Azuma Kushiyaki – Regent Place, Sydney CBD.
The philosophy of Kimitaka Azuma towards Japanese cuisine is “Simple is best!”. This has lead to patrons dining at his restaurants to experience an authenticity of flavours and display of traditional culinary technique that is hard to find in Sydney, where restaurants offering ‘Modern’ Japanese cuisine have flourished at a staggering rate.
Together with two TonTon’s and the prominent Azuma’s in Chifley Tower, Azuma Kushiyaki is still relatively new as it only opened in November 2008. To my knowledge, Izakaya restaurants in Sydney are a rare breed of specialty which have not yet ‘caught on’. What is it you may ask? It is akin to Spanish tapas, where food and drinking go hand-in-hand.
Sit down, order some beers (or sake) and order from the arguably best selection of kushiyaki and otsumani available in Sydney from my experience – though I admit, the prices are a tad wallet-thinning.
Asahi On Tap ($9): A crisp and dry taste whets the palate before the meal, during the meal and even after the meal if you so inclined.
Seared Salmon Nigiri (5pcs – $19.50): I was sold by the description “Azuma’s famous sushi seasoned with salt & lemon juice”. It was a well-presented and looked delicious with the beckoning fatty-pinkness of the salmon. The taste was delicate and enjoyable as it had the ever-so desired charred taste from the blowtorch. But I wouldn’t say my loins swelled with delight or any sort of experience that would justify re-ordering this dish the next time I visit to try the other choices on the menu.
L-R: Salt&Pepper, Mandarin/Orange Infusion (my memory failed and Curry Powder
Duck Breast with Japanese Sansho pepper salt ($7 each): An intense aroma of duck and a well seasoned skewer, which however, does not justify the extravagant price tag. Certainly it was an ‘experience’ from a positive view, though on the other hand I could have bought a larger in size and tastier roast duck from any decent Chinese BBQ Kitchen.
Chicken skin with salt ($3 each): Chicken skin? Check. Salt? Check. Fat? Check. Cholestrol? Check. Calories? Check. The perfect mix of ingredients for a welcoming heart-clogging experience. The chicken skin was crispy and eat bite lead to an almost climatic experience, which was ultimately subdued by an overly zealous kitchen-hand who had overly-salted the skewers beyond the barriers of salt tolerance.
Quail platter ($14.50): You get grilled breast, drumstick and egg in this refined platter showcasing the delicacy of quail. Think of what chicken tastes like, quail is tastier than that. A mild gamey taste, together with a subtle texture, the small size of quail results in a retention of succulent undertones.
Quail eggs on a skewer are addictive, mesmerized by the ease of consuming a whole egg in one bite-size portion, it only made sense to order some more!
Quail eggs with Kushiyaki sauce ($4 each): mind-blowingly delicious in flavour.
Wagyu Beef tongue with Azuma’s curry salt ($4 each): Value for money! The tongue was a thicker-cut than which you find served at yakiniku’s (though not as thick as the glorious cut at Rengaya). Soft, tender, well-seasoned, sense-tingling good. A definite must-order for any of our reader’s dining at this restaurant.
Baby Beef tenderloin with soy and butter ($4.50 each): The most tender part of a cow, it’s baby cow too, which makes it even more tender-er. With a low fat content, the was a meaty texture that worked well with the light dressing of soy and butter.
Paradise prawn with crispy head and salt ($3 each): I’ve never tasted a paradise prawn, but from my pre-reading it’s bred in the South Pacific region of New Caledonia without any trace of antibiotics, pesticides or additives. The texture of the sweet prawn under the sharp crunch of the shell (I’m the type that eats the whole prawn including shell – when it’s fried) was tender and the flesh was firm. The crispy head of a prawn is a dish which I’ve always liked and disappeared quickly.
Chicken giblets dressed with soy and butter ($3.50 each): The vital organs of a chicken – like biting into a springy fish ball with a rubbery texture. I’m a fan of this dish and would certainty order it again.
Kurobuta Pork Jowl with salt and pepper ($4 each): It was no surprise that these skewers had a ratio of more fat than meat as the Jowl part is rich and plentiful with fat. In the mouth, every bite is a guilty pleasure: oozing denseness of fat coupled with the marbled texture of Kurobuta.
Ika Geso ($3.50 each): Cuttlefish tentacles with Kushiyaki sauce. I wasn’t a fan of these. Not because that dislike cuttlefish, but because the springy texture of the cuttlefish together with the sauce was rather bland.
Tsukune ($4 each): home made chicken meatballs. Wow, these were amazing. The sauce enhanced the light fluffy balls which had been cooked and made by the hands of a culinary god. I highly recommend anybody this dish – yes I ordered a few more to satisfy my burning desire for more.
These were so amazing that my brother – a not-so cooking enthusiast – attempted to make these at home a few nights ago. Check out the awesome shaped balls….!
Though they might not look like the tsukune served at Azuma Kushiyaki, they tasted similar, but were drier and had less sauce.
Onigiri – Salmon ($5.50 per piece): Though not as good as Ryo’s, these filled the gap between my not-full and full state. The aroma of the salmon had infused the rice with a divine taste.
Sadly it fell apart (I always fail at holding an Onigiri) due to my amateur Onigiri eating and holding skills.
Azuma Kushiyaki is fine establishment which gets my approval, though the cost of dining may dent one’s wallet, it is justified by the genuine experience of Izakaya dining (try get a booth!) and international recognised quality of Kimitaka Azuma.
Check out the couple getting intimate
Azuma Kushiyaki (also referred to as Kushiyaki Azuma)
Ground Floor Regent Place Shopping (next to KFC on George St – once inside it is past TonTon on the right)
501 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Ph: (02) 9267 7775
Note: Minimum charge of $35 pp (though I’m not sure how strictly enforced this is as we were above this); For bookings of 10 or more, ordering is restricted to a group menu.
D
September 8th, 2009 at 11:52 am
dude the duck breast looks amazing! i’m so hungry, haven had breakfast yet!
September 8th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
You tried such a great range of food – it’s fabulous because now I know what to get when I go there (chicken giblets!). But what’s with the min $35 pp – that’s a bit steep, isn’t it?
September 8th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Oh my, everything looks so delicious! Especially those chicken meatballs! So much meat!! Hehe. The boy would love this for sure! This is definitely on my list!
September 8th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Mmmmm so wanna go again! Gotta try that tsukune and you shoulda got the Otsumami set man! All the skewers were awesome but tbh I have had better chicken skin elsewheres
September 8th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Woo nice one!
This is where I get my Japanese cakes too.
September 9th, 2009 at 10:19 am
Gosh the food looks good – I’m balking (just a little) at the prices though.
September 9th, 2009 at 10:57 am
wow..didnt know it was an izakaya place..thought it was simply a regular jap restaurant..prices abit steep tho..hhmm..
September 9th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
I love izakaya dining! I don’t know why it hasn’t taken off more, I guess there aren’t that many izakaya restaurants around unlike Tapas!
September 16th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Ahh, Azuma’s izakaya bar. I’ve wanted to see what that was like. So much of the food there looks so good!
Some of the best food in Japan I had was at an izakaya so this place is right up my alley