It's so refreshing to see restaurant liks Jazushi offering culture beyond what is served on the plate. That extra touch of live jazz music is really the cherry on top and the reason why I will always return to Jazushi.
Sorry my photos are all a bit dark and yellow-y. In need of a new camera upgrade cause my white balance can only go so high #firstworldproblems. Lighting inside was also pretty dim to set a romantic and calm dining atmosphere - men take hint ;-)!
(My apologies, I didn't get a photo of the awesome old lady who was singing and her musical companion, promise I will for next time I go!)
The great authenticity about it is that even though it's a modern Japanese restaurant, all the staff can speak Japanese (even though not all of them were of Japanese background). We opted for the set menu as by then we were super hungry and everything just looked too appetising - where to even start! The set menu includes 9 dishes including dessert for $55 pp, GREAT value for money.
2011 Crowded House Sauv $9 and Coke-a-Cola ($4?)
Salmon and Kingfish Carpaccio w Sea Salt and Basil Oil (normally $21)
Delicious thinly sliced pieces of salmon and kingfish. The dressing was very light and complimented the raw fish, leaving no need for soy sauce.
Green Tea Noodle Salad w Mixed Lettuce and Soy Onion Dressing (normally $14?)
Not familiar with the concept of green tea noodles, but we both thoroughly enjoyed this dish. Topped with a heap of red onions and nori seaweed. The soy dressing was sooooooo delsih as I was continually dipping my lettuce pieces. My only downfall for this dish was there wasn't enough noodles, but maybe because it was part of the set menu?
Grilled Silver Cod w Saikyo Sauce ($28 - you prob get a bigger serving normally though)
Favourite of the night and a dish I would order on it's own next time! Not sure what the saikyo sauce is, but where do I get more!?
Camembert Tempura w Creme Teriyaki Sauce ($16)
Delicious pieces of crispy deep fried goodness. Bite into the crunch to reveal the melted and oozing cheese. The sauce was very light in flavour and complimented the cheese well. Cheesy delicious goodness, droolssssssssss.
Selection of sushi
For tonight's selection of sushi we were given 3 pieces each - salmon nigiri, kingfish nigiri and a salmon and avo inside-out roll. By this time we were getting full, and we still had mains to go! We decided to eat just the sashimi and leave the carbs. The nigiri had thick long cuts of raw fish, my fav!
JFC (Jazushi Fried Chicken) w Yuzu Citirus Sauce on Bed of Home-Made TarTar Sauce ($21)
I will definitely pick JFC over KFC anyday. The chicken was juicy and full of flavour with a slighly crispy skin. The great thing was that it wasn't 80% batter and 20% chicken. The citrus sauce was a bit lost amidst the awesomeness of the tartar, but a little zesty kick was evident.
Kakuni Kurobuta Pork Belly in a Soy Dashi Sauce ($23)
Kakuni is Japanese for braised. The meat has been marinated overnight to soak in flavoursome sauce, meaning there was no need for dipping. There was also this blob of something on the side as you can see but in all honestly I don't remember much about it because the meat was delicious on its own. I love pork belly (especially if it has crackling!) but it turns me off when there is a chunk of fat in the middle. However there was hardly any fat to be seen, expect for a small thin layer in-between.
Wagyu Sirloin Steak w Sweet Teri Sauce
The food comas of all food comas was coming... Prepare yourselves for the wrath of the food coma attack! The wagyu was tender but the sauce really added the extra sweet stickness it needed. However after one piece we had to say no so there was still room left for dessert.
Vanilla Creme Brulee ($10)
A great way to end everything. The brulee was perfect - smooth and silky vanilla infused custard bottom and warm crispy crunch of the sugary top.
Overall a great dining night at Jazushi. Food came out in a timely matter, the waiter introduced each dish and the elements on it, and accompanied by possibly the best genre of music of all time. If it's your birthday, she'll even sing a jazzed up version of Happy Birthday to you (gotta love crowd interaction!) It can get a little too loud for conversation sometimes, but if you have a large party there are function rooms available away from the main dining area.
Food: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Atmosphere: 4/5
Interior: 4/5
Revisit: 5/5
Atmosphere: 4/5
Interior: 4/5
Revisit: 5/5
Labels: food