Taruhachi Restaurant

Shop 5
83 Mount Street,
North Sydney, NSW, 2060
Ph. (02) 9954 6441
Hours: Mon - Fri 12pm - 2pm & from 6pm

You certainly can not get more traditional Japanese than Taruhachi in North Sydney. What a find! Traditional, it certainly is, with the tv playing our all time favourite Japanese shows, right down to the manga magazines on hand.

The walls are lined with the usual specials, mostly in Japanese. The lunch menu consists mainly of set bento boxes consisting of a main (choose from the menu on the wall, with a side of salad, fruit, rice and miso soup), while the dinner is A La Carte. The lunch trade is also extremely busy however, the evenings tend to be a lot more quiet suitable for an intimate dinner for two or a group gathering. The restaurant is not large so there is limited seating.

Tempura ($18)

Our recommendation, come here for the Tempura and Agedashi Tofu. Definitely the best we've ever had. The tempura is so crisp, light and not oily. There is a great variety of veggies and seafood in this dish. The Agedashi Tofu is also crispy on the outside and delicately soft on the inside. I'm told by the waitress that this is their signature dish.

Agedashi Tofu (Deep-Fried Bean Curd, $8.80)

Other dishes worthy of a note are certainly the Agedashi Nasu and Negi Maki.

Agedashi Nasu (Deep-Fried Eggplant, $8.80)

Negi Maki (Marinated Beef wrapped around Shallots, $9.80)

Some other dinner dishes on offer include:

- Torikara-age (Marinated Deep-Fried Chicken, $9.50)

- Yakitori  (Skewered Grilled Chicken, $10.80)

- Sushi ($22.00) & Sashimi ($28)

- Teriyaki Chicken or Fish ($15.80)

- Teriyaki Beef ($17.80)

- Tonkatsu (Deep-Fried Crumbed Pork, $15.80)

- Nabeyaki Udon, Tempura Udon or Soba ($15.80)

- Oyako-Don ($15)

- Katsu-Don ($18.80)

- Natto ($4.00)

- Oshinko ($5.00)

Sushi ($22)

The Japanese dinner menu is more extensive than the English one on offer so just ask the friendly waitress to translate, recommend or you suggest a dish.

Deep-Fried Garlic (From the Japanese Menu)

Maguro Sashimi (From the Japanese Menu)

This restaurant is very popular with the local Japanese and North Sydney workers alike. It is not cheap, however the quality is certainly worth the price. For two we generally pay from $50 - $70 for dinner but the good news is, this premises is BYO with a $1 corkage. Expect to pay around $18 - $20 for lunch and a possible wait due its popularity.

Sanma Chips (From the Japanese Menu)

Highly recommended if you are after authentic Japanese food and to reminisce about being in Japan. We are now regular diners of this restaurant and the only let down is that they aren't open on the weekend!

Makoto

Cnr Pitt & Liverpool Streets,
Sydney, NSW, 2000
Ph. (02) 9283 6767
Website: http://www.masuya.com.au/en/restaurants/makoto.html
Hours: Lunch 11.30am - 2.30pm Mon - Fri, 12pm - 3pm Sat & Sun
             Dinner 5.30pm - 10pm, 7 Days

Unagi - Marinated Eel

Makoto in the city is one of the few places in Sydney to really experience great sushi. Whilst not cheap, Makoto's fish is very fresh and the recipe for sushi rice is spot on. The restaurant revolves around a sushi train which is continuously replenished with sushi chefs working around the clock to keep the train well loaded up with sushi.

The restaurant is always busy during meal hours so be prepared to wait. The upside to this is that there is a high turnover of sushi so nothing remains on the train for too long.

If sitting at the bar is not your thing, there are some isolated tables to the rear of the restaurant. We usually prefer to eat at the bar so that we have front row seats to the sushi on offer.

There is a great variety of the usual maki (futomaki, Californian rolls, salmon avocado rolls), sushi (salmon, tuna, prawns, omlette, flying fish roe), sashimi, as well as more modern dishes such as torched salmon belly, grilled kingfish, shark fin and uni (sea urchin) for the more adventurous.

Uni (Sea Urchin) - An acquired taste

Torched Salmon Belly Sushi - Devine and a must try! 

Can't see you favourite dish on the train? Just ask the waiter and the sushi chefs will happily make your dish to order. They also make handrolls on the spot. Our favourites are:

The Salmon & Avocado Handroll

The Soft Shell Crab Handroll

The sushi dishes range from around $2.60 - $6.60 each, indicated by the colour of the plate. In addition to the menu, they also have weekly specials such as:

 Spicy Scallops with Glass Noodles

Not really in to sushi? Makoto also offer a range of other dishes such as tempura, tonkatsu, karaage and a variety of udon noodles. 

The service is friendly and attentive. Order any drinks, extra dishes and soups through the waiters. Got a food allergy? Mention it to the waiters and they'll be able to try and cater to your meal requests.

Torching the Scallops. Watch the sushi preparations in action at the bar.

In addition to dining in, Makoto do offer a take away menu and party platters. Party platters are a fantastic way to wow your guests with very little effort on your part. I've ordered several from the city and Chatswood stores and they have never failed to impress. Platters will need to be ordered in advance and ideally collected as soon as they have been prepared.

As a regular at both the city and Chatswood  restaurants, I'd have to say that Makoto in the city is definitely better. Makoto over the years has become less Japanese and more Korean, so the authentic taste and traditional sushi preparation methods have slowly started to disappear in both restaurants. Nevertheless, the sushi is still very good and definietly worth the visit.

Toriciya

18 Cammeray Road
Cammeray NSW 2062
Ph. (02) 9904 2277
Hours: Mon - Sat 6pm - late
Website: http://www.toriciya.com.au/

This is undoubtedly one of our favourite restaurants serving an incredible range of Sake and Shochu, with the most authentic Japanese food you will find in Sydney. Toriciya is an Izakaya style restaurant which is best described as a Japanese tapas bar, whereby the menu revolves around enhancing and complimenting the vast varieties of Sake and Shochu on offer.

With four pages of Sake & Shochu to choose from, you are sure to find something to your liking and if you are unsure, just ask the owner Sakae, who is happy to assist you. He has an extensive knowledge of Sake and Shochu and has just begun his very own blog site. Check it out at: http://sakewajunmai.blogspot.com/

The Sakes on offer are Junmai-shu (pure rice wine) and Junmai-Ginjoshu (which are fermented at a low temperatures for a longer period). Each have been hand selected by the owner from small boutique sake breweries across Japan. Jumai sakes are also best served warm however you can choose to have it either hot or cold.

Shochu is a distilled spirit. Toriciya have barley, sweet potato, rice, sugar cane and Thai rice varieties on offer. It can be served with ice or with cold or hot water. Glasses of Sake and Shochu start from $13 per glass. For those who like their beer, Toriciya serve Japanese beers: Yebisu & Sapporo.

If any of the Sakes or Shochus do take your fancy, Sakae also has an online store http://www.sakenet.com.au/. He is also currently supplying several Japanese restaurants across Sydney.

We just love the decor and the atmosphere of this restaurant. Traditional Japanese music, old 1950s posters on the wall and the warm friendly service always make us feel like we are back in Japan.

The food is also very authentic. The small tapas style portions are served to enhance the flavours of the Sake and Shochu. Some of their signature dishes include:

- Crab Brain (Kanimiso) $5.00
- Grilled Mackerel (Saba) $13.50
- Deep Fried Calamari Legs (Ikageso) $8.50
- Angler Fish Liver (Ankimo) $11.50
- Japanese Style Potato Salad with Spicy Cod Roe (Mentai Potato) $8.50
- Sesame Salad (Goma Salad) $10.50
- Rice & Grilled Salmon in Soup (Sakecha) $10.00
- Riceballs (Onigiri) $5.00

Crab Brains (Kanimiso) - salty, fishy and has a creamy paste like consistency. Perfect with Sake.

Marinated Wasabi Stem - Absolutely amazing. This was one of their daily specials which unfortunately is not on their regular menu. 

Deep Fried Calamari Legs - Always a crowd pleaser.

Toriciya's specialty is Yakitori, the first Yakitori bar in Sydney and we believe it can take merit for being the best Yakitori in town. Yakitori is traditionally grilled chicken parts on skewers. Their selection includes (prices are per skewer):

- Thigh $2.50

- Wing $3.00

- Meatballs $2.50

- Skin $2.50

- Quail Eggs $2.50

- Giblets $2.50

- Liver $2.50

- Thigh & Shallot $2.50

- Pork $2.50

Thigh Yakitori

Chicken Wing Yakitori & Pork Skewers

Toriciya is perfect for Sake and Shochu connoisseurs alike. If you know your Sake and Shochu, and if you appreciate traditional, authentic Japanese Izakaya style food, this is the place for you. We've even spotted Tetsuya dining here! 

Please note that there is a minimum charge of $50/person and that the portions are tapas sized. Seating is limited so we'd recommend that you do make a reservation ahead of time.

Kanpai!

Scores
Food: 9/10
Ambience: 8/10
Cleanliness: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Value for Money: 7/10
Suitability: Small groups of up to four is best suited. An outside table can cater for up to around 10 people.
Payment: Cash and Major Credit Cards