I have always been such a fan of intimate Japanese eateries - and Tokyo Bistro is a neighbourhood gem hidden in the residential hub of Pyrmont with a generous, friendly chef and a killer degustation menu.
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| Sakura Salmon |
Fresh Tasmanian salmon is cured with cherry blossom salt and drizzled with cream wasabi. The salmon is fatty, oily and fresh, the little bubbles of salmon roe adding that hit of salt - the sakura flavour is extremely subtle, as is the wasabi cream - simply a hint, very elegant.
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| Shiraae |
Shiraae is spinach with a tofu, manuka honey and Yamazaki whisky sauce. The tofu makes the sauce extremely creamy without the addition of any milk or cream, and what would otherwise be considered a homely dish is elevated by the intricate flavours of the honey and whisky. You're eating the spinach until quite unexpected you get a hit of fragrant sweetness - most pleasant.
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| Wagyu tartare corn |
Yep, that's beef tartare - not for the faint of heart, though many cultures eat raw beef this way. (Side note: one of my fondest memories of eating raw beef is my adventure into East African cuisine at
Jambo Jambo, back when it was in its Crows Nest location.) The fact that wagyu is used makes the meat even more tender, and it is deliciously seasoned with sweet soy, and piped with some potato cream on top.
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| Chef's Compliment - smoked edamame |
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| Open Sesame |
When edemame is presented in a bag, you know you're about to be hit with a fragrant fog. The edemame is seasoned with kombu salt and very delicious.
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| King Prawn Fry |
Crunchy and golden, the king prawn is fried whole and dipped in cream cheese sauce. What a guilty pleasure - you can feel the oil burst in your mouth, yet somehow it remains so light.
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| Unagi and Yaki-onigiri |
Unagi is Kabayaki eel - fatty, rich, savoury and melty, it is one of my favourite things to eat at a Japanese restaurant or takeaway - though unskilled treatment can make this dish a tad fishy. Nothing to worry about at Tokyo Bistro on that front: the chef is extremely skilled. Japanese rice is also something I have often waxed lyrical about, it is so bouncy and fragrant - now made even better by resting in a pool of umami broth.
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| Wagyu Steak |
Though the steak looks dainty and small, it certainly packs a punch. The cut is loin, and the menu promises that it has been very carefully cooked by Yoshi. It truly is perfection - as you can see, it is cooked medium-rare, yet it is not chewy at all. The quality of the meat really shines through. A bowl of rice with salted seaweed is also on offer - do yourself a favour, never turn down Japanese rice.
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| Dessert - ice cream (and cake) |
The dessert that is served with the degustation menu is simply "desert of the day". Since it was my birthday, I asked whether the dessert of the day is cake - and was told that they were serving ice cream. So we dutifully ordered the 3 most Japanese-sounding ice creams there: sakura, matcha and hojicha. Sakura has a fragrant, ever so slightly salty flavour, the matcha here means business and is on the bitter side (just how I prefer it) as is the hojicha, which is an earthier type of Japanese tea with the addition of roasted grain. For those who are less adventurous with ice cream, classic flavours are also on offer.
Then the chef surprised me by sending a message over that he had by chance made a honey sponge cake that morning - and he served it to me as a compliment. The cake was airy and dreamy, with the texture of angel cake, but most of all I was overwhelmed by his generosity.
Score: 4.5 /5
Cost: approximately $70pp - extremely good value!
Address: 16-30 Bunn St, Pyrmont
Website: https://www.tokyobistro.com.au/
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