Hana Jurin - Crows Nest, NSW

Oh, it's been a bad month for me....not July itself, that was amazing but more end of July until now...Aside from the Mrs being sick the last week or so, I feel like I've been in a bit of an emotional slump. I just haven't had the motivation to do anything at all (go gym, blog or cook) and so, the last month has resulted in me gaining a significant bit of belly baggage, emotional baggage (as a result of stress at work) and some. So, I really have to make a conscious effort to get back into the routine of things that make me happy....starting with blogging.

I had one of the MOST memorable meals of my life on the 22nd of July (my birthday) and I didn't even find the time to sit down and blog about it! So, for months now, I've been pestering the Mrs about what she had booked for my birthday dinner. I never used to like surprises (the element of having to deal with an unknown factor unnerved me severely) but since being with her, I've grown accustomed to and have started to enjoy when people plan pleasant surprises for me. So I've been asking her for months what she had planned for me knowing that the one thing I wanted to have (omakase) had to be booked months in advance (for all those people who want to know how I managed to book Sashimi Shinsengumi...I got lucky). Month on month, the Mrs would tell me "Nah, haven't booked anything...sorry" when secretly, she'd organised omakase at Hana Jurin months ahead! Sneaky fox!

Obviously, she could only really keep the secret until the day before because I had to drive there but upon hearing that I was going to get omakase for my birthday dinner, I was ecstatic! I spent that weekend treating myself to the Overwatch World Cup and on the night, just before we were due to go, the Mrs met me in the city and we drove off early to avoid being late. Omakase is Japanese for "I'll leave it to you" which is a traditional Japanese method of dining where a diner leaves themselves completely at the will of the establishment. The chef decides exactly what is fresh and what is right to serve at the right time to maximise the diner's enjoyment of the meal and the experience.

If Sashimi Shinsengumi was the cheaper entry-point to this exquisite world of sushi enjoyment and if Sokyo is the high-end decadent version, then I would say Hana Jurin is the mid-tier cost but super authentic and traditional experience. If you want to get the most real sushi omakase experience you can, I would recommend coming to Hana Jurin. But be warned, omakase is for the true sushi fanatics and those who are open to following tradition. Do not mistake yourself into thinking that it's a great date idea (unless of course, your date is a sushi nerd) or a casual dinner with friends because just as much as the master is to respect you as a guest, you are equally supposed to respect the master and the establishments rules and ceremonies for the entire process.

You must:

1. Always be on time. 
2. Never cancel last minute...last minute cancellations are never ok
3. Try to eat the nigiri as quickly as you can as it's served exactly at the time and temperature it's intended to be eaten at
4. Never ask for soy sauce or wasabi...each piece is designed and season as it should be eaten.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, if you're still keen on the experience, I would highly, highly recommend it. Chef Tomoyuki Matusya is a second generation sushi master and his skills and passion for sushi are second to none. I assure you that if you enjoy sushi, Japanese cuisine and the general aesthetic and philosophy behind the Japanese way of doing things, you will absolutely LOVE the experience that you have here. Each piece of sushi down to each grain of rice (I kid you not, each grain is perfect) is carefully crafted so that you can have the ultimate eating experience and you really, really taste the every bit of skill the chef has acquired with each piece.

I'm not going to go in depth into each piece but I will post the pictures of each piece in chronological order so you have a flow of the night. For in depth reviews of each nigiri piece, please visit the @mrandmrschopsticks instagram for more information though the piece you get if and when you go will be somewhat different as the pieces are seasonal.

This experience was memorable for me not JUST because it was my (perfect) birthday or the fact that I got to indulge in one of my most favourite food items but because the whole night made SUCH an impression on me. Chef's skills are supreme and the journey he takes you through is one of profound discovery of different flavour profiles and textures. Not only that, the other guests on the night also had a wonderful time and near the end of the night, we all sat around the sushi bar in a strange sense of comfort. I legitimately feel like I was transported to a small, intimate sushi bar in the more traditional parts of Tokyo. This sort of experience was something I thought I could only get in Japan and if only for that, it was WELL worth every cent paid. 

Yakitori Yurippi - Crows Nest, NSW

I really can't believe that it's been almost a month since my last blog post...I mean, how did they time pass so quickly? I guess life for us has just gotten that hectic that I hadn't had the time to sit down and reflect but I now find myself in a position where I can sit quietly and reminisce about the most AMAZING (I mean amazing) dinner I had for my birthday. Despite claiming not to have planned anything in celebration of my birthday, the Mrs had actually booked a table for the two of us to go to a place that I've wanted to go to for some time now: Yakitori Yurippi.

I love places like Yurippi...humble, homey and welcoming small eateries that offer amazing food for relatively little money. The decor is like any authentic Japanese izakaya and the eclectic crowd shows it...a family out for a nice dinner, a group of old friends catching up over drinks or a young couple (like us) flirting and enjoying each others company. Everyone is welcome and everyone will be able to find something they enjoy. We arrive relatively early for our booking and are one of the first guests seated. Immediately, I notice the extensive menu of drinks (I'm a sucker for Japanese whisky) and the small but concise list of savoury items you can order. At $2.90 per skewer (most skewers), every item is an absolute steal!

I start off with a glass of Mars on the rocks whilst the Mrs chooses to have the Oolong high. My Mars is crisp, sweet and oh-so-refreshing! I love the fact that so many places are stocking and appreciating Japanese whisky nowadays and it's even better when they serve it with an ice sphere. The Mrs Oolong high is still a bit too strong for her but it is very mellow. The distinct taste of the Oolong tea really helps smooth over the alcoholic content and brings out a very lovely characteristic.

 

Shortly after our drinks came, our food quickly started to arrive at the table one after another. First to come was the chicken karaage. Seriously, I kid you not, I've had my fair share of karaage but this, hands down, has to be one of the best. So juicy and flavoursome on the inside yet crunchy on the outside. It may have soaked up a bit too much oil in the fry but you don't really care because the marinade penetrated the meat so well that you are just overwhelmed by how moreish and delicious the chicken is. No mayo or citrus needed...just pure poultry indulgence.

Then after that came our dish of small oden items. To sample as much as you can, it's always best to order a little bit of everything and we definitely did not hold back. Eggs, chikuwa fish cake and radish with a rather nice broth, all of which were nice to have with a smidge of Japanese hot mustard.

As I said earlier, the items came quick, hot and fast and before we finished our first bite of the oden, our gyoza and first plate of kushimono came! The gyoza had just the right amount for sharing and as you can see in the picture below, had an amazingly crunchy skirt. The crackling-like skirt almost stuck to your teeth as you chewed which makes me suspect they used rice flour instead of plain flour for the gruel.

For the kushimono, we ordered pork belly, chicken cartilage and chicken skin. When ordering certain items, you have a choice of two flavours: salt or soy. We decided to try one skewer of each flavor for the pork belly and to be honest, though the soy was really nice with it's sweet yet savoury attribute, the salt really, really stole the show as the salt helped bring out the natural rich porcine flavour of the belly fat. The cartilage was a great snack as it offered a nice contrast of textures before moving on to the most desirable skewer: the chicken skin. Charred to a perfect crisp yet supple in some parts, each stretch weaved over itself to capture the oils and flavours in the nooks and crevices...if you visit, it is imperative that you order this.

On our second plate of kushimono, we had another skewer of the pork belly, some miso ox tongue and two skewers each of the chicken thigh. The miso ox tongue was really tender and beefy though it could have done with a bit more of the sauce. The way it was applied made it hard for the sweet and nutty miso sauce to stick to the meat. The chicken thigh was cooked really, really well: tender, juicy and so amazingly savoury...I could go all night, skewer after skewer and not be bored.

Then we had something that was surprisingly delicious and I seriously regret not ordering more: the pork jowl. Charcoal grilled until the exterior is crispy yet yielding a gelatinous snap, the three pieces of meat almost taste like pork flavoured butter when eaten as it melts and seaps into each of your tastebuds, overwhelming them with a sense of elation and momentary bliss before you realise...there's no more. Mental note to self: order more next time.

Another interesting skewer we had was the bacon wrapped mochi. Tasted like torched, unsweetened marshmallows wrapped in salty, smokey bacon. Though not my favourite item that we ordered, the Mrs thoroughly enjoyed it for which I am glad.

Another skewer that I had high expectations of but didn't exactly satisfy was the wagyu beef. Very, very tender and rich but...slightly lacking in meatiness and char.

Then came the thing that blew everything out of the water. A few years back, I'd visited Hong Kong and went to Yardbird. I was keen to try their chicken meatball (tsukune) but it was so packed that we couldn't get a table and it didn't work out. Since then, we've been fortunate enough to have many places borrow that formula and open up in Sydney. That said, until that night, I had still yet to try the famous chicken meatballs on a skewer. But when I did, oh man, there was no going back. Soft and juicy chicken mince (with some cartilage thrown in for good texture and measure) that's charred and smokey on the outside but so mellow and crazy delicious on the inside...served with this umami packed dipping sauce that has a 63 degree egg gently floating on top of it. Mix it all up so that the yolk, white and sauce cling onto the meatball...take a bite and literally ascend into chicken heaven. It was so, so, so good that I ordered seconds.

By this point, the Mrs and I were quite full so we ordered some last snacky items to round off the meal. Unfortunately, as they were getting quite busy, we had to vacate our table soon (we were part of the first round on a Friday night) but no biggie! We had so far thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and the service was so fantastic that we didn't care. I do admit though...I would have wished I could have spent my whole evening there gorging away. But alas, our last few orders came and it was time to wrap up. The scallops with kombu butter were tasty but could be something saved for the seafood lovers and the veges (although cooked perfectly) could have been substituted for more chicken thigh and meatballs...ok, I admit it, the other items were amazing as well but I just wanted more time to enjoy the meat. The Japanese omelette though is a must order....so warming. Literally, the perfect way to end the dinner.

As I reluctantly left the establishment, I noticed that the outside had quickly formed a rather large line. Whilst I'm unsure as to whether or not the line was for Yurippi or the yakiniku place next door, I'm convinced that if I had such an amazing time there, the line must have been for Yurippi. I have never been more impressed with the decor, service, staff, quality of the food and the value that we recieved. Inclusive of the drinks and almost 40 items between the two of us, our bill only racked up to $140 so in retrospect, I should have gone HAM. No worries, after this experience, I'll take any excuse and any invite to go again *wink wink nudge nudge*