Memoirs of a Foodie

Yebisu Bar & Grill is located in the heart of Chinatown and most certainly turns heads with its abundance of enticing colourful signage. It is the ideal place for a quick bite or not so quick if there is alcohol involved and perfect for any group size. With its extensive menu there is sure to be something for everyone, from sushi to yakitori and even ramen.

Yebisu Bar & Grill Entrance

I was rather impressed with the presence of the elevator as it takes you up one floor and on second thought I suppose it is handy for situations where you have had a bit too much to drink and would be too uncoordinated to take the flight of stairs.

Ghibli characters

You will be greeted with Totoro's iconic mischievous grin as you walk in to be seated.

Wall art

The restaurant area is extremely spacious with plenty of seating for big or small groups. It is much roomier than its sister restaurant in Regent Place and is completely decked out with awesome murals of Japanese pop culture and even Bruce Lee.

Gundam

You can clearly see the immense amount of time, money and effort invested into the interior of its new restaurant to really elevate the dining experience into something fun and energetic.

Counter seats

There are also counter seats available if you want to watch the chefs in action preparing the sushi and grilling skewered meats or seats at the bar if you need the alcohol in your bloodstream stat.

iPad ordering

Not surprisingly ordering food and drink is all done conveniently on an iPad. The food is categorised well and the photos are an honest representation of what is brought to the table. Watch the bill though as it is very easy to overspend. For those who are Washoku Lovers members you can order their tempura ice cream for a low price of $2.

Specials board

A waitress will come around to show you their current specials or recommendations but we chose to order everything from their regular menu on the iPad.

Beef tataki carpaccio $17.50

I am saddened to say that the first dish we ordered was a letdown especially when you factor in the hefty price. I really tried to enjoy this dish however the beef was sliced unevenly with more pieces leaning on the thicker side. I can tell you that there was a lot of chewing involved and we had also expected the beef being mostly raw to be thoroughly marinated however that was not the case. The two pieces that were sliced thin enough gave a glimpse of the dish's potential just a bit more dressing would have been much appreciated.

Takoyaki (3 for $5.80)

There's nothing to not love about takoyaki (grilled octopus balls for the uninitiated) with lashings of Japanese mayonnaise, takoyaki sauce and a heavy dusting of katsuoboshi (bonito flakes). They make the perfect izakaya (Japanese bar) snack. The ones by Yebisu Bar and Grill were hot enough and the filling was gooey and creamy with a bit of chewiness from the cut up octopus. My only complaint is that an even number of takoyaki balls should be served, perhaps four instead of three balls which would make sharing easier unless of course you have a group of three people.

Unagi egg omelette $14.80

We followed Yuri's recommendation and ordered the eel egg omelette which I am so glad we did as I would have to say that it was the highlight of the meal. The rolled omelette was super fluffy and moist and seasoned quite generously with salt. The addition of the grilled eel was rather unique and paired well with the omelette as it added a welcome dimension of flavour and texture.

Unagi egg omelette

Even from the photo you can see how bouncy and fluffy the omelette is.

Beef rib skewer ($6.80) and chicken giblet skewer ($3.30)

Yakitori is pretty much mandatory at an izakaya and thankfully at Yebisu Bar & Grill there are a number to choose from. If you're an adventurous eater there are skewered chicken offal but I did not particularly enjoy it due to its crunchy texture. When you order the yakitori on the iPad you can also choose one of three ways to season the skewer: salt, teriyaki sauce and curry salt. Also do note that the price is per skewer.

The beef rib was my favourite out of the skewers we ordered. It was juicy and marinated in a delectable sweet and savoury sauce with a nice smokey char on the surface.

We ordered chicken giblet without first finding out what it actually was so that was a mistake on our part. It was strangely crunchy and tough to chew. The miso sauce for dipping helped me finish the entire skewer and actually it was good to try the giblet as now I know not to order it in the future haha.

Cheese chicken meatball ($5.80)

They do a decent chicken meatball here and the melted cheese is definitely the cherry on top. It is best to eat it straight away when it is still hot off the grill which we couldn't do as I was busy taking photos. The minced chicken was juicy and seasoned well but I highly recommend adding curry salt for a really good flavour hit otherwise it might be a bit on the plainer side.

Aburi salmon (left - $5.80 for two) and aburi salmon and mentai (right - $5.80 for two)

I love me some aburi salmon and these did not disappoint as the salmon was seriously melt-in-your-mouth tender. I have to say that the mentaiko sauce variant was really tantalising on the taste buds.

Sake cart

I apologise for this unacceptably blurry photo of the sake trolley. The sake cart was eventually rolled around to us but I am actually not too fond of sake or alcohol in general for that matter. I was also the designated driver so I had to give it a pass. The helpful staff will let you taste the different sake for free which is great and you can buy it if you like it to which they will ring the bell and cheer.

I really appreciate that Yebisu has transported a tiny bit of Japan to Sydney by offering an authentic izakaya experience that anyone can enjoy. The food I found was hit or miss but mostly good and I would just advise to be meticuluous about what you order. It is a tad on the pricier side however you are also paying for the experience which I do not think you can find anywhere else in Sydney except of course at Izakaya Yebisu in Regent Place.

Address

Level 1/55 Dixon Street

Haymarket NSW 2000

Opening Hours

Sunday - Wednesday

12:00pm -11:00pm

Thursday - Saturday

12:00pm - 12:00am

Friend and I dined as guests of Yebisu Bar and Grill and Yuri from SDMG Marketing

Toshiya, owned by Japanese chef Toshiya Kai is his successful self-titled restaurant in Cremorne which was established in July 2010. Specialising in fusion Japanese the restaurant has an extensive menu that ambitiously caters for everyone as the diner is seriously spoiled for choice. There is even two banquet options if you’re overwhelmed with the menu. The restaurant was brimming with people when we dined there on a chilly Thursday night in late August and the restaurant appeared very inviting with its warm cosy ambience and timber fixtures and fittings.

Outside of the restaurant

We were seated at a table for two and were informed that the chef would be doing essentially an omakase (allowing the chef to choose the dishes for us). This was rather exciting and it was a great opportunity to try different things.

Sake display

The vibrant sake display at the front of the counter will immediately grab your attention as you walk in.

Yuzu umeshu plum wine cocktail $8.50

If you enjoy citrus beverages then this yuzu cocktail is a great choice. It had quite a refreshing sweet, sour and bitter flavour.

Edamame

A bowl of edamame came out as part of the entree plate and was an excellent snack to start off the meal.

Special assorted entree $39

Then came an exquisite selection of entrees and this plate was pretty big as it almost occupied the entire table. Everything was delicious and whet our appetite. I don't even know where to begin but let us start with the sashimi tacos as they were the standout for me.

Sashimi taco

Deep-fried crispy gyoza wrappers posed as taco shells which held a filling consisting of diced kingfish and salmon sashimi. The marinated sashimi tasted very fresh and I welcomed the added flavours from the chilli mayonnaise which tantalised the taste buds. This Mexican and Japanese fusion was ingenious and so addicting to eat, beware that some of the filling may start dribbling onto your hands.

Tempura soft shell crab

Deep-fried foods will never disappoint me and that was exactly the case for these delicious morsels. The tempura batter could have been a tad lighter as it did seem a bit thick in texture, nonetheless it was deep-fried to achieve an appreciable crunchiness while retaining the juiciness of the soft shell crab housed inside. Topped with spicy leek, shallots, flying fish roe, chilli mayo and shiso soy it made for a flavourful and crunchy mouthful.

Grilled scallops

To be completely honest I'm neutral towards scallops, I neither like or dislike them. However, these grilled scallops were swimming in a mouthwatering pool of garlic butter sauce and topped with aromatic fried scallion which made them more appealing. They were quite tender and were complemented perfectly by the sauce which we slurped from the shell afterwards.

Duck dumplings

The dumplings were pan-fried so the bottoms were crispy and golden in colour and came with side of dipping sauce which I presume was a mixture of soy sauce and vinegar. The warm duck meat filling was lightly seasoned and could have been juicier however duck is quite lean so it would be difficult to accomplish. I also found that there was excess oil clinging on to the gyoza wrappers. This was my least favourite of the entrees but in no way was it bad as it was simply overshadowed by everything else on the plate.

Salmon carpaccio

The glistening plate of salmon carpaccio looked very enticing, consisting of sliced salmon sitting in a generous amount of yuzu dressing and of course it did not disappoint in taste. The sashimi was extremely fresh and was well matched with the yuzu which added a good amount of zing to the fish.

Hamachi carpaccio $15.50

I was impressed by the salmon carpaccio from the entree plate and this kingfish variant I was equally impressed by. The kingfish was very delicately sliced to an almost paper thin thickness while the spicy and sour pesto dressing matched the fish superbly. I can definitely enjoy raw fish in this carpaccio style as the raw factor is subdued by all the flavours of the condiments.

I have to again commend Toshiya-san's presentation which was very colourful and eye catching and we can clearly see the Western influences in the plating.

Miso wagyu beef on a Japanese Houba Leaf $19.50

The next dish peaked our interest as a charcoal brazier was brought out by the waiter with a large houba leaf and on top were thinly sliced pieces of beef and mushroom garnished with chopped spring onion. I would have to declare it as my favourite dish of the night. I believe the the beef was marinated in some miso, soy sauce and sugar as I detected some sweetness to the beef. The wagyu beef was extremely tender, juicy and super flavourful. A bowl of freshly steamed white rice would have gone so well with this dish.

Seared salmon roll $16.50

The inside-out avocado roll was beautifully presented. I love seared fish so I was happy to see this on the table. The salmon was fresh along with the avocado which was perfectly ripe. The presence of the sweet miso sauce with the mayonnaise meant there was no need to dip the sushi into soy sauce (which there was none) and we found ourselves cleaning up the mayo and miso sauce with the sushi as it was so good. I'm assuming Toshiya-san's use of spicy leek is a hallmark for his dishes and I don't think I have ever encountered it before. It really stood out to me as it gave a very unique spicy kick to the dish but at times I felt it overpowered the food slightly.

Lobster volcano roll $29

The photos don't do this humongous roll justice as you can't fathom just how huge this dish was, we were actually in awe when this arrived and DT couldn't help but whip out his phone to snap some photos of it. By this point our stomachs were quite satisfied but we managed to demolish this monster. There was an adequate amount of lobster meat spread throughout the roll.

Top view of lobster volcano roll

The battered and deep fried lobster meat was quite succulent and the unagi sauce and spicy mayo really upped the dish as it was an explosion of flavours on the palate.

40 degree slow cooked salmon with six sauces $18.50

This last dish was completely unexpected and the epitome of fusion cuisine. Being slow-cooked the salmon was so tender that it literally melted in the mouth with the salmon roe adding bursts of refreshing saltiness. The plating of the sauces were very decorative and accented the salmon well.

Assorted dessert plate $14.50

We were presented with three desserts consisting of chocolate spring rolls, sweet red bean ice cream and green tea creme brûlée, a perfect way to end the food-filled night. The green tea creme brûlée gave a satisfying crack when softly tapped with the spoon to reveal a warm and creamy green tea custard. It wasn't overly sweet and had an ample amount of green tea flavour. DT and I also enjoyed the red bean ice cream which was quite creamy and had a muted sweetness about it which came naturally from the red beans. The chocolate spring rolls could have been executed better as the rolled pastry was a bit dense for my taste but it was crunchy nonetheless. I was expecting a light and flaky spring roll however it was still quite enjoyable as the chocolate filling was melted and still warm which contrasted well with the crunchiness of the pastry.

Now this dessert plate would normally set you back $14.50 however if you're a Washoku Lovers member it is discounted to $8.50 which is a significant saving! If you are not a member yet then you can easily sign up here and it is free.

Toshiya-san has over 20 years of culinary experience and he takes washoku and modernises it by incorporating elements of different culinary traditions to create unique dishes and most importantly he does it well. I’m sure this has been the key to his success as his menu is innovative while staying true to his Japanese roots.

Address

Shop 1, 283 Military Road

Cremorne NSW 2090

Opening Hours

Friday & Saturday

Lunch: 12:00pm - 2:30pm

Tuesday - Sunday

Dinner: 6:00pm - 10:00pm

DT and I dined as guests of Toshiya and Yuri from SDMG Marketing

Suminoya is an authentic Japanese restaurant specialising in yakiniku aka "grilled meat" since 2000. It is literally tucked away in Hosking Place because we walked past the little alleyway at first before realising we had missed it.

During the day they have a lunch menu consisting of a range of a la carte dishes, BBQ sets (select up to two to four choices of meats and it comes with rice, miso soup and salad) and bento boxes. However their buffet dinner menu is where you can get the best bang for your buck. Choose from three types of buffet: gourmet ($50pp and only available Mon, Tues and Wed), premium ($60pp) and premium with unlimited beef tongue ($65). There is also a regular a la carte menu too if your stomach is not prepared for all-you-can-eat with a selection of sashimi, premium cuts of beef, salads and sides, seafood and more.

Upon being seated at our table what caught my attention was the extractor fans installed on each table. It can be pulled down closer to the grill to create an effective vacuum so the restaurant wasn't stuffy at all from smoke which made for an even more pleasant dining experience.

iPad ordering

I'm sure we've all been to a buffet restaurant where getting the attention of the wait staff can prove to be difficult and tedious. At Suminoya this inconvenience is eliminated as ordering is entirely done on an iPad which you will receive once you are ready to begin the buffet. The buffet duration is 90 minutes and the last order is taken at the 60 minute mark. Don't fret about how much time you have remaining either as the iPad has a timer counting down those precious minutes for you.

All-you-can-drink soft drink

Feeling thirsty? Then for $6 extra on top of the gourmet or premium buffet you can drink as much you want for one hour. To be honest I would rather reserve my stomach for all the grilled meats.

Calpico water

DT and I got half a jug of Calpico water which was actually really nice and refreshing. I secretly wished we had ordered a full jug instead.

Beef tongue

DT and I had the privilege to sample the premium buffet menu ($60pp) which allowed us to have more wagyu cuts to choose from, sashimi, duck and extra side dishes too. A must-order is the beef tongue which is limited to one order per person however pay an extra $5pp and you can have all the beef tongue you could ever want. The beef tongue, thinly sliced, was drizzled with a delicious peppery, sesame-laced sauce and being so thin it also meant that the grilling time was short so it could be enjoyed almost immediately.

Wagyu beef rib finger (left) and wagyu beef loin right)

Their premium buffet offers four wagyu meats to choose from: wagyu beef rib finger, wagyu beef harami, wagyu beef loin and wagyu beef rib. All the meats come pre-marinated in a sweet soy.

I particularly enjoyed the wagyu beef rib finger but take care to cook it properly. We didn't do so with one of the pieces and as a result the collagen in the meat was still too tough to bite through. When grilled long enough though the collagen turns into gelatin which translated into a juicier piece of meat that was so delicious with the tare (dipping sauce).

Wagyu beef loin with lettuce

The wagyu beef loin did not come out looking anything like the picture on their menu but still tasted great and was especially so when wrapped in lettuce and eaten with the accompanying house made miso dip. Do order the lettuce if you want to balance out the heaviness of the grilled meats. In addition the miso dip also made for a nice change of flavour from the tare.

Wagyu beef loin (bottom left), wagyu beef rib (top left) and wagyu beef harami (right)

We also ordered the wagyu beef harami (skirt steak) which was very juicy once cooked due to its fattiness. The wagyu beef rib was also a good choice because of how flavourful it was. However, the wagyu beef loin was probably our favourite simply because it was the most marbled of the cuts thus was the most tender and so we had to order it again.

Do take note that when you order any vegetables for grilling enter in the quantity desired otherwise you will get one piece by default and you will end up with a lonely mushroom.

Duck seasoned with soy and sesame

The duck arrived cut up in thick pieces so it required a much longer time on the grill than the beef. Our lack of experience in cooking duck also meant we were clueless to how long it needed to be grilled for. The adequate browning of the fatty skin was my visual indication for when it was done cooking but because of the thickness of the pieces it was still quite chewy.

Corn with butter

I highly recommend ordering the corn with butter as the combination was just heavenly - warm buttery pops of sweet goodness best enjoyed by the spoonful.

Crab meat cheese salad

A refreshing bowl of crab meat salad made its way to the table and was much needed due to our rather carnivorous meal. The creamy mayo dressing was very good and I appreciated that the croutons were actually crunchy and not already soggy or even stale.

"Tuna tataki" rice

This was essentially a bowl of rice topped with minced raw tuna seasoned with soy sauce. Mix the tuna thoroughly into the rice and it can be enjoyed as a snack. It also paired well with all the grilled meats.

Salmon and tuna sashimi

With the premium buffet you have a selection of five sashimi: salmon, tuna, white fish, squid and scallop. We ordered three of each of the salmon and tuna. Just like with ordering vegetables for the grill enter in the quantity otherwise you will only get one. The sashimi was decent when taking into consideration that it was a buffet with the slices being on the smaller side.

Potato salad

Do order Suminoya's potato salad. It was incredibly creamy and perhaps one of the smoothest potato salads I've had.

Curry rice

I was quite full by this stage but I couldn't leave without eating some hearty Japanese curry with white rice which I could easily enjoy on its own without any protein. I added in some grilled beef rib and corn for aesthetic.

Slushy and ice cream

Don't forget to save some stomach space for dessert because the ice cream from Suminoya is pretty darn good. There was green tea, black sesame and vanilla ice cream with the standout flavour being the black sesame but they were all good so why not try them all. I'm usually wary of ice cream from buffet restaurants because they often taste like cheap supermarket-bought ones and are quite icy but that wasn't the case at Suminoya. The slushy was worth trying too (I can imagine it being a must in summer) but we couldn't discern what flavour it was.

DT and I found the service at Suminoya extremely efficient and even our empty plates and bowls were cleared frequently. I was really surprised by how well ventilated the restaurant was considering there were multiple grills operating at the time of dining. You seriously can't go wrong with the BBQ buffet here due to the wide selection of meats and vegetables available and side dishes too. If you love sashimi then your needs are also covered with the premium buffet menu. Of course there are other restaurants with more premium quality beef (obviously more expensive) but for a fuss-free and delicious yakiniku buffet, at $60pp it's a reasonable price to pay.

Address

1 Hosking Place

Sydney NSW 2000

Opening Hours

Monday - Friday

Lunch: 12:00pm - 2:30pm (last order 2:00pm)

Dinner: 6:00pm - 10:30pm (last order 9:30pm)

Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays

5:30pm - 10:00pm (last order 9:00pm)

DT and I dined as guests of Suminoya and SDMG Marketing

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