I think I've really slowed down lately on the blogging....not that I've eaten any less but I think, I've had many outstanding meals but none that invoked an emotion in me. A post-meal elation that has prompted me to immediate action, a meal so good that it's stoked an intense passion in me to sit here and put my thoughts to keyboard. I had a meal like that just last night when the Mrs and I visited Restaurant Sasaki.
Sasaki has been open for a short while but has amassed immense fame in the community for the aesthetic and philosophy behind the food. The philosophy was to bring Japanese home cooking to the Sydney public. The store is fitted out with a strong Japanese influence with clean lines and perfectly balanced contrast between darkness and light. Everywhere you look, the organisation and simplicity of your surroundings just mesmerise you. Looking from the outside, you would be forgiven for mistaking the area for suburban Tokyo (at least, that's how I felt). I felt instantly transported back to my favourite country when I saw the big, blue noren outside. As I walked in though, that nostalgic familiarity disappeared but was replaced by a fascination with the interior. The inside made me feel like I was in someone's well-organised and fitted out home in rural Shimane prefecture.
At 6:15, the restaurant was already packed out (a measure of just how popular they are) but we were fortunate enough to still be able to get my favourite seating, right at the bar. This was the most optimum seating as the lighting was perfect and we had front-row seats to see it all happen. When I said everything was aesthetically pleasing, I really meant it. Even the menu was made out of Japanese washi paper which meant it had a really delicate yet clean feel to it. The Mrs didn't really want to go with the Omakase because it had duck on it so we decided to order straight from the menu.
First to come was the Salmon, Fennel and Caraway Seed which consisted in a mix of fresh salmon cubes that had been marinaded in white miso, mixed with cucumber and topped with pomelo. This was a perfect start to a wonderful dinner as this really demonstrated the skill and technique of each dish to come and set the bar for what we were to expect. The flavours were fresh and distinct, each one layered in a way where you would taste each after the other in perfect clarity as if you were lead from point to point whilst being lead by a gentle river current. The crunchy texture of the cucumber really accented the soft, fatty mouth feel of the salmon and the nutty, moreish flavour of the white miso marinade gave it a buttery, sweet finish.
Just before we finished the salmon, the next dish came which was the Egg and Crab Chawanmushi. This was the Mrs favourite dish of the night as the egg had a custard like consistency. Smooth, delicate and delicious in every way, the dashi used provided a really clean but intense umami with the sweetness of the flaky crab meat accenting each spoonful. We legitimately did not leave a single bit left in the chawan and the Mrs was visibly in utter bliss with each bite.
Despite the small kitchen and space, the dishes definitely come at a blistering page because as we were just finishing the chawanmushi, the third dish came which was the Prawns with Apple and Coriander. This was another dish that was immensely impressive to me....the thought and balance of flavours was absolutely sensational. I could legitimately drink that vinaigrette since it was so light and appetising. The apples and herbaceous flavour of the coriander really gave the sweet, raw prawns another dimension of flavour. Though it may seem a bit daunting to eat at first, it really isn't that hard. The method I found easiest was bringing the flesh up to your mouth and swallowing it whole from the middle, leaving only the head and tail exposed outside your mouth. You can then use your teeth to gnaw out the remaining flesh in the tail, leaving the head for your enjoyment if you're into sucking on prawn heads.
Then, came the "piece-de-resistance" moment of the night for us...with dishes of this extremely high refinement and calibre, you would imagine the dish would have to be exceptional to rise above the other already amazingly delicious dishes but
IT WAS. The Wagyu, Satoimo and Peashoot dish had to be my favourite of the night just for the pure heavenly delight it brought the Mrs and I. Each bite made me pause and savour each drop of flavour and each lashing of sauce. I've had a fair few dishes of hanger steak but I can say with certainty that Sydney wide....none have the balance that Sasaki has. The beef was cooked pink end-to-end with a meaty, tender texture and rich, intense flavour.
I almost cried....
that's how good this dish was.
Whilst we ate the beef, a bowl of the rice of the day (Chicken, Mushroom and Mackerel Dashi) was waiting for us to consume it. We were fortunate enough to be able to capture the moment they opened the pot and mixed the rice just before serving and what a sight to behold...the perfectly cooked grains of rice being separated from the edges....just a hint of charring on the grains closest to the sides of the pot. Upon tasting the rice, I can say that you would not have had rice as good as this unless it was prepared by a seasoned master. You could taste each grain individually with the sweetness of the rice and the savoury flavours of the chicken, mushroom and mackerel permeating your mouth.
To finish our savoury selection, we had the Shiitake Mushrooms with Cheese Sauce. Now, I'm normally very anti-vegetables but I generally make exceptions for fungi. This dish? I will have
over steak. Big call....but hear me out. This is the most perfect arrangement of mushrooms I've
EVER had...deep fried and crunchy mushrooms coated in a thick, intensely cheesy sauce with an onsen egg hidden at the bottom with a savoury, umami-rich tare. Amazing....just, amazing.
Whilst I would have
LOVED to double down on a few of the dishes I had last night, alas, our reservation only covered us up until 7:45 so we had to hustle. We quickly ordered dessert which consisted of three items we found interesting: the Chocolate with Red Miso, Matcha Meringue and the insta-famous Caramel and Nuts Monaka. Now, I told the Mrs that my favourite was the Matcha Meringue but in all honesty? It was definitely the Monaka. Don't get me wrong, like everything else we had last night, the desserts were ALL amazing too, but the Monaka was next level. The toasted flavour of the monaka wafer shell really accentuated the sweetness of the caramel and the nuts.
I hope to....no, I will return to Sasaki
many, many times in the future. Sasaki envokes the same emotion in me as Japan does...it's like my spiritual home and by default, Sasaki is one of my
favourite restaurants in Sydney right now. Japan is one of the few places on earth that makes me feel like I could stay there forever (others being Hong Kong, Hobart and obviously, Sydney) and Sasaki definitely gives me the same feeling. I truly, truly hope to become a regular at this fine establishment.
