Washoku Lovers members get a complimentary small-sized sake by showing the membership card. It's never too early for sake right? 

A large bowl of hearty miso soup which I managed to finish. I love miso soup and the added salmon improved the overall flavour, and great to have that added protein for more nutrition and make the soup more filling.

On the wooden platter were generous slices of three types of fish (from left to right: tuna, salmon, kingfish) beautifully presented. The cuts were notably fresh and were pleasant to eat, I especially enjoyed the kingfish due to its stronger flavour compared to the tuna and salmon. The tuna slices were rather thick though and I would have preferred if they were thinner and more consistent in size.

With fresh ingredients and well seasoned sushi rice it's difficult to get this roll (or any roll for that matter) wrong and it's a roll found at most sushi trains that I have been to. I loved the avocado which was an excellent complement to the soft salmon sashimi and the julienned onion added textural crunch and a subtle pop of flavour.

'Negi toro' literally translates to 'tuna with green onions'. Toro refers to the fatty part of tuna and it is high in omega-3 fatty acids. Call me biased as I'm not a sashimi enthusiast but I found it quite bland and I needed to douse it in soy sauce to enjoy it. However the tuna is served raw so the point is to enjoy the soft textures against the sushi rice, nori and the sharp flavour from the green onions.

Yuri mentioned that it was a new item on the menu and so we decided to give it a try. Not knowing what to expect we received a beautifully steamed piece of salmon garnished with thinly sliced green onions and also slivers of squid could be found on top of the fish. The salmon was fleshy and moist and infused with a lovely sweet and salty flavour which I believe was a mixture of miso, sugar and soy sauce. Getting pieces of squid in the mix was unexpected as they were quite camouflaged but had a nice chewy texture and were flavourful. The julienned onions in the sauce was also particularly good with the salmon. It was definitely a larger dish than expected and therefore decent value.

Although I'm not big on the salad front, seaweed salad is a salad I don't think I can tire of mainly because of the delicious sesame seasoning. That addictive chewiness from the seaweed is a trait that makes the salad unique and a joy to eat.

I'm pleased to say that the salmon belly was fresh and wasn't chewy which was great as I've had chewy salmon belly before and it wasn't the best experience. One qualm though was that the rice for the nigiri didn't hold together very well and so a fair bit of rice got separated and remained on the plate as we picked it up with chopsticks. It was an isolated incident as we didn't seem to have that problem for the other sushi dishes. 

DT and I were in mutual agreement about the scallops being a standout at the sushi train. They were grilled to perfection and literally melted in the mouth and to achieve that effect, the scallops would only need to be seared momentarily to retain its tenderness. The smoky savoury flavours were also to die for.

The sound of duck nigiri was really intriguing but sadly it was the least favourite out of all the items we had the privilege to try. I think we were unlucky that day as I don't think the duck was intended to be overcooked. The sweet hoisin-like sauce combined with mayonnaise redeemed it slightly but overall the duck was too dry and a little tough.

I haven't been able to stop lusting after nasu dengaku since having it at Izakaya Samurai so I was elated when I saw it on Sushi Train's menu. My attitude towards eggplant have done a complete 360 since trying the fried eggplant and pork dim sum from Fortune8 in Cabramatta and then I had all the more reason to love it since discovering nasu dengaku. 

The size of the plate was a little alarming but at the same time I was happy that it was quite a large portion. The incredibly juicy grilled eggplant was conveniently cut up and and each piece had plenty of the addictive sweet miso sauce and more sauce on the plate to mop up if desired. Eggplant is wholly neutral in flavour with some bitterness lent from the skin but its meatiness and juiciness allows the sweet and savoury miso paste to be appreciated even more. 

As highlighted previously, the scallops again were really impeccable. Seared fresh scallops with seared fresh salmon and a small ball of sushi rice made a tantalising combination. I highly recommend this one as the flavours which arose from blowtorching were enhanced further with a wonderful miso garlic glaze. I could easily devour a dozen of them.

We would have loved to meet Chef Ken but unfortunately he wasn't there considering we visited on a Sunday.

Sushi Train is a popular franchise but unlike its other locations, Neutral Bay offers a more refined and intimate dining experience with modern timber decor, gorgeous lighting and jazz music playing in the background. They have a solid offering with many dishes not found at its competitors and an a la carte menu so Sushi Train have an advantage in that respect. The service was really prompt and food arrived in a timely manner. I suggest ordering everything as that way the dishes are prepared fresh. Usually you can't be sure how long the dish has been sitting on the conveyor belt and would be especially relevant to fried or hot foods.

Don't forget to become a Washoku Lovers member and show your card to get a free small glass of sake of your choice from the menu at Sushi Train Neutral Bay. Signing up is easily done through http://www.washokulovers.com/signup/ and it's absolutely free.

Sashimi counter

Patrons can feel assured that the sashimi served is fresh by having a clear display of the assorted seafood.

I'm sure most readers would be familiar with the popular sweet Japanese drink, 'Calpis'.  I was met with a carbonated version and it was actually really delicious and refreshing. The aftertaste could be described closely to a fizzy version of Yakult which may or may not take your fancy.

DT went with the mango soda which was refreshing as well albeit a little sickly sweet but as it was a soda, it was tolerable.

Shinya-san, the owner of Izakaya Samurai recommended the beef and tonkotsu shabu-shabu (hot pot). A portable gas cooker was used to keep our hot pot soup simmering away as we dipped the beef slices into it. 

A good portion of beef to share between two people we did have trouble separating the meat though. 

The beauty of beef is that you only need to cook it very briefly otherwise you would risk it becoming tough and dry. The beef slices were quite tender and juicy although I did feel that a ponzu soy sauce or sesame sauce of some sort should have been provided as the beef, despite being cooked in the tonkotsu broth still lacked flavour. 

The toppings consisted of a boiled egg, corn, bamboo shoots, pickled radish and finely chopped spring onion.

Shinya-san informed us that once we finished with the beef to proceed to place the ramen toppings and the noodles into the pot.

The tasty broth, now infused with beef flavour was ready for the ramen noodles which were cooked beforehand so we only had to heat them up momentarily and it was ready to eat within minutes.

The soup turned out delicious, although a little too salty, the bamboo shoots would be the likely culprit for that. We ended up cooking the ramen for too long so it turned out a tad too soft for my liking however DT preferred them that way. Overall, the beef and ramen shabu-shabu set was the perfect remedy for a relatively cold evening and I enjoyed the somewhat DIY ramen experience. I do think that the price was somewhat steep ($35.80) for what was included in the set and it would be better value to go with the seafood hotpot instead which was around $25.

Expertly cut slices of sashimi were presented in a beautiful Japanese serving bowl. One could easily tell that they were fresh due to their bright colour and glistening surface. When popped into the mouth they were soft and buttery in texture. My only gripe was the absence of wasabi to complement the sashimi.

It may not sound like the most appealing or exciting item on their huge menu but who knew that a large piece of grilled eggplant slathered with sweet miso paste could taste so amazing. I'll admit that I  struggled to cut up the eggplant with the plastic spoon provided especially where the eggplant skin was involved. In terms of taste and texture, the eggplant flesh was extremely soft and creamy and the sweet miso paste was the best combination of savoury and sweet, definitely more on the sweet side though however it was the perfect match with the grilled eggplant. 

We were perusing the menu near the end of our dinner and happened upon this, the sound of grilled seafood in a taco was definitely intriguing. I recalled Yuri mentioning that it was good so we decided to try it and I was glad we did. The presentation was lovely, with cute little taco shells holding a mix of seared salmon and scallop pieces. The taco itself was wonderfully crisp against the melt-in-your mouth seared seafood and I would love to know what sauce was used because the flavours were absolutely addictive. 

Daifuku is a Japanese dessert comprising of a rounded ball of ice cream securely wrapped in a thin mochi (rice cake) skin. The mochi skin was incredibly stretchy which did cause some difficulty for  cutting up with our fork and we'll admit it became a little messy. Despite that, I really loved the texture of the mochi, as it had just the right amount of chewiness and I enjoyed the contrast in texture with the cold and creamy vanilla ice cream. 

I haven't had many opportunities to try green tea tiramisu except for one occasion at Chef's Palette located in Strathfield which got its little share of Insta fame. I can confidently say that the one I had at Izakaya Samurai was significantly better. The green tea sponge was amazingly moist and the green tea flavour itself was much more pronounced which should be commended on as many green tea desserts I have tried fail to deliver that matcha hit. The mascarpone cream was not heavily sweetened and light and airy in texture. The scoop of vanilla ice cream wasn't necessary though and I would have happily polished off the cake without it especially since the ice cream was somewhat icy.

Kids play area

Shinya-san, the owner of Izakaya Samurai is also dedicated to creating a kid-friendly restaurant so families can rest assured when dining there that their young children can be kept in a secure area and be entertained by the toys available. It's indeed a very thoughtful gesture and one that I'm sure many families can appreciate.

Izakaya Samurai is a lovely place to relax with family or friends over good quality Japanese food and drinks. Not to mention, the service was excellent as Shinya-san and the staff were very friendly and accommodating.

Washoku Lovers members benefits

Washoku Lovers is a fantastic program in general for discovering authentic Japanese restaurants and it doesn't matter whether you are looking for cheap, moderate or more premium dining as there are many partnered restaurants to choose from.

To become a member head on over to the website: Washoku Lovers

Thank you to Yuri from SDMG Marketing and Shinya-san, owner of Izakaya Samurai for inviting us to dine as guests

Be prepared to be amazed by the extent of marbling present throughout the beef and it tasted heavenly after taking if off the hot grill. The sizzling and crackling of the perfectly cut pieces of wagyu was music to my ears and it really didn't take long to grill at all to achieve that beautiful rendering of fat and light smokey flavour on the exterior. Honestly, you can enjoy the flavours of the wagyu without the yakiniku sauce as the protein is seasoned beforehand however the dipping sauce emphasised the juiciness of the meat and you really can't have Japanese BBQ without the signature yakiniku dipping sauce.

Premium Beef Rib x 2 pieces & Premium Beef Loin x 2 pieces $35 ($20 with Washoku Lovers Card)

Seaweed Soup $7.90