TakashiYa Pop Up - Southbank

Dear Reader, as you may have noticed, I have taken a short hiatus from updating my blog. In short, the continuous lockdowns and working from home have made it difficult for me to plan ahead for meals or find much inspiration to write about my culinary adventures (without turning this into a cooking blog :"). Having said that, the short break has given me the reprieve that I needed and being able to enjoy dinner at the TakashiYa pre opening pop up has given me the inspiration I needed to keep on writing.

Long time readers will no doubt have followed my journey with Master Chef Takashi Nami through the years, from meeting him at Ku-O at the Gabba, to enjoying his spectacular tuna cutting shows at the short lived Mercado, to his first run at a sushi degustation at Shishou to his most recent pivot to Private Dining during the rolling lockdowns and restrictions, it has all been a testament to Chef Takashi's resilience and devotion to his art. Whilst there have been delays in the opening date for TakashiYa in the Emporium at South Bank, the demand for Takashi's food has been unending and as such, it was unsurprising that they have been able to pivot to offering a pre opening pop up to allow the diehard fans another chance to sample the food before the formal restaurant opening.

 

Whilst the restaurant itself was still being renovated, the table was beautifully set and Takashi was ready with his treasure box of fragrant black truffles. 

First course for the night was the Tasmanian Jumbo Pacific Oyster Shooter served with Osetra caviar, Salmon Pearls, shaved bottarga and truffle ponzu. Having previously enjoyed this dish during a session of Private Dining, it is the ultimate decadent starter. With three types of caviar, they each have their distinctive taste, between the popping salmon pearls to the rich osetra caviar and the deep rich umami taste of Bottarga, this was an absolute joy to be had. Cutting into the decadence was a sharp truffle ponzu which made it all more exquisite. 

  

Next course was the Sashimi Selection, with Salmon, Blue Fin Tuna Belly and Kingfish. These were expertly sliced and each piece was exceptionally fresh. The salmon was very smooth and rich whilst the kingfish was light and sweet but my favourite was definitely the well marbled, meaty tuna belly which melted in my mouth. Definitely an all time favourite for me.

Special mention also needs to be given to the freshly grated wasabi, which is 

Next course was the Fried Corn with Aonori seaweed and yuzu aioli. The corn was crisp on the outside without there being any reduction to the juiciness inside each kernel. Coupled with the fragrance of seaweed, it was unlike any other corn I've enjoyed in the past. The yuzu aioli was also rich but also tangy and fresh, giving extra depth to the dish.

Our next course was the Saikyo Miso Glazed Glacier 51 Toothfish with yuzu infused cucumber salad. As a deep water fish, it is quite fatty and each flakes very easily upon very little prodding. The miso was sweet and delicate, complimenting the fish really well whilst the yuzu cucumber salad kept it all very fresh. I would be perfectly content eating this with rice every day.

 

 

This is undoubtedly the most decadent chawanmushi I've ever had the privilege of tasting. With WA Spanner Crab and Black Truffles, it had fragrance and texture. Having done several attempts at Korean Gyeranjjim at home with some hand shredded cream meat, I understand how difficult it is to achieve a silky smooth texture with no sinews and not a hint of overcooking. Takashi has been able to create it perfectly in all respects. The creamy egg accentuates the elegant flavour of spanner crab and is further elevated by the freshly shaved truffle. It was wonderful.

The next dish is my all time favourite, Bluefin Negitoro Maki. Having experienced Negitoro so many times when I went to Japan, eating Takashi's version immediately brought me back to my time overseas. The amount of toro was extremely generous and the green onions were crunchy and extremely aromatic and sharp. I only wish that I could have had more. 

 

My second most favourite course of the day was the Blue Fin Tuna Mini Kaisen Don  with Salmon, Kingfish, Uni, Salmon Pearl and Truffle Tamagoyaki. As much as I would have liked for the dish to have been a bit bigger as well, I wouldn't have been able to enjoy the other courses if I was completely full on this. There was a generous amount of fish given the rice and the rice itself was very well seasoned. I liked the mix of both sliced and chopped toro with a contrast of textures and the delicious uni. Salmon pearls were also a highlight as was the truffle tamagoyaki. Would definitely be keen on a full sized portion when the restaurant officially launches.

 

 

It's hardly a dinner by Takashi if you do not get to sample his signature dish, the A5 Kagoshima Wagyu with Foie Gras Aburi Nigiri served with fresh black truffle. The wagyu was thoroughly marbled and draped over each piece of sushi rice, it was topped with foie gras before being torched. It was then adorned with shaved truffle. Honestly it was such a beautiful work of art that I almost didn't want to eat it. It was exceptionally decadent and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Last of our savoury dishes was the Seared Aged Duck Breast with cold soba salad, sweet soy dressing and spring onion oil. I loved the smokey aged duck breast, it was very firm and the umami taste had infused the meat thoroughly. Whilst duck is the heavier of poultry dishes, this was balanced out with the cold soba. I've never had spring onion oil before, but I can definitely say that after this encounter, I will be trying to get my hands on some for sure!

Dessert for the night was Matcha Nama Chocolate. Although unassuming little green squares, these were super smooth and super rich without being overly sweet. I loved each bite and they were the perfect way to round off our meal. There is no doubt whatsoever that I will be back again when they formally open.

Price Range: $200pp 

Taste: 9.5/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 9.5/10

Environment: 7/10

Fatcow Steak and Lobster - Brisbane CBD

Last weekend we caught up with some friends over dinner. They wanted to check out FatCow Steak and Lobster which had opened not too long ago along Eagle Street Pier. I had noted it when it opened but the earlier reviews I had seen were mixed, coupled with quite an expensive price meant that I held off from trying it out until now.

 

Arriving a bit earlier than our reservation time, we had a couple drinks at the bar whilst our table was being set up. I had my usual Espresso Martini whilst he had a Kiwi Mocktail. I quite enjoyed mine which was less sweet than a lot of the others I've had and relatively strong in coffee taste. Dr L's Kiwi drink was very beautiful and fruity. He also really liked it.

 

The menu came leather-bound and the contents followed the namesake theme of steak and lobster. Neither Dr L nor I were particularly keen on getting our hands dirty with lobster, so we stuck to the steak options.

We both had the Rib Fillet on the Bone. I had mine rare, with garlic peppercorn sauce and he had his medium with mushroom. As usual, I am irritated by the notion of having to pay extra ($5) for sauce when the steak itself is already quite pricey, I would have thought it would have made more sense to just include the cost of the sauce into the steak price, even if it meant charging a few dollars more. Presentation wise, mine was fine, however we found it a little odd that his had come with a considerable smear of blood on the plate. In terms of cooking, mine was done quite well, with a deep pink interior whilst his was indeed medium. Rib Fillets are as usual quite rich and fatty with a creamy texture to compliment the beefiness which really satisfied.

Each steak came with a side, he had the bowl of chips whilst I had the potatoes au gratin which we shared. The chips were crispy and the aioli was rich and fragrant. Having tried Potatoes Au Gratin before, these were cut quite thick and chunky and didn't have the thin layers that I enjoy. It was rich and decadent with cheese and cream, but didn't stand out compared to the steak. Whilst not a bad experience, I would definitely have to say that there are better steakhouses in town that serve better quality food for superior value. I don't think I'll be back anytime soon.

Price Range: $60 - $80pp

Taste: 6.5/10

Value: 4/10

Service: 5/10

Environment: 7/10 

Heeretea - West End

Other than restaurants, another notable addition to West Village is HeereTea, well placed to provide the residents with their regular dose of bubble tea after shopping. Being quite a big fan of their other stores, I definitely stopped by for a beverage.

Other than their regular assortment of drinks, they also had a small selection of cakes. Unfortunately there was only one small table and two chairs, so if you wanted to enjoy the cakes with more than one friend, you'd have to take it away. Thankfully there is amble seating outside.

Without too many chocolate options, he had the Oreo Brulee Milk Tea and I had an Iced Matcha. Trying is, it wasn't overly sweet and the brulee was very creamy but the tea flavours weren't too strong and there weren't too many pearls. I think the CBD and Sunnybank branches execute this better. In comparison, I really enjoyed the Iced Matcha, it was vibrant and strong without being overly bitter. I actually enjoyed this far more than the matcha lattes I've had recently and would definitely think this would be a wonderful drink for summertime.

Price Range: $5 - $10pp

Taste: 7/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Environment: 7/10
 

Beirut Bazaar - South Brisbane

A friend of mine recommended that I check out the new shopping precinct at West Village a couple of weeks ago, and since then I've had a fairly (un)healthy obsession with Harris Farmer's Market. Having gone there quite a few times now, I also decided to try out the local food options. Of the restaurants there, Beirut Bazaar most piqued my imagination and it took a few tries before we could make a reservation for a table.

 

Getting a table inside meant we weren't out in the cold. The menu was quite extensive and I really liked the large assortment of meat options. Service was attentive and friendly.

 

Between our group, we ordered two platters for two. This comprised of some dips with flat bread and three dips with some salad. There was quite a large amount of dips and nowhere near enough bread to have with the dips, but the dips were so delicious we decided to have it with our other meats when they came. In terms of sauces we had the Hummus, Baba Ghanouj and the Garlic dip. My favourite was clearly the garlic with its pungent fragrance and sharp taste. 

The other part of the platter for two was the Shwarma mix, hot mezze, wings skewers, rice and salad. These were very delicious, my favourite was actually the lamb skewer which was extremely flavoursome and had a crumbly texture. The rice was quite different to my usual but it was very complementary to the dish. 

We had another dish of Lamb Shwarma to share. It came with tahini and rice. The lamb was a bit tough but the seasoning was very delicious, the tahini was very fragrant with sesame flavours which went well with the lamb and rice. Dr L really liked this.

We had quite a few sides to share, this was the Batata Khara which our waitress recommended. It was cubed fried potato with pan fried coriander, chilli and garlic. These weren't crispy like chips but the flavours were super intense and they were delicious on their own even without a main dish.

A side salad we ordered was the Fattoush salad. It came with lettuce, tomato, raddish, parsley, shallots and deep fried bread. The bread was very thin and extremely crispy. The pomegranate molasses was unlike other dressings I've tried before. The dish was just quite crunchy and refreshing.

Of the dishes we had that day, my favourite was unexpectedly the Aranabeet, deep fried cauliflower with lebanese sauce. Although it looks like cauliflower, it tasted like spicy hot wedges. These were super fragrant and (probably) healthy. I could have had another dish on its own.

In case that wasn't enough, we also had a bowl of hot chips to share. This was lightly seasoned with paprika and served with a side of ketchup. The portion was generous and it really hit the spot. We will definitely be back for more food soon.

Price Range: $20 - $30pp

Taste: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 8/10