracha!!! The idea may be novel for Japanese tongues, but for a Southeast-Asian, this really cheapen the food into an abysmal level. I mean, if I want Sriracha, I'd go to some street boiled clam stalls in Bangkok!

BTW, normal people would just discard the Sriracha sauce if they don't like it, but in this case, it sits on the top of my negi...you know how I LOOOVE my negi...

Rating (WITHOUT the stupid Sriracha): 7/10
Rating (WITH the stupid Sriracha): 4/10

Kabuki Shoroku - Sydney

Late lunch with Aditta. Haven't been here for awhile and glad to find out that they're still doing fine. Actually, this restaurant is known just as "Shoroku" among the Japanese community, and I have no idea why did they add the "Kabuki" in the English transliteration. Heck, even the logo just read "Shoroku" and there's no Kabuki anything in there. After checking their website, I found out that they intend to attract customers (most likely local Sydneysiders) by claiming that they serve meals in a Kabuki-style environment. Well, pardon me for saying this, monseiur - but apart from the wooden floor, there's nothing remotely Kabuki-anything in the restaurant! This place is considered upscale Japanese restaurant in Sydney, however, it is really sad to note that most upscale Japanese restaurants in Sydney is absolutely crappy compared to upscale Japanese restaurants in Jakarta or Singapore in terms of decor, ambience, and food presentation.

Sashimi moriawase
Sake (salmon), Maguro (tuna), and what seems to be Suzuki (Sea Bass). The basic three-color sashimi served outside Japan.

-> Shoroku is famous for their exquisite sashimi. It's fresh, delicious, and served on a bed of crushed ice for lasting freshness. Very nice.

Rating: 9/10

Salad
...in cracked black pepper and mayonnaise dressing

-> So-so. They should have served something crunchier like shaved cabbage because the dressing is rather runny.

Rating: 5.5/10

Tonkatsu
(deep-fried pork cutlets)

-> Good Tonkatsu should be infused with a little flavor on the inside, which is not the case for this one. Quite understandable, really - most people aren't aware that Tonkatsu, although looks simple, in reality requires great skill to prepare, and only chefs with wide experiences in making Tonkatsu should attempt to cook it. In Japan, Tonkatsu is a specialty food and REAL Tonkatsu is only served in Tonkatsu-ya, which are restaurants specializing in Tonkatsu dishes only. This is something that I very much believe - being a Tonkatsu enthusiast since I was in middle school. Even Kitchen OEC, a small, affordable Tonkatsu stall in Sussex Centre foodcourt (in Sydney), serves much better Tonkatsu because they specialize in it.

Rating: 7/10

Grilled Oysters ~Kabuki Style~
...grilled Tasmanian oysters dressed with Mornay sauce

Rating: 9/10

Kushiage platter
...Buta-negima (pork skewered with leek), Uzura-no-tamago (quail eggs), Green Asparagus, Ebi (prawn)

-> Very nicely done. I like the shape of the Uzura-no-tamago, and I think that shape is somewhat hard to achieve when frying. Anyway, everything is perfectly fried, and my absolute favorite one would be the asparagus. The asparagus is amazzzing...it's really sweet (makes me think whether or not they soak the asparagus in syrup), crunchy yet tender, and goes well with the blue cheese sauce. Yum yum.

Rating: 9/10

Barbecued Unagi

-> Portion's a little bit disappointing but the look is perfect. Nice utsuwa (dish).

Rating: 8/10

Chicken Teriyaki

-> Now this is what I call the perfect teriyaki. Perfect taste, perfect texture, perfect sauce-to-meat ratio. Generous portion, too. So far, I have only tasted 2 perfect teriyaki in Sydney - the one at Ju Ju and this one. Two thumbs up. Subarashii!

Rating: 10/10 (yaay!!)

On Ramen - Haymarket, Sydney

A very nice new tiny ramen shop in Haymarket.
To be more exact, it's near capitol square - at the same block as Cyril's fine food. It's the place that used to be that Taiwanese crepe restaurant.

I love this place. And if my tastebuds are competent enough to judge, I think sooner or later the wapanese (wannabe Japanese) crowds that flock Ichiban Boshi Ramen at Galleries Victoria (making it impossible to get a table for lunch without queuing for hours) will soon move to this place, if they care to try some other ramen restaurants for a change.

It's ethnic Japanese owned-and-operated, but their place is seriously small, though. For cities like Tokyo, it's completely understandable, but for Sydney, I think the small space might be rather off-putting for some Sydneysiders. There's also a reason to rejoice in this place, because they are also one of the very few Japanese restaurants in Sydney that serve free water in full-sized tall glasses, not those painfully annoying diminutive trying-to-be-cute-or-plain-stingy SHOT GLASSES that made you embarrassed because you have to keep on asking for refills. Bah!

Tonkotsu Ramen

-> Good balance, good texture, tasty, and the toppings are generous, just the way I like it. They're really generous with the negi and menma, my favorite topping. The tea-egg is also delightful, with the fragrance of shoyu delectably infused. Mmm...

Chicken Katsu

-> Mouthwatering. It's really delicious and unique. They serve this thin and crispy katsu with two sauces, one is a unique mixture of what seemed to be light tonkatsu and lemon sauce, and the other is mayonnaise. Quite deliciously different from normal katsu.

Green Salad

-> Again, served with two sauces. A ponzu-like tangy dressing on the base, and mayonnaise on the top. Very nice.

Narita Express Tokyo -> Narita

Almost missed the train. And since it's an all-reserved seat train, that can mean trouble. Anyway, greeted by the cheerful oneesan selling all kinds of yummies and provisions to sustain the 1.5 hour ride to Narita.

Katsu-sando

-> To my surprise, it's actually still warm and crispy! I wonder how they do that. I mean, they probably have dedicated catering service just like in the airplane. This katsu-sando must be really really freshly made, since those crispy crumbs on the katsu would go mushy in just minutes - especially when sandwiched between breads and covered. It's delicious, by the way. Better than Romankan Yokohama!

I'm going to miss Tokyo so much.

Katsu-gen - Marunouchi Building, Tokyo

A big lunch after soaking up all the history in kokyo gyoen.

This was a nice restaurant in Marubiru (Marunouchi Building), which is a very stylish upmarket office/shopping center in Chiyoda-ku. They only serve traditional Japanese katsu (pork/chicken/beef cutlets). A high-class one, in fact.

Glancing at the menu (which is written entirely in classical Japanese, which made me scratch my head a few times, not to mention asking the waitress the meaning of some words several times), I had no idea there are tons of varieties of katsu. Using what unexceptional Japanese ability I had to full strength, I tried to decipher the array of tonkatsu varieties offered in this restaurant. And soon, I realized that the variety of tonkatsu they serve is based on the origin of the tonkatsu. Since this is Tokyo, their speciality is kanto-style tonkatsu. I was actually thinking of ordering a kanto-style tonkatsu, but what the hell. I decided to be more adventurous and try a Chuubu-style tonkatsu instead.

Besides, given the prominence of Kanto region in Japan and its popularity and commonplace-ness in the world, a Kanto-style tonkatsu might be what the rest of the world consider a 'regular-type' tonkatsu after all. I've probably eaten those common tonkatsu like, billions of times anyways.

Note to Cla: If I may be so bold to announce, I think I've found a tonkatsu much better than Tonkichi's. What the hey, it's not better than Tonkichi. It's much much much mucho mucho 1000x better than Tonkichi's!

According to Japanese ideology and culture, a big part of having a nice meal in a nice place is appreciating the utsuwa (tableware/crockery). In fact, it's not un-common to see some Japanese tilt their dishes to take a peek at the brand / mark at the bottom.
"Yo no bi" (Beauty of/through use), that's what they say.

After serving the sencha (tea), they brought the beautiful vessel containing tonkatsu sauce and a small pot of karashi (horseradish). From what I understand, half of the reputation of a tonkatsu-ya (tonkatsu restaurant) depends upon their accomplishments in making delicious sauces. That's why tonkatsu sauce is an integral part of the meal and its presentation must be taken to utmost care.

These small jugs contain dressing for the shaved cabbage, an ideal accompaniment to a tonkatsu meal. They served goma mayonnaise (sesame mayonnaise) and yuzu (citrus) dressing.

The shaved cabbage is served before the tonkatsu. A small plate is provided so that guests can place a small portion cabbage and dress it. That way, you can try all the different dressings.

Echigo rosu katsu zen

-> First of all, let me explain the name. Echigo is the old-timey name for Niigata prefecture in the Chuubu region of Japan. Rosu means loin. Most Japanese tonkatsu is made from two types of cuts, either rosu (loin) or hire (tenderloin). Hire has better texture and tenderness, but for aroma and taste, nothing beats rosu. Zen just means "small tray" or "meal set". You see why was I confused by the language? I mean, regular restaurants could just call it "Niigata rosu katsu teishoku", which means exactly the same as "Echigo rosu katsu zen", but in everyday language - and I would understand it perfectly.

The tsukemono (pickles) and two small pots containing a salt-pepper-sesame powder, and a mystery powder I could not identify.

The rosu katsu. It was such perfection, and I'm not being over-the-top here. It's simply the most delicious tonkatsu I've ever tasted, and honest to God, I almost cried tears of joy when I sunk my teeth into this beautiful cut of meat. What can I say? The texture is perfect. Notice how the meat glisten. A perfect fat-to-meat ratio (as expected from Japanese pork), and it's perfectly fried you can't even tell it's fried. It's crispy, moist and tender. Truly a memorable dish!

At almost 3000 yen, it isn't cheap, but well worth it!

Asari no aka misoshiru
(Clams red miso soup)

-> This red miso soup has clams to enhance its flavour. The clam meat is too small to eat, and it's not supposed to be eaten. A unique twist to your regular miso soup (well, maybe not so in Japan, but it's the first time I've seen anything like this).

Shirasu boshi
(semi-dried anchovies)

-> This is unlike anything I've tasted before. These small fishes are really big in flavor, as soon as you chew them, you can notice several flavor on its undertone. I'd say, mostly like tea, citrus, and clove. It's strangely delicious. Maybe it's a Niigata speciality.