Nishiki Sushi - Campsie, NSW

How is it that $35 buys you so much happiness? That's what I was wondering the whole time I was having dinner at Nishiki. There is nothing that gives me more elation than to know that I have the option to gorge on as many of my favorite morsels as I can and not have to pay exorbitant amounts of money. Does happiness equal sushi? In my case, it certainly does.

Recently, the family has been seeing ads in the Chinese papers informing us that new sushi buffet has opened in Campsie. We were feeling particularly in the mood for sushi so we decided to drive out and try it out for dinner. Being located on the main road means that parking is a bit of an issue so don't hesitate to duck into one of the side streets, it really isn't that much of a walk.

Strategically speaking, you should always try and position yourself as close to the chef as possible. Unfortunately for us, being that those spaces were already occupied, we chose to sit at the seats closest to the door as we were particularly famished. In truth, this really wasn't much of a detriment (in fact, kinda became a benefit) because you have the option of ordering as many items as you'd like from the staff. Being so close to the front counter meant that we were always quick to be attended to.

I'll be very honest, we didn't expect very much from Nishiki...mostly because we've been scorned by so many sushi buffets on offer however, in my case, I was rather pleasantly surprised when I found the quality of the sushi to be better-than-decent. The neta (sliced fish) tasted relatively fresh and the rice really wasn't that bad. I also quite enjoyed the selection they had on offer as it did focus more on the nigiri than the rolls. I do have to say that I was slightly disappointed with the kingfish belly. I found the fish to be a bit on the thicker side and the skin wasn't cut as thinly as I'd have liked it to be which made it slightly harder to chew. 

Aside from various pieces of nigiri and maki available, they also provided small slips of paper which allowed you to order hot food by the piece. Being that my absolute favorite fried oysters were on offer, I'm really surprised I didn't go crazy with my ordering. If you're not a big fan of sushi, I guess you could stick to the fried foods (they also had self-service miso soup on offer) but I'd suggest only ordering a bunch of the stuff you really wanted. The karaage was missing it's starchy crunch but all else was great. The fried oysters came out piping hot and every bite yielded a perfectly crunchy exterior and briny, creamy interior.

As you must have gathered, I had actually walked into Nishiki a skeptic but I definitely came out a convinced and satisfied man. I got my month's worth of sushi in one sitting (mum and the sister needed to join plates to catch up to my pile) and I didn't feel nearly as full or as pressured than when I went for the annual sushi challenge at another unnamed sushi purveyor (one of my proudest moments, 24/25 plates). Nishiki is definitely worth the return, if not for the decently delectable sushi, than for the value for money you get out of the experience.

Samgugji - Campsie

I do love Tuesdays, mainly because that's the day that my dad gets a day off from toiling away in the kitchen. Despite that, most Tuesdays, you can still find him in the kitchen cooking a feast for us and our family friends. And that's why on the rare occasions we decide to go out for dinner, I'm especially happy because I get to see him sit down and relax for once. Our family only ever goes to a few regular places and this Tuesday, we decided to visit our Korean BBQ favorite.

Upon arriving, we were shocked to discover that the Korean restaurant we've been frequenting had been replaced! Samgugji (formerly Se Jong...the non-buffet one) still looked rather promising so we decided to go in anyway. Luckily, our uncertainty was put to rest as despite the name change, we could still identify the same familiar faces we've seen for years. The staff sure did remember us as without a hitch, we got to ordering all our usual dishes.

Not that the food was bad before (quite the contrary, it's always been really good) but I have to say, it's really gotten better since the change, The Ban Chan (side dishes) were the usual dishes but were of a discernibly higher standard. First to come was our BBQ platter and the first thing on the hot plate was my personal favoured cut, Chaedol Baegi (sliced beef brisket). Only needing a slight singe on the hot plate, the stuff is amazing when had with a steaming bowl of korean rice and bountiful Ssam Jang (Soybean paste).

Next came the seafood pancake which offered a nice, carby side to our meat. The Mrs absolutely loved this place as much as my family does and there's a reason why: they do really good pancakes and dumplings. Unfortunately, I was so absorbed in eating that I didn't take a photo of the dumplings but I did get a good snap of the pancake! Notice that despite it's thickness, the pancake still had the nice and crispy bumps that gave each bite a satisfying crunch.

We also ordered the beef soup (yukke jang) and I got my own bowl of Jya Jyang Myung (black bean noodles). The beef soup is perfect for this cold weather, the spice giving it a good kick to flavour the beef, spring onions and chewy potato noodles.

 I was apprehensive when ordering my noodles as the signs clearly said 'Lunch Only' but decided to give it a shot anyway. The boss lady (who was taking our order) had gave me a look when I asked but then smiled and let me have it anyway! I felt so special that I demolished it all (almost) without sharing.

We then finished our meal with more and more meat (as you do). We ordered the pork belly as an additional order and honestly, no regrets there. The thinly sliced bits of porcine goodness go really well with the sesame oil/salt mix they provide. If you don't have enough, you can always make more with the condiments available to you on the table.

The steak was amazingly tender but nothing compared to the beef ribs we had. They were cooked to a perfect medium and coated with a charred and sweet marinade. The fatty bits nearest to the bone were the best...especially when you don't have to share cause no one else would want it but you. As we always do, we finish with Bulgogi which I have to say has improved a lot. I think it may be my personal preference talking but it was spectacularly juicy and tender.

I'm so happy to see the restaurant still serving amazing food after all these years and although they might be experiencing a bit of a transitional period from the name change, I'm confident they'll come back to and exceed their former popularity if they keep serving food as good as I had this Tuesday night.