Japanese dining across the office
It certainly was not my intention to visit Azuma this past Friday night. My plan was for a quick drink followed by a stop either at a pie-shop or a McDonald’s on the way home before calling it a week. Instead it turned into one quick drink followed by a meal at Azuma.
I’ve always wanted to eat here, but never could find the occasion to do so (it seemed to be one of the more upmarket restaurants in Sydney and I couldn’t justify going in there just to eat a quick dinner). But as I sat at the last free table (we had no bookings) with a friend from work I realized that while their prices might put them in the slightly upmarket section the inside of the restaurant was just pleasantly so-so, almost casual in fact. Elegantly casual.
It took me awhile to decide what I wanted to eat as I flipped back and forth through their menu. Nothing really jumped out at me and in the end I ordered their sushi special (10 piece sushi) along with a spicy tuna & avocado handroll and two pieces of aburi toro–seared tuna belly.
First to come was the handroll and I have to say: awesome nori! It definitely was not soggy as it cracked with each bite and pressure applied to it without being brittle and dry. As a whole, however, I had mixed feelings about the roll. They had sprinkled chili powder on it instead of using the spicy mayo. Looks like I’ll have to be specific next time I order this (the menu only listed a “Tuna & Avocado Handroll” and I had asked if they could make it into a spicy handroll). The saving grace though was the tuna used inside the roll. I wasn’t ready to pass judgments yet at this point but it was fresh, and tasty. Heavenly.
Then came the sushi plate and I realized I was eating the best sushi I’ve ever had ever in Sydney. And fortunately for me, the plate contained the four sashimi I used to judge a sushi restaurant: scampi, tuna, salmon, and scallop. The slices of these four served on top of the rice blocks were fresh and served at just the right temperature. Not warm, and not chilled. The scampi in particular was just right–sweet but not overpowering and chewy but not rubbery. And then the aburi toro finally came and just as I popped the first piece into my mouth I received a work phone call, forcing me to chew and swallow it quickly while excusing myself from the table. After finishing the call I came back to the table and enjoyed the second piece. Absolutely amazing.
It was then that I remarked to my friend that that was the best sushi I’ve ever had in this city.
Then came the dessert: a belgian chocolate mousse for myself and a caramel ice cream affogato for my friend. While not the best they were certainly the best I’ve had in recent memory.
I’m definitely coming back for more.
Azuma
Level 1, Chifley Plaza, 2 Chifley Square
(Cnr. of Phillip & Hunter Street)
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: +61 2 9222 9960
Homepage: www.azuma.com.au
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