Sushi-e Japanese Sushi Bar [Sydney, Australia]

Dining in Sydney, Australia is not for the faint at heart… or I should say, those with shallow pockets and faint hearts. Prices take quite a while to adjust to, but if you’ve got the refined taste buds and are ready to shell out the moola, you’re in for a real treat. Sydney is a city that is a hub full of different cuisines and dining experiences. Spending a 1 month vacation in such a city, only gave me a small preview of what they have to offer. But regardless, it was an unforgettable preview… I’m already craving for more.

 

Sushi-e is an authentic sushi bar, tucked on the forth floor of a pretty fancy bar, the Establishment. The sushi bar itself, where we were seated, was definitely the place to sit. Seeing the bustle of the sushi chefs was definitely one of the highlights for me. My complaint would probably be towards the lack of dining space (mostly for the sake of space for food photos), but I guess that comes with sitting at a bar.

 

With quite the menu selection, we were stuck on what to order and actually spent a fair bit of time browsing reviews online for suggestions. The “Spoons” were highly recommended, and rightfully so. Served only during their dinner service, it was the perfect appetizer dish. But it was possibly too good, as it definitely overshadowed most of the later dishes we had. All the ingredients and garnishes for each spoon were perfectly matched, making each spoon a total treat.

 

Because I’m a fan of any dish that mentions “Salad” and “Mango”, this one was a must order for me (thought I hesitated a bit since my dining partner doesn’t usually fancy salads). The salad was a mix of thinly sliced apples, shredded daikon and carrots — finished with a balsamic, soy and red wine glaze. The mango was just amazing. Its sweetness definitely made the salad memorable for us. I think it ended up being one of our favorite main dishes, or mine anyways!

 

The Spider Roll was another order we made based on recommendations online. However, it totally did not hit home like the Spoons did. I found this roll quite dry and nothing about it was special. The soft shell crab, which was the star ingredient, didn’t really stand out. Quite disappointing.

 

With little convincing, we decided to try the famous Wagyu Beef. I never paid that much for a piece of meat before, but for the sake of experience, I had to try it. With nothing to compare to, I can’t personally say I was a huge fan. However, the texture is what I would expect. The meat was super tender as if someone put it through a food processor before serving it to us. It was like eating moist ground beef!

The overall dining experience at Sushi-e was a treat for me. It was a cool atmosphere to sample some food art. The highlight of the night would definitely be dining till the late hour just to watch the chefs spray wash the kitchen and wipe down the knives with Vim Cleaner! Seriously? You can do that!? I was quite amused. OH, they did give us a complimentary yogurt dessert, it was nice but nothing worth raving about.

 

My friend and I did try recreating the Roast Duck and Mango Salad for a potluck gathering. In place of the daikon we used sprouts, which worked out pretty well as a substitute. The dressing was made with a 2 part balsamic vinegar and 1 part soy sauce. We totally forgot about the red wine, but I’d say it turned out nicely. Give it a try!

Overall:

Overall, a cool dining experience, a bit on the pricey side. But with the great selection of unique and creative dishes on their menu, I'd probably return.

Food: 5
Ambiance: 5
Service: 4.5
*Our scoring system is out of 5. With 5 being the highest score.

Links:

http://merivale.com.au/sushie/

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