Rejoice (and amen) for quality Japanese food. It is always a treat when one visits Sydney to enjoy some quality Japanese food in style and finesse at some decent prices.
Please allow me to suggest a three course Japanese lunch which would be perfect for any weekend (even for a leisurely weekday) and your culinary desires will be satisfied.
For the entrée head to Makoto at 119 Liverpool Street in the City for a great start to your Asian fusion. This restaurant opens at 11:30am, and it is advisable to get there a little bit early so to score a great bar spot at the sushi bar.
People line up and wait to be served here as their food (especially the seafood varieties) is just so fresh and appetising. Without fail, I always ask for a hot green tea or just a glass of water; and the cute, friendly staff will give you top ups free of charge. Something would be wrong with you if you ever consume a supermarket brand of green tea again after drinking a cup of authentic hot green tea here. I go for a seaweed sushi dish and a set of sashimi on a plate. The lemon is great to dip into your glass of water, and the wasabi is so fresh and tangy, not out of a packet either. When I go for the sashimi, I don't settle for just the salmon. I ask for half raw salmon and half raw tuna. Delish.
Keep walking up the hill on Liverpool Street and then turn left towards Hyde Park and head into Stanley Street Darlinghurst for the main event. Personally, I love the raw fish fusion; however anything with chicken and fish at Sushi on Stanley at 85 Stanley Street is divine. For my mains I go for eight circular sushi rolls which only costs $7, and I go for a combination of raw tuna and raw salmon and avocado again. The rice is fresh and not over the top. The fish servings are extremely generous, and if you decide to take away, eat and enjoy at nearby
Hyde Park. You might be lucky to watch the staff make your sushi fresh in front of your very eyes with some more fresh wasabi to clean your insides out even more. Just remember the water bottle.
Finally, dessert time without the guilt. Head back to the city, and your at
Mizuya at 614 George Street. Do not eat in here. I'm not a fan of their lunches and dinners, just come here at the main bar and ask for a green tea soft serve. For $1 a pop and generous servings with the real, refreshing green tea taste, hands down I am a raving fan. Every time I am in Sydney I make the effort to have at least one of their green tea ice creams without fail. Almost heaven in a cone. 'Ooishii' - meaning 'delicious' in Japanese.
