Long term readers will know of my adoration for Wagyu-Ya on Cheveron. Ever since receiving the tip off that it is the best Japanese BBQ in Brisbane, I have made a point to have it every time I'm down at the Gold Coast. From the early days they were a little shed behind a shopfront, they have since renovated their restaurant and branched out into a dessert cafe (Niku Cafe), renovated their original store and even branched out into omakase by way of the very exclusive Black Door. When Brisbane's number one foodie host, Jenny asked us to join her in a dinner at Black door, I did not hesitate to say yes.
Whilst some may have difficulty finding Wagyu Ya, down the alleyway, it was near impossible to find Black Door, which happened to be out the back of the Wagyu ya, and around the corner. As some may say, the harder to find, the better the food is, and I was excited, especially given how exclusive it is, serving only eight customers per night.
The table was set and we were provided with complimentary still or sparkling water. The menu invoked a great deal of anticipation when I saw it.
Along the back counter, there was a selection of curated sake to go with the omakase if you wanted. Next time we will definitely go with the pairing but today we tried a selection of umeshu. From left to right we had shiso, matcha and yuzu. My favourite was the matcha, with its fragrant tea aftertaste in every sip. My second choice would have to be the refreshing citrus yuzu.
First course was the Sakizuke 先附 which means appetizer. It was a Chawanmushi with uni and wagyu consommé. Chawanmushi isn't particularly unique, but this was topped with the rich umami uni and a meaty rich wagyu consommé. In other places, it would be topped with a refreshing seafood dashi, but this was decadent and very bold. It was a very unique take on a crowd favourite.
After our starter, we feasted our eyes on the preparation of the Blackdoor Hassun 八寸 seasonal appetiser assortment. It is a traditional entree which comprises of eight small dishes, to give you a broad taste of what is to come. It would be too much to go through every dish but my favourites of the night would have to be the nanban cod which was lightly battered, and doused with a tangy vinegar sauce, the char grilled A5 kagoshima wagyu with butter and of course the tuna sashimi topped with pistachio foam. Every morsel was a delight to consume.
This was our Mushi-Mono 蒸し物 steamed dish. It was an Imperador with edamame kudzu tofu. The Imperador was very fresh with a firm meat texture, even cooked it was quite sweet. What was most intriguing though was the kudzu tofu, it had a powdery stretchy texture to it akin to mochi.
Our next course was titled Oshinogi 御凌ぎ, small dish to tide you over to the next meal. It wasn't very small, rather it was a very generous serving of Moreton bay bug served with four types of sauce. This was Dr L's favourite course of the night and he enjoyed it with the refreshing dashi jelly. The bug was unbelievably fresh with a crunchy texture and a sweet taste that we loved.
This was the Agemono 揚げ物 fried dish. It was some deep fried Cuttlefish and ume tempura. Ordinarily the cuttlefish would have been quite decadent, but the tempura batter was light and the plum really cut into any oiliness it would have had.
Interluding before the grand finale of our meal was the refreshment, a blood orange sorbet palette cleanser. This was crisp, refreshing and not very sweet.
The long awaited Shusai しゅさい main dish was a Black door wagyu shabu shabu. Watching the chefs prepare the MB 11+ wagyu during our other courses definitely got us salivating while we waited and it was well worth it. The shabu shabu rendered quite a lot of the fat of the wagyu whilst retaining its smooth rich texture. The dashi broth was unbelievably fragrant while the added umami of the uni made it all the more decadent. This was my second most favourite course of the meal and the quality of the wagyu really stood out.
Sushi 寿司 was without a doubt my favourite course of the night. We got to appreciate the three cuts of tuna, otoro, chutoro and akami, masterfully prepared by the chefs. The toro was dry aged and then marinated in soy before serving, providing a creamy buttery taste. This would have to be the best piece of sushi I have eaten this year.
Concluding our savoury courses was the Wan mono 椀物 dish served in a bowl - Seafood Nyumen. I absolutely love noodles soup, especially somen and these were perfectly tender and warming with the added bonus of a tasty scallop cake, making for a wonderful way to round off our meal.
Our dessert was a strawberry sorbet with watermelon jelly, avocado cream, pistachio and mango. Fruity and cheerful, it was a very light and not very sweet way to wrap up our meal. The flavours and textures complemented and contrasted each other, especially the smooth avocado with the sharp strawberry.
Overall we had a fantastic time at Black Door. By the time we had our second course we already decided on making another reservation for the next year. I could not recommend it more.
Value: 8/10
Service: 10/10
Environment: 9/10
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