I am an avid fan of Japanese cuisine and yakiniku is definitely no exception. Rengaya prides itself as an authentic yakiniku restaurant serving premium quality wagyu in North Sydney and they also offer a lovely sashimi selection as well and shabu-shabu (Japanese hotpot).

Wagyu is a breed of cattle which is famous for being highly marbled and means that a high percentage of monounsaturated fat is dispersed throughout the meat. In simpler terms, it translates to super juicy, tender and melt-in-your-mouth meat. The extent of marbling relates to its grading which ranges on a scale from 0-9 with 9 being the highest in the Ausmeat grading system.

Rengaya is conveniently located opposite North Sydney Station on Miller Street and as it was brightly lit it was hard to miss. The first thing you would notice would be the cool samurai armour displayed behind the glass windows and noren (Japanese curtain) draped above the entryway.

Private rooms

We were shown around the restaurant and there is an option of booking a private room so it would be a great way to celebrate a special occasion. There are also tables outdoors so you can grill your meats  outside and enjoy the fresh air.

Rengaya serves 9+ grade wagyu cuts and it was certainly a dining experience to remember. Having had some amazing wagyu in Kobe, Japan I was definitely not disappointed by what Rengaya had to offer and I will forever savour the sensational flavours and the melty texture of wagyu.

This cocktail was a great recommendation and it was really fun making my own cocktail. The blue and white ceramic cup contained shochu which is a Japanese distilled beverage and can be made from potato or rice.

Juicing the passionfruit and orange which were perfectly ripe

Adding in the freshly squeezed juices

The final product was very refreshing, and sweet. I prefer my cocktails on the much sweeter side so this was excellent. The only negative thing though is that my tolerance to alcohol is severely low so I was quite lightheaded afterwards and it was no task finishing it because of the lack of bitterness as it was masked by the Sprite and passionfruit and orange juices.

Very Berry Cooler $15.90

We were told that this was their most popular cocktail and when I had a sip it was no wonder why it was such a hit. Consisting of Vodka, cassis liquer, cranberry juice, fresh strawberries, raspberries and blueberries it would make for the most perfect cocktail for a scorching hot day. The special feature would be the cassis liquer which is made from fresh blackcurrant and essentially made the drink an alcoholic version of ribena. The generous heaping of assorted berries were super juicy and sweet.

Special Sashimi Selection $34.90

We were not disappointed by the quality of the sashimi, it was super fresh and soft and each slice of  fish was of the perfect thickness. I normally don't enjoy raw squid too much but this was an expection as the slivers of squid weren't overly chewy and retained some bite.