Mikazuki - Parramatta, NSW

Lately, I've been feeling like I'm the dictionary-definition of overcommitment. I mean that in terms of my work life and my home life. At work, things have been a bit hectic so obviously, I end up coming home tired. What little time I've had to myself, I've devoted to other hobbies (preparing to cosplay at Supanova/SMASH), Overwatch and Gym. With all that I've got on, I've barely had the motivation to jump on and write any posts...which isn't to say I have been busy eating out, I just haven't had the time to put my words onto the web.

Today, I made the commitment to jump back on and try to blog about all the places that we've been to, starting with Mikazuki. Boy, the ramen game in Parramatta has changed. Before, the best you could probably get was the poor excuse for ramen from any of the Korean run Japanese restaurants but finally, someone saw the massive gold mine that is Parramatta and decided to capitalise on the ramen boom early! Situated right underneath the new Western Sydney University building on Smith Street, the place is a PERFECT stop for hungry post-lecture feeds and afterwork sushi.

I'll compile all my recent visits into one post as I feel like I can only give the place an appropriate review if I base my opinions on the many items I've sampled thus far. Our first visit came shortly after I was made aware of the place via Instagram (as is the case with most places I visit). The Mrs and I headed over for dinner one night shortly after they'd opened for business but unfortunately, they ran out of ramen stock due to a busy lunch service. We settled on having the donburi and sushi that night instead.

First, I'll elaborate on the part that needs the most improvement: their donburi selection though wide, is not particularly executed well. This is in no means to say that they're bad or not delicious, it's more like...for the price you pay, there's not much special about it. Maybe it was the food we had that night but the rice was barely warm on my Spicy Karaage Don and the karaage wasn't crispy. The spicy mayo and runny egg went well with it but when the other components don't match up, it really brings down the overall quality of the dish. Same goes for the Katsu Curry, the Katsu was really nice (crispy, juicy and meaty) but the curry wasn't hot (temperature) and the rice was barely warm which didn't sit well with me...rice should always be piping hot and should always leave a warm feeling in your stomach.

Now, to the bit that was very impressive: the sushi. I can vouch for Mikazuki and say that they probably have one of (if not the most) highest quality sushi in Parramatta at the very moment. Highest quality in terms of authenticity and freshness. Each piece looked and felt as if it was expertly cut and formed by someone who had the highest degree of training and experience. The rice, in this regard, was the perfect temperature and seasoned well. In terms of value, you're not really going to be able to buy quantity (unless you splurge on a platter for yourself) but for what you are paying for, you're definitely getting some high quality offerings.

On our second and third visit, ramen was available! Of course, since these were what we'd been waiting for, we wasted no time in deciding our orders and quickly got to chowing down. I ordered the Spicy Miso ramen whilst the Mrs order the Black Garlic Tonkotsu. In both cases, the noodles were the weakest link as they are softer than what you usually get but the stock is spot on! The thickness and richness in fat and flavour is exactly what ramen should at the very least be like! My spicy miso had the typical nutty, fermented saltiness that you get from Miso Ramen but with some added spiciness that really accentuates the whole bowl. If I had to liken it to any ramen that's currently available in Sydney, I'd say it would be closest to Manmaruya only with much better chashu. To be honest, whilst it's definitely not on the same level as Ryo's or Gumshara, this is a really big development for Parramatta and I'm just glad we at least have the option close by.

On our third visit, we also opted to try the Wagyu Beef Tataki as well. When I have Beef Tataki, I always compare it to one of the best I've had (the Wagyu Tataki at Sushi Tei in Martin Place) and whilst not as rich or as tender, the beef does has a really nice texture and the sauce is very light and refreshing.

As I said above, I'm committing to blogging on a more frequent basis over the next fortnight. Parramatta is evolving at a rapid pace and I want to make sure that I document all the newly opened places as soon as I can. Please look forward to all my upcoming posts!

Ramen Zundo - Sydney, NSW

I'm sure everyone is well aware of how much I like ramen by now right? I mean, I can have ramen every single day of the week and actually not get sick of it. That's why I normally relish any opportunity I get to eat ramen (especially happy when the Mrs is also feeling like ramen). This particular night, we found ourselves at World Square so since I hadn't yet taken the Mrs to Zundo, I decided tonight was the night.

Now, I had visited Zundo many time before and whilst originally, I didn't like it nearly as much as I liked Menya or Ryo's, the recipe has steadily grown on me and recently, I've also found new reason for me to go to Zundo which is the Tsukemen. Specifically, I'm referring to their gyokai tsukemen which is a combination of their pork bone stock and fish powder. If you know what I'm referring to, you'll know that no other ramen joint gets it as close to the original product as they do here. It's almost reminiscent of the tsukemen you eat at rokurinsha or taishoken.

I told the Mrs to order the tsukemen while I stuck to the safe side and ordered a zundo black as a set (with the salmon sashimi don). As a bit of an indulgence, we also ordered chicken karaage. I was kinda (really) hoping the Mrs wouldn't appreciate the tsukemen like I did...so that she'd swap with me and she could have the zundo black. She turned out to really like it which meant that she polished most of it. The dipping soup for the tsukemen had a really strong kick of umami lent by the abundant amount of fish flavour they add to it. There's also a mild kick at the end which livens up the palate to make you eat more. The noodles are also the thick noodles specifically made for tsukemen which increases the authenticity of the dish. 

My zundo black was in comparison...alright. The soup is has a really deep, boney flavour to it which is great and while it's not nearly as thick as O-san's creamy tonkotsu or the infamous Gumshara, it's still clings to the noodles well and delivers the same amount of satisfaction. The noodles they use at zundo are also a little bit different than the standard alkaline noodles used elsewhere. They're ever so slightly springier and give a really good snap when bitten into. The only part of the ramen I didn't enjoy was the addition of the chopped cabbage.

I won't speak too much about the Salmon don because I'll be honest, if you have the fresh sashimi and put it on top of the right kind of rice, it's really hard not to do it well. Aside from ramen, I was also craving sushi so this was my excuse to eat both things I really wanted. The surprise of the night came from how delicious the chicken karaage was. Neither the Mrs or I really expected the karaage to be as good as it was...the crunchy and starchy exterior ever so lightly coated the succulent and juicy chicken meat so well that each bite was like heaven in your mouth. 

I'm really glad I finally got to take the Mrs to zundo, after our trip to Melbourne where we got to taste the delicious Mugen Ramen, no place had been able to satisfy my tsukemen cravings till I found zundo. If you're ever in the mood for authentic and refreshing Japanese style dipping noodles, you'll know where to go. 

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.