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

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*

Sakuratei - Sydney

Kabuki Shoroku's sister restaurant (located just across)...the menu is basically same with Kabuki Shoroku (cheaper items only), but the environment is much more casual and are usually frequented with lower-caste Japanese salarymen and OLs (compared to Kabuki Shoroku, in which their bosses lunch...LOL)

Ebi Fry
-> Plump, fleshy & satisfying. The panko is a little bit too fine to my liking, but the generous size is a good compensation.

Rating: 7/10

Teriyaki Chicken
-> Feels like reheated stuff. Dissapointing. However, the fact that it's nicely glazed salvaged it just a bit. BTW, the salad is in a thousand island dressing with cracked pepper.

Rating: 6/10

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!!)

Ju Ju - Kings Cross, Sydney

Yakiniku bento

-> Pretty good. The meat is a little bit on the tough side (expected, from the 14 bucks price tag), but the side dishes are nice (agedashi tofu, jagaimo salad)

Chicken teriyaki bento with cha-soba

-> Very recommended. This is exactly what chicken teriyaki should taste like. broiled, then slightly barbecued with skin on, leaving the skin slightly crispy and the sauce infused under the skin. Top-notch.

Pork Yakisoba

-> Very nice. I can tell that the sauce is homemade. Not too strong and tart like the ready-made ones, with the prefect balance of ingredients.

Cream Croquette

-> The piece de resistance, as far as I'm concerned. The main reason why I come here. Prefect cream croquette with ragout and bits of chicken and vegetables inside, just like in Japan. For those of you familiar with regular korokke (potato-based croquettes) and the Dutch Kroket, this is like the cross between the two. Think korokke, but lighter (since it contains no potatoes), but denser than the kroket. I don't even know how to describe the delectable taste of this thing, so just try it!

Further comments:

Great izakaya. Ugly name, ugly logo, and somewhat ugly place, but great izakaya-style food. I've seen many, many Australian celebrities hanging out at this place. This place used to be frequented by Japanese people only, then the Asians started to fill up the place, and then the Indonesians started to come in hordes (in Sydney, good Japanese restaurant under $20 pp = Indonesian hangout spot). Then, Australian celebrities discovered the place, knowing that they won't get noticed as much among predominantly Asian crowd, but now that non-Asians started to fill up the space, the celebrities are gone completely. LOL

The restaurant had its peak (of business) around 2 years ago - they didn't even accept reservations on weekends (including Fridays). But now, they started to accept reservations on weekends, perhaps a sign of business slowing down. However, the place is still always packed, and the food quality doesn't decline, so I still love dropping by this place every now and then.

As with many izakaya-style Japanese restaurants in Sydney, don't expect all your orders to arrive at the same time. That's why Ju Ju recommends food sharing, which is basically the very concept of izakaya dining. Food will arrive haphazardly, but service is really good (considering how busy the place is). Unlike restaurants such as Fujiya, the waitresses at Ju Ju are very professional, prompt, friendly, and reliable. The restaurant is never understaffed (unlike stupid Fujiya), food is always excellent no matter how busy they are (unlike stupid Fujiya), portions are very generous (unlike stupid Fujiya), and prices are reasonable (again, unlike stupid Fujiya).

So yeah...Ju Ju. nice place. Unlike stupid Fujiya. Too bad it's quite far away from the city (unlike stupid Fujiya).

"goody and delicious". WTF.

Fujiya - Sydney

This place is certainly the most popular izakaya in the City area. The food is okay, but the service is really really slow due to the fact that they're severely understaffed for such a big and crowded place. They only open for dinners, and expect an hour queuing time plus another hour wait for your food to arrive if you dine on weekends.

Strictly speaking, the food is nothing special compared to other izakayas in Sydney. However, their convenient location and spacious venue made it popular among drunken Japanese students. As expected from an izakaya-style restaurant, the place is as noisy as Tsukiji fish market when packed on weekends. Prices are on the higher side considering the rather small portions, and some waiters do not even speak English well.

However, they do serve a wide variety of cocktails and chuuhai, most of them really yummy and do justice to their original counterparts in Japan.

One word of advice - order everything you can possibly expect to consume in one go - because as I said before, there's a looong waiting time for the food to arrive. Ordering extra stuff would cause frustrations as your appetite might wane by the time the extras arrive. And also, don't expect all the food for your party to arrive at the same time. Really frustrating, I know - especially when it's highly possible for you to finish your food before your friend's food even arrive.

...or just go to other places. There are better izakayas like Ju Ju in King's Cross.

Sushi & Sashimi Boat

Gyoza

Tempura set

Beef Teriyaki set

Mochi spring roll

Takoyaki Gratin
(Note: not as good as it looks.)

Agedashi Tofu

Strawberry Cocktail

Grape Chuuhai

Komachi - Le Grandeur Hotel Mangga Dua, Jakarta

Whenever I go back to Jakarta for my holidays, Mangga Dua is a must-go destination for all my electronic stuff and bootleg DVD needs. Understandably, it's not enough to visit Mangga Dua just once. It takes two or three, nay, four trips to satisfy my needs. For those unfamiliar with Mangga Dua, it's basically a place consisting of several shopping centers, and since they sell everything from fake Louis Vuitton bags to kitchen sinks at rock bottom price, it's always jam-packed with bargain hunting Jakartans, and also, visitors from outside Java, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, even Germany.

Visiting the Mangga Dua area is such an ordeal. Getting around its shopping centers is not an easy task since it's literally packed with people. And I'll say it's just nice to have a quiet, civil place to rest and have a nice meal after jostling with bargain hunters all day. This restaurant, Komachi, is such place. No wait, it's the ONLY place. It's the only 'civilized' restaurant around the area (unless you're willing to drive a little further to the new Mangga Dua Square) since the closure of the Taipan Restaurant in the same complex. Sure, they've got the usual fares like McDonald's, Hoka Hoka Bento, and a Food Court, but you won't be in the mood for junk food after arguing your butt off with persistent shop owners bargaining for a webcam or a Nintendo Wii now won't you?









Chawanmushi
-> Free of charge (now that's more like it! yay! Some things ARE actually free of charge in Jakarta!)



Teriyaki Chicken Teishoku
-> I love how they do it western-style (with fork and knive as well as chopsticks). And they serve fries to go with the Teriyaki Chicken? now that's mezurashii (unusual)!



Fuurutsu Kakigoori
(Shaved ice with fruits)
-> Looks nice, but tastes so-so. And the portion is wayy to big (I get headache halfway through eating this massive ice rock!)