Review: Ninja, Tribeca, New York City, USA

My friend insisted we visit this theme restaurant while I was in New York; being that I like Japanese food and utter silliness. Ninja is rather on the American side of Japanese cuisine but it's Asian fusion tastiness and a lot of fun.



Located underground in a fairly innocuous looking Tribeca building only the lantern out the front gives away the magic held therein.




The entire restaurant is decked out like a 19th century Japanese fishing village... or at least one that was built by Hollywood. The dining rooms are all private separate rooms in small "buildings" up stairs, behind shoji screens, through fluttering noren curtains and in sunken pits; from the outside they're designed to look like small shops and houses. The 'village' is pieced together by wooden walkways and jutting 'rock' walls and provide a quaint and bustling other world feel. The whole place is really like a family funtime restaurant for grown up otaku, it's Disneyland with better food and a fully stocked bar.

Americans are really into their situational roleplaying, you get this a lot at tourist sites and amusement parks; Ninja is no different. "Ninjas" dressed in black cotton uniforms whisk us away into a dark portal and through a 'secret passage' which is so dark I must feel my way along the corridor; we know that "something" is coming but it doesn't stop me from jumping and yelping when a ninja leaps out at me and thrusts a knife in my face.



Because we have not booked we are led to a small waiting room and given a menu to peruse. In the background we hear many parties laughing and "Hi-ya!"-ing through their meal and everyone's having a riotous time.



Eventually we are led to a private dining room and introduced to our own personal ninja. I am vaguely disappointed that he is not Asian but he is enthusiastic and very attentive so I try to ignore my woeful pro-Asian sentiments.

We're on holiday, so it's time for the most amount of food we can possibly fit into ourselves. I am a little surprised that being Americanised that it's not a full kaiseki as I was expecting but rather just a multicourse tasting menu. We go for the "Hanzou" set meal ($88USD) the largest there is and encompassing as much of the "Ninja Magic" special meals as we can. Most of the meals here are named after famous samurai; Hattori Hanzo was a vassal of the Matsudaira clan and served Tokugawa Ieyasu during his rise to Shogun he is not as many assume, a great sword maker ala Kill Bill.



Sake Tasting Set $20USD

We also opt for the Hanzo sake tasting set; featuring a number of junmai 'pure rice' nihonshu graded by age and rice grain polish. To be honest none of its really to my taste especially the aged sake that's worth the most; blugh, I'll stick with ume shu.



Ume shu $12USD

Ume shu is a sweet plum wine that I generally drink by the bucket load, this particular brand is lovely but they refuse to sell me a whole bottle (bastards!) so I have no idea what it is.



Sapporo $2.95USD

And of course it wouldn't be a Japanese meal without some beer; especially when it's $2.95 for Sapporo.



Our first dish is called battojutsu or "the art of drawing the sword" the name owed to a fast draw technique usually performed with a katana, where the sword is drawn, several cuts are made and then the sword is placed back in the scabbard - think . In our case instead it is used for a little "Ninja" magic, the sword is drawn and drops dry ice into a hidden vessal, we must give our largest battle cries as we do so and are rewarded with a snowy mist of smoke flowing over our dish.





Battojutsu - included with Hanzou Set $88USD course 1 of 5

The dish itself is a crudo of tuna and yellowtail served with beetroot and sprouts and a ginger dressing; along with a bowl of tuna confit. It's light and well done, the cold beets and sashimi go together very well, if a little odd in the middle of a New York winter! The smattering of gold on the confit adds to the magic.



Katon Bomb - included with Hanzou Set $88USD course 1 of 5

For my choice of first course I forgo the ninja magic because there's liver terrine to be had - however I should have paused when I remember that the word "katon" means 'fire' - we are surprised with flash powder and a unique serving technique. Liver, duck and foie gras terrine is infused with pistachios and served with a konbu salad. There's not much Japanese about it but the liver is good quality and the terrine is firm and well textured and goes well with the wasabi/mustard paste. I'd have preferred a bread product than salad with the terrine :o(



Nigiri Sushi - included with Hanzou Set $88USD course 2 of 5

Sadly there is no choice of second dish, it's sushi or nothing! This is a shame since one of my friends doesn't eat fish :o( A fairly generic selection this is Tuna, Salmon, Cod, Snapper, Skipjack and Salmon roe. We question the choice of Skipjack, I've never heard of it nor have any of my friends, we assume it to be a local fish and give it a try; we are ... not happy with the results. The flesh is very "fishy" and not well suited to being served raw, the quality seems good more that it is very overpowering compared to the other very light sashimi pieces. The other fish is fairly well done but not excellent, I think perhaps because I am spoilt by good food and high levels of Japanese immigration at home rather than because there is anything wrong with the restaurant.



Kirikabu - included with Hanzou Set $88USD course 3 of 5

This piece of ninja magic comes in the form of a kirikabu "log" which we must "Ninja chop!" to get open. Our dish is housed underneath a large hollow log made of filo pastry and painted with edible ink wood grain. The entire thing is quite fun, though... a little messy!



The dish is thinly sliced wagyu on a bed of rice, served in a sauced called "Michinobu" and covered with enoki mushrooms. I'm not sure what they were getting at with the Michinobu name since I cannot in my memory of shogunate Japan recall a particular case of this name - though there are a number of poets and artists who have this first name. The dish is fairly nice but the wagyu isn't as good quality as at home and the rice is too wet for my tastes - they are using a Chinese sticky long grain rather than a Japanese short grain rice.



Rib Eye Steak - included with Hanzou Set $88USD course 4 of 5

Everything's bigger in America right? Despite the fact that this is a tasting course it appears the main protein is the size of a standard dinner serve. Not much to tell here, this is a steak, served with some Asian inspired sauces.



Bonfire - included with Hanzou Set $88USD course 4 of 5

My main lamb dish however comes ON FIRE. Or at least they use a low heat flame gel to set my dish on fire and mix the sauce. It's good fun! The lamb itself is a little generic I think particularly if you're used to Australia where good lamb is plentiful and I wanted something a little more Japanese infused. The sauce is at least a yuzu dish, but really, it entirely overpowers the meat and I leave most of it behind.

How would you do Japanese lamb? Thoughts must be had! It would make the ultimate Aussie/Nippon fusion!

Before dessert (but not before another drink!) we are given a private magic show in our dining room. To be honest the guy is a little ... odd; like in his spare time he'd quote endless Monty Python at you and carry asthma medication. I like my nerds but this guy's... interesting. I think the secret though is a) plentiful alcohol and b) private rooms. It's easier to 'get into' the magic when there's no one else to see.



Spiced Pumpkin Bonsai - included with Hanzou Set $88USD course 5 of 5

The desserts are really fun. I choose a spiced pumpkin dessert which is a pumpkin cream 'pudding' in a bonsai dish, spread with cookie crumb 'dirt' and a bonsai tree made of pie crust all served with berry sorbet and fresh fruits. Light and fresh but still sweet and surprising this was a real highlight of the meal!



Rose Chocolate - included with Hanzou Set $88USD course 5 of 5

A chocolate layer biscuit, excellent rose infused chocolate mousse and fruit come with another smokey surprise!





Ninja Star - included with Hanzou Set $88USD course 5 of 5

A real live ninja star is transformed into a rich chocolate mousse cake before our very eyes!!

The only real downside to the experience is that every so often a ninja jumped into the room to 'attack' us, or a set off a flash bomb or other such fun. Unfortunately I am of an anxious disposition and have to swap seats with a friend so that I get attacked less. Similarly on the way to the bathroom I almost peed myself a little when I got "ninja-ed" 3 times on the walk down the corridor. On the other hand when I arrived at the bathrooms I found that they came equipt complete with Japanese Toto commodes - you know the type you revel at in Japanese hotels with the 18 contraptions, soundtrack and warmed seat? Kind of nice on a freezing New York night ;o)

All in all Ninja was great fun. The food was possibly a little over priced for the quality, but the quailty was still very good and the additional money I think goes with the 'flair.' Definitely worth a stop in if you're holidaying with kids, or y'know... just a Japanese obsessed goth chick.

Ninja, NYC
http://www.ninjanewyork.com
25 Hudson St (Tribeca)
New York City, NY
USA 10013
Ph: +1 212 274 8500

Souvenir shirts and stickers available
Family fun for kids of all ages
Fully licenced bar

Review: Amy Ruth's Soul Food, Harlem, New York City, USA

On arrival into New York it was blustering snow and freezing cold. The owner of our inn had listed a number of local suggestions, however rather than the standard bistro and Italian fair on offer I opted for the very American Soul Food.



Soul Food is that "stick to your ribs" down country home style cooking popular in the Southern US states, particularly with African Americans, using a mix of local specialties and inherited African ingredients. It is warm, hearty and not particularly kind to your waist line but it is oh so good on a freezing cold day.



Amy Ruth's is a well established soul food eatery in New York, we'd been recommended it by a local however we discovered quickly that it is in fact listed in the Lonely Planet guidebook and is apparently often filled with tourists. Not today, today it was just shivering families and groups of local students warming themselves against the snow.



Cornbread and butter - complimentary

While we poured over the large menu excitedly they brought out warm moist cornbread, a quick bread made from ground corn meal. It's sweet and light and delicious with warm melted butter.

We were going to order half the sides when we discovered that our main meals came with several, hoorays!



The "Reggie Harris" - $14.95USD

I figured on ordering something incredibly 'fitting' so this is fried chicken, dipped in honey sauce, with candied yams and grits. I've always wondered on what candied yams were but they're basically sweet potatoes, baked in a brown sugar and butter sauce. Grits are a form of corn meal porridge, it really reminds me of congee if it were made in America; and because it is, it is topped with orange 'American Cheese'. The fried chicken is large and moist and excellent, in keeping with most American portion sizes I am given no less than half a chicken for the cost of my dinner. Unfortunately I think with all the honey and sugar in the meal it was a little over powering, in future I'd be tempted to order greens instead.



The "President Barack Obama" - Cajun style $13.25USD

Cajun seasoned chicken (another half a chicken) is baked again to moist perfection and served with buttered beans and corn. This is about the only place I saw corn kernels as a side dish rather than ground up and put in *everything*. This surprised me, especially as I rather like sweetcorn and started to get weird cravings for it by the end of my holiday. The beans were a little on the soft side, I don't know if this is intentional or they were just over cooked, the seasoning however was tasty enough to make me overlook this mistake.

In the end the serving sizes and the heartiness of the food means that we left maybe... half the portion on the plate. But there's always room for dessert right?



Inez Bass' Red Velvet Cake $5USD

Soft soft soft red velvet chocolate cake melted under the spoon. This is easily the best plain chocolate sponge I've ever eaten in my life. I wonder the secret, it feels as though it's been triple sieved and mixed with something light - rice flour perhaps? I rather like the American way of serving red velvet cake with cream cheese icing and walnuts - in Australia this is limited to Banana and Carrot cakes, and that fact makes me sad.



Neal Shoemaker's Peach Cobbler $4.50USD

Cobblers are rather like a soft dumpling form of crumble. This classic southern dish is swimming in peach and cinnamon filling with sweet dumpling crust pieces and wedges of stewed peach. I am only able to eat about a third of the bowl before I give up and poke my rapidly expanding belly.

In the American way all the drinks seem to be endless; post mix Pepsi variants at $2.50USD tolerable coffee in an endless cup comes in at $2USD. I say tolerable because coffee in the states appears to be like their beer, weak, watery and like making love in a canoe. In all but the highest class of restaurants coffee comes with tubs of creamer or "half and half" instead of real milk.

Amy Ruth's isn't high class and it isn't sophisticated but it is damn good. On a night like this in the cold it is just perfect and warming and the staff are friendly if somewhat perplexed at the strangely accented and made up tourist taking photos of everything. Definitely recommended for a taste of the South while you're in Yankee territory.

Amy Ruth's
http://www.amyruthsharlem.com/
113 West 116th St
Harlem New York USA 10026
Phone +1 212 280 8779

Monday: Lunch to 11pm
Tuesday - Thursday: Breakfast till 11pm
Friday - Saturday: Breakfast till 5:30am
Sunday: Breakfast till 11pm

Family atmosphere, casual dining

Recipe: Egg nog

I love egg nog every Christmas, partly because its seasonal, partly because it lets me have brandy for breakfast. The price of alcohol in the US has allowed me to make egg nog with VSOP Courvoisier (mwahahahaha).



Egg Nog

4 eggs
3/4 sugar
1.5 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 tspn nutmeg

For each cup:

1/2 shot spiced rum
1/2 shot brandy (or cognac)

Method:

• Crack the eggs into a blender and blend for 1 minute
• Slowly add the sugar and blend for a further minute
• Add the cream, milk and nutmeg and blend briefly until mixed
• Makes around 4 mugs
• Pour into glasses/mugs and add alcohol to taste, 1/2 shot each of brandy and spiced rum is warming and perfect
• Hot - Easiest is to warm in a microwave for 2 mins, if using a stove then stir regularly to avoid curdling
• Cold - Leave the mixture in the fridge until chilled, serve in a sherry glass or punch cup

Review: The Russian Tea Room, New York City, USA

Things have been a little quiet because I've been busy at work leading up to Christmas and now am on holiday in the USA. Expect a number of posts on the good, bad and the ugly.



Now we went to a concert at Carnegie Hall and so I just *had* to take a picture of the menu at the Russian Tea Room, however on approach the prices were not as ridiculous as I had originally expected. Obviously then it was time for a post theatre seating!



Word has it that since the Tea Room reopened in 2002 that the quality is lesser and the clientele more touristy but fie on them I had a good time (and besides I'm a tourist!) and the overly opulent interior is definitely worth a peek.



There was a post theatre prix frix menu at a very reasonable $55USD for 3 courses however it was missing many of the items I wanted to try so we went for a la carte.



Pol Roger NV Brut $55USD for a half bottle



A half bottle is enough for 2 to have a couple of hefty glasses of sparkling and a good size for a meal such as this.

The champagne is a soft bready sparkling Pinot/Chardonnay/Meunier classic of the region, what I love about Pol Roger is the soft fine mousse, far finer than many champagne houses.



There is a choice of breads included with the meal, this is a dark pumpernickel, done so much better in the US than at home.



Goat Cheese and Wild Mushroom Blinchik $18USD

Caramelised onion, mild goat cheese, wild mushrooms and rich duck ribbons in a classic wholegrain crepe. Melt in your mouth and just delightful in the cold.



Caviar Tasting Plate $28USD

I could hardly come to the Russian Tea Room and not have caviar! Done in a very classic style with blini, creme fraiche, chopped egg and red onion. I am a little disappointed that they are all red caviar types (trout, salmon and white fish) which are quite common at home but nonetheless this is a very solid example of the classic Russian appetiser.

Somehow I forgot to take a picture of the red, given the meats we were looking for a softer red and the Pinots and such were uninspiring so we went for a solid but not excellent Argentinian Malbec at $18USD a glass.



Duck $38USD

Well the naming of the dish was a bit uninspiring but the dish itself wasn't. Perfect cooked moist duck breast served in an orange anise reduction with plump raisins, enoki mushrooms and a 'beluga' lentil salad. Rich and sweet the sides were a perfect marriage with the rich fatty duck, offset by the lightness of the lentils.



Kobe Tasting Perigord $48USD

Now I don't understand how they can have "American Kobe" but perhaps the term Wagyu is tainted in the US. The beef was done 2 ways and both served with a light sauce "perigeux" a primarily truffle based sauce with an earthy tang that accompanies this extravagant ingredient. The tempura style onion rings were light and not at all oily, other sides included cauliflower gratin and baby carrots. A very solid dish but potentially a little rich at $48USD when you consider the beef we get at home.



Cherry and Cheese Blintz $18USD

Now if there's one thing I like about Eastern European cuisine over... well just about anything really (though the dumplings certainly are worth a mention) it's cherry and cheese desserts, whether they're Hungarian cottage cheese dumplings, Czech cherry strudels or these Russian blintzes.

Soft crepes are filled with heady fillings of sour cherry in one and a soft whipped cream cheese in the other, milder than a neufchatel and reminiscent of a marscapone but I was unable to determine the cheese used. Individually these crepes are beautiful, with a small amount from each they are table thumping, eye rolling, mouth porn. After a 3 course meal however one serve shared between two was more than enough.



Espresso $8USD

Definitely better than the ubiquitous Starbucks (I mean honestly I have not been able to stand on a street in NYC without at least one Starbucks being visible) this espresso was nice, but $8 for a demitasse cup is pushing it, no matter how nice the silverware is.



If I wanted Russian souvenirs I'd be planning to buy them in Russia but nonetheless the case of Faberge eggs and Russian crystal vodka sets is worth a peak.

All in all a very solid meal, and more affordable than expected at $140USD a head including wines. The experience was worth the price tag, the surroundings are definitely worth the cost and the food was world class though possibly not mind blowing.

The service was what you would expect of a meal in this price range, though the bus boys were as useless as the waiters were excellent, but I think the same can be said of most US restaurants. I will put this down to the minimum wage laws uninspiring workers.

I would recommend if you are in New York trying the post theatre menu at an affordable ticket entry to an extravagant location, whether you spend more than this is really down to your tastes.

The Russian Tea Room
http://www.russiantearoomnyc.com/
150 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019
Phone: +1 (212) 581-7100

Formal dining atmosphere (dress appropriately)
Reservations recommended
Late dining options available including post theatre seating

Review: Danks Street Depot Christmas Bar Food Night

Danks Street Depot is a restaurant with a slow food and sustainable eating twist that leaves the hippies for dust and instead just turns out delicious, heartful and elegant food. Most of the food is locally sourced and there's almost always a story if you can coax one out of the staff.



Danks Street have taken to doing bar food nights which are essentially a tapas style dinner with sharing plates on a theme. Given the time of year it was definitely time for a seasonal twist on this event and a modern take on traditional Christmas foods was on display.



had organised a kind of "foodie blind date" with a few other gourmande types and so we tottered in, ordered the lot and dove in on multiple kinds of meat. The fun of eating with other foodies is watching everyone pose their food and take pictures. I was a little surprised later when someone took exception to my photographing when so much of the table was, but never mind I'm not for everyone really, and I make no apologies for my endless blogging and internet addiction.



2008 Josef Chromy Pepik $11 by the glass

The other girls were drinking sangria but ... well I can't bring myself to do it. Kitty had to laugh when I said that "in my mind sangria is something you drink when you're poor," but for me this was one of those student specials that you put together when you know that the wine you can afford isn't the wine you want to drink.

Given my taste for aperatifs it was sparkling for me! There were only a couple of choices on the menu but I do rather like Tasmanian cuvee and this is a solid example, light and citrussy with a soft toast flavour to the length. I prefer a finer mousse, but you can't have everything for $11 a glass.



Half dozen Foster Rock oysters, 3 natural and 3 kilpatrick $36

Being friends with restauranteurs has its advantages, we were sent this plate of oysters compliments of the chef. I am not generally a shellfish person but could hardly say no to such an offering.



Chicken Liver Parfait $16

You know I can never resist liver, so this was a must have. I'd have been tempted to order a second plate actually. The liver was smooth and delicious, though I'd have preferred less butter, the vinegared raisins were a wonderful pungeant tang to set off the neutrality of the liver and I intend to recreate at home.



Roasted apricots and peaches $16

Stone fruit are a big part of the festive season in Australia. My grandmother particularly goes crazy for cherries at Christmas because she always dreamed of cherries in winter in Spain and is delighted to live where here dream can come true.

This was the dish that didn't strike a real chord with me; I'm not fond of the texture of roasted stone fruit and I found the sweetness too strong for the pancetta.



Prawn Cocktail $19

This is such a funny dish, the height of 70s chic, the foam of a past generation. Served classically with a lettuce leaf (but thankfully sans the scallop shell!) and the "not so classic" Danks Street prawn cocktail sauce. A great rendition and a dish I wouldn't normally order so very interesting to try.



Whole BBQ Snapper $35

I do so love an excuse to order a whole fish; juicy and fresh and always drawing the jealous eye of other diners. The plump white snapper was glorious under crisp skin and a smooth herb sauce. The joy of this dish is in the quality of the produce; simple, elegant, excellent.



2007 Cigale Grenache Mouvedre $44 per bottle

This blend of 63% Grenache, 21% Mourvedre and 16% Shiraz from the Spinifex vineyard has a full body from the strong Australian shiraz but smoothed down by the Grenache making it a soft drinking wine for such a recent year. If you can't bear the sight of another Australian Shiraz or Cabernet this comes recommended.



Roasted Pork Belly $20

Crunchy roasted crackling gave way delightfully to rich pork belly and creamy sweet fat. The crackling was I'll admit quiet difficult to cut but worthwhile when I had. Others found the fennel in the grape salad overwhelming but I cannot get enough of the licorice smoothness and combined with the roasted fat had me in eye rolling wonder.



Glazed Christmas Ham $20

Multiple kinds of pig, we couldn't resist! This free range ham was smokey with a strong tang, just perfect with the strong seeded mustard, but the real winner here was the spiced pickled cherries, causing moans and surprised eyes from the entire table.



Panzenella Salad $16

I do so love Panzenella, it's like a deconstructed caprese sandwich. Bread, basil, good olive oil, flavoursome organic tomatoes set off by sharp capers and anchovies. It may seem like a waste to order salad in light of such a meal but I press on you that it is not, particularly in the heat of the Australian festive season.



Potato Salad $8

And what would a Summer party be without potato salad eh? Certainly a more seasonal approach than fries or mash! Crunchy celery mayonnaise and soft baby potatoes, a real comfort food for the warmer months.



2007 Josef Chromy Botrytis Semillon $8 by the glass

Dessert wine has really grown on me recently and Australia does some lovely botrytis Semillons. This wasn't anything particularly special but still a nice way to round out a good meal with a sweet.



Mulled Wine Sorbet $12.50

I loved mulled wine in winter, and this sorbet was spiced and sweet and has the mouth feel of a warming fireside drink but with the cold sweetness perfect for the warm weather. Highly recommended!



Blood Orange Sorbet $12.50

I am a real sucker for Blood Orange sorbet, this is more like a sherbet though, with a sort of dry sweetness to the end.



Chocolate Fondant $12.50

Look at it ooze, that's real food porn!



Cherry clafouti $12.50

I love the presentation in the blini pan but I admit I did not have an opportunity to try this dessert :o(



2008 Monomeith Pinot Noir

I had never herad of Monomeith but was impressed by this cheeky Australian pinot, enough to drink far far too much of it. Woops. Luff the handmade paper label as well, though I'm loathe to judge wine by its label.



Dank Street's delightful proprietor, Chef and owner Jared Ingersoll

The bar night concept is one that I really like, little nibbles and a range of tastes appeal greatly to me more than a heavy a la carte meal and without the need for the added formality of a degustation. Family style and descending upon the best tid bits really added to the sort of competitive eating feel of foodies in the wild. Danks Street is a real Sydney gem and well worth a visit, at $80 a head including tip and drinks it's also in the affordable range of good food and doesn't make me feel as if I'm being judged for wearing too much eyeliner in the restaurant. Definitely on the list of restaurants to try for your next special date or dinner, or even just a lazy Sunday brunch.



Take note also foodies that Danks Street Depot are opening an eatery at the Sydney international airport (just in time for me to take vacation!), so if you can't stand the idea of airline food, McDonald's or Starbucks, stop in for a bite before you board.

Danks Street Depot
http://www.danksstreetdepot.com.au/
1/2 Danks Street
Waterloo NSW 2017
Phone: 02 9698 2201

Monday - Wednesday 7:30am - 4:00pm
Thursday - Friday 7:30am - 11:00pm
Saturday 8:00am - 11:00pm
Sunday & public holidays 9:00am - 4:00pm

Fully licenced
Bookings advised for dinner

Review: Yumei, Haymarket

Surprisingly given I am a tragic otaku and computer nerd I had never been into the Capitol Square building. It's a dangerous place filled with components stores, purikura machines and Japanese nail booths.



It also contains a Passionflower Asian ice cream bar and a number of Asian restaurants. I was of course immediately drawn to the Japanese restaurant, Yumei.



I don't think coming at lunchtime was the smartest of ideas, this place obviously runs off business crowds and local international students running errands. Like many Asian eateries in inner city Sydney there was a bell on the table for attracting attention but the rather large eatery was completely full and it took some time to get attention. When I do get attention the servers are very polite and bring water, menus and offers of Western cutlery without blinking.



Gyoza $6.50

I bought a quick lunch meal of gyoza and a bento; a fairly quick and easy way to judge a local Japanese eatery. I suspect quickly that they have a Korean chef since this gyoza are more like kyoza; fried and filled with rice noodle. They're good, because well all dumplings are good but they weren't what I was expecting and are a little heavy given the katsu dish I have ordered.



Pork katsu bento $12.80

I choose one of the smaller bento and I'm glad I do, this meal is huge, the deluxe versions are the size of a large cafeteria tray and contain many compartments. This one is a slightly sensible serving of rice, breaded pork, salad and miso soup.



I begin to suspect I'm correct about the chef when I notice that the katsu isn't breaded in panko crumb but standard bread crumb. On the other hand it is perfectly cooked and the tonkatsu sauce is tangy and sweet and highly recommended, much lighter than similar sauces I have eaten. The salad is a nice offset to the fried food and I was a bit nuts about their dressing.



Shiro miso - included with bento

The miso soup is a bit generic but it is good quality, I just would have preferred some more interesting garnishes in it; a Japanese meal without tofu makes me sad :o(

All in all it's obviously Korean influenced but Yumei is a generic but certainly attendable Sydney lunch venue, nothing fancy, still tasty and reasonably priced. I would go early or late to avoid the rush, and sit somewhere you can people watch the locals snapping shots in the photo boths.

Yumei Japanese Restaurant
Capitol Square Shopping Centre
69/730-742 George St
Haymarket NSW 2000
(02) 9212 6665

Casual atmosphere
No reservation required