Ju Ge Mu/Shimbashi – Neutral Bay, Sydney (4)
You guys are probably sick of hearing about Ju Ge Mu/Shimbashi haha but it is the kind of place that draws you back for more and more. The fresh and tasty food, the warm and inviting atmosphere and the friendly and helpful staff all combine to create an absolutely memorable experience. They had some Koi (Carp) hung up to symbolize Children’s Day on the 5th of May, which is a celebration of children and a good excuse for them to have a holiday 
(also shows how awesomely up-to-date I am with my blogging hee hee)
The Teppanyaki man doing his thang
I read on NQN that Bill Granger was a regular here so I got to snooping and asked the Boss’ son about it and he talked about how Bill is super friendly and that he usually sits in front of the Teppan with his family. Haha not to be a stalker or anything but I am hoping I will be able to spot him there sometime just to say ‘heh heh… hiiii’ (most likely with a stupid look of awe on my face). But soon we changed the matter to other important ones which consisted of what we were to dine that night!
Here Comes the Food
Tofu Salad
Soft and slippery bites of tofu cubes set on crisp, fresh salad and with even more shredded crunch on top made this a really good and refreshing start to the meal.
Soba Chips
These were very crunchy and crispy and would be the best kind of snacks with a tall cool glass of beer. But even without the beer these were definitely worth getting for a good deep fried carb hit.
Beef Tongue
My goodness, these juicy and tender morsels of meat are brilliant! The sweet sauce was contrasted with a squeeze of lemon to bring out the beauty and natural flavours of the beef tongue. The texture had the perfect chewiness to them and it is something you just want to order 10 of.
Otoro Sashimi
This is fattiness in sashimi-form. Beautiful cuts of Tuna belly that literally just melts in your mouth and distributes the fishy goodness and fatty flavours throughout every part of it. Most definitely worth getting although these slivers are a bit small in my opinion haha.
Saikyoyaki – grilled silver cod marinated in white miso
This beautiful fish of silver cod has been ordered at every single one of our visits. I love the flakiness and soft meat mixed with the deep and slightly sweet flavour of the miso paste.
Korokke
Deep fried fillets of potato is always good on my list and they ahve done a good job as it is not too dry or too soggy. A rich creamy taste also contributes to the dish and the sweet crunch of the batter as it gives way to the soft filling adds to the pleasure.
Soft Shell Crab
Not the best of their dishes as there was way too much batter on them which gave it a slightly greasy feel to it. There was, however, a good hint of spice to it that gave it another dimension to its flavour.
Kurobuta Pork Tonkatsu
Another must-order for me as I am a huge tonkatsu fan hee hee. Loving on the pork a bit too much? Nahhhh. The juicy and tender cuts of meat with their beautifully crunchy exterior were not as fatty as the first few visit but still very good. We always end up fighting for the end pieces as that’s where most of the fatty goodness resides and on top of that you get greater crunchy batter to meat ratio with the side pieces. The shredded lettuce is good and helps with the oiliness but I wish they would add some mayo so it is not so bland.
Modern Cheese
Yay for chhheeesssee and okonomiyaki! Once again I would really appreciate it if they had more chheessee! But they really do the best okonomiyaki in Sydney that I have tried.
Grilled Kingfish
Another really good dish that we tried for the first time with very soft and delicious flakes of fish. The sauce and shredded lettuce also added to the dish very nicely.
Curry Udon
This was the only slightly disappointing dish of the night. The curry was too watery and did not really have the spices and aroma of a proper Japanese curry as it tasted mainly of soy sauce. However, the udon was very nice and QQ so I would like to try some other udon dishes especially in these wintery times.
Hopefully I will be able to spot Bill Granger sometime but I am very happy and content with spotting the food as they are served up to me hee hee.
Ju Ge Me up!:
Ju Ge Mu/Shimbashi – Neutral Bay, Sydney (3)
Ju Ge Mu/Shimbashi – Neutral Bay, Sydney (2)
Ju Ge Mu/Shimbashi – Neutral Bay, Sydney
Ju Ge Mu/Shimbashi
246-248 Military Rd, Neutral Bay
Ph: 02 9904 3188
FFichiban
June 8th, 2009 at 3:12 am
Ahh Jugemuuuuu!
I haven’t been to this place for ages – I guess it’s just because I usually prefer Hiroshima style Okonomi Yaki. (Thicker than Osaka original style and with yakisoba inside.) Which by the way I’m hoping some Japanese restaurant would open up or start serving this.
Have you had any Soba noodles? I was soo impressed and loved how the soba noodle there tasted really good. I’m a soba person than udon!
June 8th, 2009 at 3:29 am
definitely will be checkng this place out! looks neat:-)
June 8th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Haha we wanted to go here too as I figured if Bill has been there it must be pretty good as he has spent so much time in Japan! Plus it’s so close it would be madness not to try it!
June 8th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
wow, everything looks so yummy, and those soba noddles….someone hand me a beer…now! I think I will cook something deep fried for dinner tonight. I blame you if I gain any weight! lol
June 8th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Oh yum, soba chips! I’m not sick of hearing about it because it all looks so good! How have I not tried this place yet? Will check it out soon
June 8th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
I haven’t been there for a while. Reading your post makes me feel like going back there asap. nice pictures! good luck with your next visit to spot Bill Granger! I was sitting at the table next to Keanu Reeve at Restaurant Pier, Rose Bay when he was filming matrix in Sydney (many years ago)… I was absolutely star-struck.
June 9th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
I still haven’t been to this place, but after eyeing the silver cod and beef tongue, it’s next on the must hit list. ^^
June 10th, 2009 at 1:45 am
Yas – Yeah me too! Hiroshima style all the way but I have yet to find them in Sydney. Yeah their soba is very good too but I haven’t seen the soba making show yet, probably cos I don’t go there in the arvo haha
Chinesechic – Yes please do
Lorraine – Yeah, I am surprised you haven’t yet
Maria – HAHA but now you make me feel like something deep fried mmm so let’s call it even?
Steph – Gogogo ^^!
Ellie – Ooh wooww! Did you get any photo or autographs hee hee?
Chris – Hee hee yeah, the Saikyoyaki is a must-get!
June 10th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
I like the colourful koi. When I was little I asked my mum why there was mothers’ and fathers’ day, but no children’s day. She said *every* day was children’s day!
June 19th, 2009 at 12:24 am
Is Bill Granger your “Peter Doyle”, if you get my meaning? ;P
The food look izakaya style in presentation and some one those dishes looks absolutely fantastic! saikyoyaki and beef tongue ftw!