TOUKA 東家 Japanese Yakiniku Restaurant & Bar - Parramatta, NSW

The Mrs and I have been to Touka once before and during that first dinner, we were so impressed with the decor, the food and the concept that I named it one of the top 10 Japanese restaurants in Parramatta. Today, the Mrs and I were lucky enough to have been invited back to try their new lunch menu and boy, were we even more impressed! 

Before we jump straight into it, the Mrs and I were discussing this earlier today and it occurred to us that westies might not have an idea about what Yakiniku is and what's differentiates it from other table-top barbecue experiences (i.e. the more commonly found Korean BBQ and Chinese style skewer barbecue). Since more yakiniku restaurants are now open in the west, it should be about time that we spread awareness about why people should know about yakiniku and why it's so amazing.

What is yakiniku?

Yakiniku (焼肉) quite literally translates into "grilled meat" and is the Japanese form of table top barbecue. If my facts are correct, this method of eating was introduced to Japan as "Korean cuisine" and became wide-spread in Japan after the second world war. This will be why a number of cuts found in yakiniku have Japanese translated names of cuts you would regularly find in KBBQ (i.e Karubi). In Sydney, the practice was popularised by the chain of restaurants opened by I's Group (Rengaya, Suminoya and Koh-ya) and is quite common place in the city's CBD and northern suburbs. It's only within the last few years that I've seen yakiniku restaurants open up west-way (with the most recent addition being Yakiniku Kosu in Castle Towers).

How is it different from Korean BBQ?

You might say "isn't it exactly the same as Korean BBQ? You still grill meat on a table don't you?"...well, if this is your response I urge you to try Yakiniku once and tell me it's the same. Though the roots of yakiniku might well be Korean, the methodology and execution behind it is so, SO different. Like with everything the Japanese take in, they really put the effort into honing it, perfecting it and elevating something simple into something spectacular. Whereas with Korean BBQ, you have some decently good quality meat that's grilled tabletop, no different from how you would grill a steak at home...yakiniku serves the various cuts of meat in thin, bite size slices and from the moment you bite into any piece of yakiniku meat, you can already tell that the quality is so much higher.

I'm not saying Korean BBQ is low quality or that it's in any way, not good enough but do give yakiniku a try. Literally, the moment you do give it a try, you'll immediately be able to see the difference in the quality of the meat.

So now that we've established what yakiniku is and why you should try it, the next question might be "why isn't it as common or as well known as the Korean counterpart?"...well, the most obvious answer to that would be population spread and the relative price-point to entry. See, to my understanding, Sydney's Japanese population is largely in the CBD and the North, whereas the west is where the Korean community chose to settle (Strathfield, Burwood, Blacktown). Obviously, restaurants will first pop up to serve the local community who has a demand for it and then, people of other cultures will eventually venture out and try stuff if they're told it's good (I imagine, that's how most people learnt to appreciate Korean BBQ). 

In terms of price-point, most yakiniku restaurants operate an All-You-Can-Eat/Order for 90 minutes model for anywhere ranging from $35 - $85 p.p (bit expensive to ask everyone in your party to pay that much when in KBBQ, you can order a number of plates and split) and if they don't operate in that model (like Rengaya which has that option but focuses more on providing higher quality meats on an ala-carte basis) the number of pieces of meat you get for each dish you order might turn people away (like I said earlier, it's generally thinner, smaller slices and based on first glance alone, KBBQ might seem like a better value proposition)

If either of the above points has ever stopped you from trying yakiniku, this will be why you should try their special lunch! The Mrs and I left lunch today singing Touka's praises because we had such a great time and we truly, truly believe that what we got today was FANTASTIC value-for-money! So, for myself, I ordered the 4 choice BBQ Set where I chose the Ox Tongue, Beef Rib, Beef Inside Skirt and the Pork Belly. On the menu, this is costs $22.50 whereby you also get a bowl of rice, miso soup and a salad. On arrival, the each portion of meat had five slices available totalling a variety of 20 slices of decadent, delicious meat for one person. To help you put that into perspective about just how good that is, my parents went to Musou Yakiniku in the CBD (on Pitt Street) where they also had a similar special lunch menu....except they charge $29.90 per person, you only get to choose 3 meats and according to my parents, you get 3 slices of meat per selection. That's a difference of $7.40 and 11 pieces of meat...you can't that value. Not saying don't visit Musou Yakiniku (we've also been there and we loved it) but maybe, splurge and treat yourself to their BBQ buffet.

And it's not just value, the meat was genuinely, supremely delicious! I ate it in the order of Ox Tongue first (cause it cooks the quickest), Inside Skirt second (my favourite cut at Suminoya), Pork Belly Third (so fatty and savoury) and I saved the best for last and cooked the Beef Rib to finish. My GOD that Beef Rib was delicious...barely any chew at all and so much marbling that it coated the back of my throat in delicious sweet beef fat. Honestly, I whole-heartedly intend to eat at Touka a lot more now that I know that kind of deal is available and next time, I'm going to just treat myself and quadruple down on the beef rib. It's actually amazing that they've set up the menu where they don't explicitly restrict it to one order per meat type...at Suminoya, you can only order as many plates of Ox Tongue as you want IF you order the higher-end buffet...the standard buffer limits it to one order per diner!

*EDIT*: I've recently been informed that the menu didn't state it but there is a limit of one order of each type of meat for the special menu. Mental note: always get the Beef Rib.

Unfortunately, this is not that Beef Rib (just harami)...the Beef Rib was so delicious I ate it before I realised I hadn't taken a photo....

The Mrs opted to try their other lunch menu items and ordered a Karaage bento. This is another point where Touka shines in that for groups containing people who don't want to eat barbecue, you have a variety of other items (Bento Sets, Lunch Bowls etc) people can choose from. The Mrs and I have this one friend who is a notoriously picky eater (she refuses to eat anything with sauce and is very hard to convince to try anything new) and even then, we'd still take her there and be confident she'd find something to eat. The karaage was crispy and juicy with ample pieces to fill your belly as well as four slices of salmon and tuna sashimi to satiate any cravings for sashimi lovers. The Mrs was very, very satisfied after finishing that bento.

Just for kicks, the Mrs and I also ordered the Yukke which is a raw beef tartare that I always get at any yakiniku restaurant if it's on offer. For $13.90, it was a pretty decently sized portion with a very nice sweet soy tare (marinade) that made the dish heavenly. Even amongst all the Yukke I've had previously (I've been to a LOT of yakiniku), this actually stood out to me as one of the better ones as the flavour was very pronounced.

Overall, the Mrs and I can confidently say that we had an amazing time dining at Touka. I whole-heartednly wish that everyone goes to try out Touka's special lunch to make their own assessments but in my heart, they take the cake for best value. The restaurant is only a short walk from Parramatta station and did I mention it's situated in a historic house? Literally, the fit-out is beautiful, clean and elegant which makes the entire experience so much more enjoyable! The Mrs said she's gonna hit them up more during her school holidays but I intend to be back (by myself) much, much sooner. Thank you again to Lila and TOUKA 東家 Japanese Yakiniku Restaurant & Bar for inviting us to lunch!

Hulu at King Street Wharf - Barangaroo, NSW

Chinese food has had a long standing history in most developed countries, that holds especially true for a place like Australia where "Salt & Pepper Squid" has unofficially become the national dish. I bet for every suburb in Sydney where there is a shopping strip, you will find at least one Chinese restaurant or takeaway shop and you will be able to get Chinese food relatively easily. But unfortunately, I feel like Chinese food hasn't always had the most glamorous of images...historically, people tend to only think of Chinese food as greasy and MSG-laden meals you can get at food-courts. Even our oldest venues like Golden Century have these images where it's the place you go when you're really drunk off your ass.

My point is: it's hard to tell someone that Chinese food is a refined ordeal. It's really not until recent years that we've had a surge in newer establishments that focused on produce, quality, presentation and highlighting the best parts of Chinese food (Mr. Wong, Lotus Dining, Billy Kwong etc) and I can see the image slowly start to shift in the minds of the people. Our recent visit to Hulu at King Street Wharf is a prime example of a restaurant that's trying to do one of the oldest cuisines in the world justice by giving people a look at what a refined and high-class Chinese dining experience would look like.

The Mrs and I were fortunate enough to have been invited to attend one of four sessions of complimentary dining intended to showcase what Hulu has to offer and generate excitement about this new venue. We had originally intended to attend one of the first sessions but due to a clash with my ACL reconstruction surgery, we had to push our attendance out to the very last session which wasn't a bad thing at all as we got to dine with some interesting and colourful people (have to admit, was a bit star-struck when @spooningaus walked in as I had been watching him eat on Where's The Food on Youtube)

We were ushered into a small private dining area near the back of the restaurant where we were seating at a round table with a large glass lazy-susan which you typically find at Chinese restaurants. The decor of the restaurant was brightly coloured with some mellow blues and Chinese themed ornaments all around. I was most impressed by the abacus shaped lighting which reminded me of when I was a child, first learning to calculate on a similar device.

As soon as all guests had arrived, we were promptly served where @teafortammi quickly and efficiently picked up the menu, asked what was recommended and got us sorted with a plethora of delicious delights including dumplings, soup and various chef's specialities.

For the night, we ordered:

The Hulu Mix Appetisers (served in a specialty hulu shaped dish)

A hulu is a traditional Chinese gourd used to store liquids and medicine

Pan Fried Mushroom Dumplings

Hulu's Signature Crispy Cheese & Prawn Dumplings

Nemo Dumplings

Pepper & Pickled Cabbage Soup w/ Pork Intestines

Sweet & Sour Pork On Ice

Spinach in High Soup, Eggs Trilogy

Homemade Tofu & Mushrooms, Fried with Egg White Sauce

Half Duck Smoked in Jasmine Tea

Beef Cubes Pan Fried, Black Pepper Sauce

Egg White Fried Rice w/ Fish Roe

and for desserts, we got the:

Osmanthus Cake

And, the Deep Fried Ice Cream w/ Chocolate Syrup

Overall, the Mrs and I had a great time dining at Hulu at King Street Wharf and we were really glad we got to share this experience with some other like-minded people. The venue itself is fabulously fit out and suites the location quite spectacularly as a finer establishment for diners to get an authentic Chinese feed by the wharf. My personal favourite item of the night had to be Hulu's Crispy Cheese & Prawn Dumplings which had a texture like Ham Sui Gok from Yumcha but with a more seafood based filling. I Imagine that if I got to eat that piping hot, I'd be able to down plate after plate of those dumplings.

Thank you again to Hulu at King Street Wharf and Red Productions for inviting the Mrs and I and we look forward to the next time we get to dine at such a fine establishment whenever the opportunity presents itself!

7 years with the Mrs - Meraki Merchants + Restaurant Hubert

I can't believe that it's been 7 years exactly since the Mrs and I started dating. The 25th happens to be a really special day for the Mrs and I since it's the day that we've always devoted to each other without fail. Despite our tradition of celebrating monthsaries, the annual ones do signify a lot more than the monthly ones since they represent the fact that we've made it through another year in each other's lives. Even better, this year, the 25th of February falls on a Saturday! Meaning I didn't have to leave for work and I got to spend the whole day with the Mrs.

We woke up and had a lot of potential plans in place but due to the weather, most of them went out the window. So we lazed around until we decided on the next best thing: breakfast. Thing is, neither one of us really wanted to go too far so we quickly agreed on a local cafe. Both the Mrs and I have been to Meraki Merchants previously but we both went separately and I had never had the opportunity to stay for food. We parked the car right outside (we could have walked but got too lazy) and quickly ordered since both of us knew exactly what we wanted.

I ordered the Sultan's Jaffle which the Mrs had previously had before whereas the Mrs ordered the Mackerel. It's really, really hard not to like a jaffle...crunchy, toasted edges sealing in some form of hot filling like a flat dumpling but even so, this particular jaffle was out of this world delicious. Filled with this tomato based sauce with sujuk, feta and olives, the meal makes for a perfect light lunch/breakfast option as the tart, refreshing and savoury sandwich helps awaken your tastebuds, giving you energy to tackle whatever comes next (be it actual work or just lazing around).

Despite my enjoyment of the jaffle, I do have to say that the Mrs ordered the better (and more substantial) meal with the Mackerel. Slices of toast are served with half an avocado, some labneh and a can of delicious mackerel for a make-your-own-adventure kinda meal. I reckon if we were forced to stick with our own meals, I would end up still craving more food after (I am a massive glutton) whereas if I had ordered the mackerel in the first place, I'm confident I would have been somewhat satisfied...no matter, since I still ended up eating most of the Mrs dish anyway! Also, we got to sample some complimentary sweets which was totally unexpected but very much welcome! If you're in the area, well worth checking these guys out!

So, after getting our tummies filled with delicious food, the Mrs and I went back to the apartment to take some well deserved naps before getting ready for dinner. At roughly 4:30pm, we made our way out to the city by car and were fortunate enough to quickly find some street parking pretty close to our dinner destination: Restaurant Hubert! The Mrs originally had no idea where I had planned to take her, though, she was rather close to finding out when she questioned me on why we'd never gone after seeing that a friend of ours had recently dined there. I tried desperately to brush it off and utilised a bit of misdirection to ensure she didn't find out until the day. I would have also tried to make a reservation for the night but unfortunately, Hubert doesn't take reservations for groups less than 6 so we had to go pretty early and hope that they could accommodate us.

We obviously weren't able to get a table immediately but we did put our names down and were promptly directed to the bar where we were free to grab some drinks and some food first whilst we waited for our table. This actually worked out a lot better for us since we could pace our meal a lot better. We settled down with a glass of rouge for the Mrs and a Nikka Taketsuru for me (somewhat obsessed with Japanese whisky at the moment, I must say) as well as some food to snack on: the Malakoff and the Prime Beef Tartare.

First, I'll start with the Prime Beef Tartare...two words: unbelievably good! I am a sucker for tartare (I see tartare, I order tartare) but this was on a whole new level. There's this unabashed savoury, moreishness to it since it was rich and packed with flavour in classic french fashion. No joke, the dish literally reminded me of some of Sydney's best cheeseburgers. Tender chunks of sliced and diced raw beef that is covered in a classic french-style dressing served with some very well seasoned fries...seriously, nothing better to start your meal with. I know raw meat can throw some people off but if you're game enough to push your boundaries, this is definitely the place to try it.

The Malakoff was another outstanding yet simplistic dish. Literally, when it arrives, the dish can seem a bit underwhelming since all you see is a small brown fried ball on a plate with two slices of pickles but there's actually much more to it. In it's original state, it yields barely any aroma which means you don't really know what to expect but cut it open and the melty gruyere cheese oozes out of this magnificently decadent fried ball of goodness and each bite yields the same rich taste and creamy sensation you'd expect from fondue...magnifique!

We were slowly nibbling on the dishes so as to ensure maximum enjoyment and to spend as much time as possible and near the end of the tartare, we were informed that our table was ready. I quickly shovelled the remaining tartare into my mouth and we moved over to where we would enjoy the rest of our meal.

Quite frankly, I was originally planning on ordering the Cote De Boeuf which would have been a massive 1kg steak but in discussing it with the Mrs, we opted against it since we had already had beef earlier and wanted more dishes to share between us. So between us, we ordered the baguette to start, the Le Grand Aioli, the Lobster Spaghetti and the Bavette Steak to share. Almost immediately after ordering, a basket of warm baguette slices were placed in front of us which was great because at this point, our appetites were in full gear. The baguette was intensely soft and doughy with a really nice yet mellow yeasty flavour to it.

After the baguette came the Le Grand Aoili which consisted of a plate of four mussels and some seasonal vegetables served with a massive plate of aoili. At first, the Mrs and I were somewhat confused about whether or not the vegetables were edible but after trying some, we realised that the vegetables were cooked and definitely edible so we chowed down and finished almost everything. Absolutely everything on the plate went well with the aoili...especially the pickled mussels. There was a certain spiciness to it that made the entire dish rather pleasing and appetising.

Next, came possibly...nay, hands down the BEST lobster spaghetti I've ever had (and I've had a lot). My reaction was literally like this when I had it:

The flavours presented in this dish do not yield at all as the perfectly al dente spaghetti carries lashings upon lashings of this luxurious, velvety bisque-like oil and sauce into your mouth, As the sensation of the flavours start to meld into your tongue, you first taste the butteriness of the sauce and then, you get overwhelmed by the intense savouriness of the lobster based sauce. You bite into each meaty chunk of lobster and find that it's cooked to perfection...not rubbery in the slightest but soft and tender.

To finish, the Mrs and I shared the Bavette Steak and a side of Pommes Anna. In a similar fashion to the Lobster Spaghetti before, this steak does not hold back on flavour. The outside is seared to a perfect brown crust and is seasoned ever so thoroughly. The rich, beefy flavour of the flank steak is only accentuated by the richness of the bordelaise butter and each bite is this wonderfully balanced mix of beef, fat and salt. Pair that with the crispy layered potatoes and creamy sauce of the Pommes Anna and you have, literally, heaven on a plate.

Overall, I think that today has been one of the best anniversaries the Mrs and I have had. We've come a long, long way since we first started dating...being married and living together has only made us closer and better as a couple. We share an equal sense of adventure when it comes to our food and I anticipate (or hope) that we can continue to eat like gluttons very far into the future.

To the Mrs: Thank you for staying with me all these years and thank you for all the good times and happy memories you've given me. Happy 7 years my love....may you stay by my side for many more years to come.