My favourite definition of Izakaya is it's more modern adaptive interpretation as a Japanese-style tavern serving food and drinks without the intention of trying to turn over customers. A place where you can linger with good friends, food and drinks.
Despite the cold weather I still enjoy the fresh, brisk taste of a beer with my meal. So I started off with a glass of Suntory on tap... it even came in its own sponsored glass.
My wife opted for some cold Ippin Sake. Ippin has spent a lot of hard work trying to break into the Australian market. It offers a great, clean and extra dry sake. It's smooth to drink and pairs extremely well with fantastic Japanese foods.
Majority of the menu was recommended to us by the manager and Yuri (Managing Director of Washoku Lovers). We started with their Spicy Grilled Salmon Sushi. One bite and my eyes grew wide as I stared at my wife. "You need to try this!" I said with excitement.
The grilled salmon melted in your mouth and that spicy, creamy sauce was just perfection. Each bite was consistently orgasmic and I could have polished the plate of six easily.
Next up was the Prawn and Cod Roe Gratin. The mixture of vegetables, potatoes, prawns, cod roe and lots of cheese was another home run dish. The texture yet again can only be described as melt in your mouth.... so decadent and so good.
The dish itself had a very fishy scent and taste to it (from the roe), which I don't have a problem with but some might. We almost had to fight over who will polish off the remaining creamy goodness. The size of the dish is enough to leave you beckoning for more.
Our last recommended meal was their Spicy Seafood Hotpot with Miso Soup. It comes with a portable gas cooker on your table... which is fine but that left very limited space left to maneuver your plates and access to the touch screen. The seafood was fantastically fresh, the vegetables were plentiful, that tofu was silky smooth and the broth was delicate and sophisticated.
As I was enjoying the subtle flavours of the hot pot, I was explaining to my wife how this hot pot experience combined with their wooden decor really transported my dining experience away up to a small cabin in the mountains on a cold winter's night. Despite both of us not being huge hot pot buffs, there was not much left but soup and handful of vegetables when they cleared the table.
Still feeling slightly peckish (I know, we're massive eaters), we ordered a serving of Lotus Root Chips. I loved the consistently even seasoning of salt and seaweed powder on each chip. The salty crunch of Renkon paired well as I guzzled down the last drops of my Suntory.
To finish off, we always need something sweet... and I mistakenly chose the Tokyo Tower Parfait. Don't get me wrong, I'm in no way implying this parfait lacked in quality... I'm just saying this isn't the type of dessert I normally enjoy. Layered with cream, ice-cream (vanilla and green tea), mochi, cornflakes, red bean and topped with mint and a Nice biscuit... it was what a parfait should be... except I don't ever recall trying parfait and my wife insisted I wouldn't enjoy parfaits at all. I went against her judgement and then was left admitting "I was wrong". I'm at least happy how photogenic the dessert was... that I can appreciate.
One thing to commend about this place is their service. It's the perfect mannered, polite, efficient service you'd expect from a great Japanese restaurant. I love that the culture instills this in them. Despite walking past at least three other Japanese restaurants from where I parked, what I notice was the stream of customers dining inside and outside this place. The proof is in the pudding... or gratin in this case.
I also loved the heavily wooden decor and the massive collection of Sake bottles dividing the dining area and the kitchen. The additional touches with cushions along the long bench that extends the depth of the restaurant is nice too.
There are many other Japanese places (Mizuya and Wagaya come to mind) that adopted the self-ordering system at the table... and I'm glad Izakaya Samurai has as well. It allows a gradual ordering of food without accidentally over-commitment from the get go. Plus the ability to monitor your expenses and to call staff from a screen is an added bonus.
WASHOKU LOVERS
If you are not already a member of Washoku Lovers, and I don't know why you wouldn't be, then I definitely recommend going to their page and signing up. They offer many perks at an ever growing list of Japanese restaurants.
In the case of Izakaya Samurai, you can enjoy your Suntory Malt for only $5 instead of $8.80 OR a small glass of Japanese Sake Ippin for $5 instead of $9.50 OR a free soft drink for you Dry July-ers.
Sign Up Here
I can comprehend why despite there being many other Japanese options, this place (slightly hidden mind you) still has it's fair shares of patrons. It's their perfect combination of a warm ambiance, impeccable service and salivating-worthy food.
Thanks goes out to Washoku Lovers and Izakaya Samurai for inviting me to sample their menu. As an avid fan of Japanese cuisine, I appreciate the consideration.
Kampai!
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