Satsuki Japanese Restaurant
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The plates themselves were rough and rustic. Mottled grey and brown colours, irregular edges, a jagged vein of clay running across like a scar.
The food upon it, however, was perfect. Precise. And very beautiful.
Welcome to Satsuki in Subiaco where you are encouraged to take your time with your meal, to savour its beauty, to share with your friends. It's a lovely ethos.
Open for lunch and dinner, we headed in on a sunny Friday. My dining companion had eaten there before and wanted to go back. He didn't remember what he ate, but remembers it being 'very pretty'. I wanted to try the pretty food.
The lunch menu is quite small, with a number of bento options such as chicken teriyaki, vegetable tempura and grilled salmon. All come with miso soup, rice and simmered nimono vegetables. I found the vegetables a little bland, but the presentation of the meal was exceptional.
My friend ordered the chirashi sushi bento, which at $19.90 is the most expensive item on the daytime menu. It came as four mismatched bowls on a tray. The fact that none of the crockery matched, only added to the effect: the swirling clouds of the soup, the bright green jewels of beans on top of the vegetables, and the glorious display of fresh sashimi on a bed of rice. Two prawn tails, sticking up like the legs of an underwater synchronised swimmer; a precise rectangle of tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette) with Japanese characters cooked into it; buttery smooth pieces of salmon and tuna sashimi; a small mound of wakame salad (seaweed); a dollop of orange fish roe; and a curious pile of something which can only be described as fish sugar. It was a sight to behold.
I skipped the bento and ordered two dishes because I couldn't make my mind up what I wanted to try. The tempura battered tuna roll ($13) sounded curious: it was a lightly deep-fried sushi roll with a miso marinated tuna filling, sprinkled with chilli powder. It tasted pretty amazing and the mix of textures was surprising. The very light tempura batter had been given a crunchy finish by the snap frying, then came the sticky rice, then a soft, pureed tuna filling. The chilli powder was not simply normal chilli that you shake out of your Masterfoods jar, but somehow salty and sweet as well as hot.
I love sashimi, so it was obvious I would order a dish of the Tasmanian salmon ($14.80). Six thin, triangular wedges of ultra fresh, melt-in-your-mouth salmon and a small mound of wasabi.
That's it. You don't need any more.
There are three options on the dessert menu, green tea icecream ($6.50), black sesame icecream, matcha agar and caramel sauce ($6.50) and creame (sic) brulee ($9). I love a good crème brulee and I find it difficult to resist. It lived up to its name, it was super creamy, dare I say *too* creamy?
The wine, beer and spirits menu is longer than the lunchtime food menu, and includes shochu which are spirits distilled from things like rice, wheat and sweet potato ($8-$10), beers, an enormous range of sake and more unusual offerings such as plum wine ($6.50) as well as a good range of local and NZ wines.
The dinner menu is considerably longer and offers a larger range of dishes with more fusion elements such as a nigiri sushi of Spanish Jamon prosciutto ($9.90), a Wagyu beef done Hamburg style (ie a beef patty) ($14) and slow cooked pork belly with a soy dashi jus and Japanese taro potato. Just like the lunch menu, it is designed to order a number of smaller elements and share with your dining companions. Elegant, friendly, and I can't wait.
Goyukkkuri Dozo (Take your time and enjoy)
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207120 - 2023-06-16 05:56:14