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.

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

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.