azuma kushiyaki

When you hear that Tetsuya Wakuda favours a particular restaurant as his after-work hangout, you make it your business, as a fledgling food blogger, to get there. And eat. And eat, and eat.

So, one Friday night after work, I met two of my favourite dining companions, Miss M and Miss B, at Azuma - our very own after-work hangout. Miss M is one of my favourite people to share a meal with because she eats pretty much everything (note: I have an incredibly low tolerance for people who "don't eat seafood" or "stay away from dairy" and so on. Life = too short.) Also, she almost always makes sure we order something vaguely healthy, which means she is a wonderful (and wonderfully entertaining) foil to Miss B, whose diet resembles something from This is why you're fat. Of course, the frustrating thing is that Miss B herself looks like a ballerina, despite eating Krispy Kreme sundaes and banana bread topped with bacon, maple syrup, icecream and blueberries. (Case in point: last night I got a call from Miss B. "I'm in Manly," she said. "Guess what I want to know?" "Uh...where to find Ben and Jerry's?" "Bingo!" she replied.) But, it's a great thing to eat with Miss B, because: a) it's quite hilarious to see the reactions of waitstaff when she orders an entire meal of side dishes, for instance; and b) sometimes she actually hits the mark and comes up with flavour combinations enjoyed by all.

So, to Azuma we went. Sandwiched between the George St Greater Union cinemas and Kentucky Fried Chicken, we weren't sure what to expect. Miss M and I ordered a glass of Stella Bella semillon sav blanc each, and as we waited for Miss B, snacked on edamame beans - warm, without salt. This is my favourite way to eat edamame - I find they're flavoursome enough, without the huge chunks of rock salt some bars and restaurants load on.

When Miss B arrived, it was time for more wine and ordering. After a lengthy discussion of the menu, we settled on a selection of skewers (the dish that Azuma is famed for), Nasu Miso (eggplant in miso with minced chicken) and a Spider Roll.

The Nasu Miso was perfect - eggplant and miso are such a match made in heaven, it's hard to go wrong. The thick, gelatinous miso sauce covered the eggplant entirely, and the mild chicken flavour was a bit of a relief from the heaviness of the miso. Thumbs up from all - even Miss B.

I love a good Spider Roll, mainly because I LURVE soft-shell crab. Azuma's was no exception. The sticky rice enveloping the crispy crab and its creamy Japanese mayonnaise (which is so much better than any Western attempt at mayo, in my opinion), topped with roe, was such a perfect accompaniment to our wine. The wine, light and crisp and citrus-y, was such a wonderful counter to the rich, creamy, texture-bending spider roll. Yum, yum, double yum.

And then, the skewers. We've ordered the Wagyu beef tongue skewers with curry salt, Duck breast with Japanese sansho salt, Paradise prawn and crispy head and wild scallop with soy and homemade garlic oil. The skewers are $3 each, which is decidedly within Miss B's med student budget, so we order three of each and settle down to a feast. The waitress brings out the salts and explains what each of the flavours are - but doesn't tell us which goes with which. She also lets us know that it's perfectly acceptable to eat the prawn's head - something I'm keen to try, just for the hell of it.

The Wagyu beef tongue is gorgeous - cooked to rare perfection, it marries well with the spicy, sweet curry salt. I try it with the green tea salt we're given, too, and it's so good. The green tea salt, by the way, is an out-and-out favourite of the whole table. It's perfect with the wild scallops.
The duck skewers are basically everything you'd imagine - soft to the bite, rich and moist and juicy. We dutifully dip them in the black pepper salt and suddenly, they're even better. Yum. And while each of us has a go at eating the whole prawn - shell, head and all - only DDS (that's me) finishes us. A win for the food blogger!

Miss B and I decide we need more to eat, so we order a Tamago Yaki (Japanese rolled omelette). I love the way the Japanese make their omelettes - instead of serving them flat, they roll them tightly until the omelette is a thick roll of egg, filled with vegetables or meat or tofu. This omelette is simply egg, and it's also simply delicious. A light way to finish the meal, it would also be a great starter. As predicted, Miss M orders the mixed green salad with ponzu vinaigrette, so we're able to get our fill of greens before the night is through.

After we paid (less than $50 each - fantastic value in my opinion), we set off for dessert (unsurprisingly, Miss B's favourite meal) at the adjacent Azuma Cafe. Sadly, it's past 10pm, so it's already closed (in Sydney?? On a Friday night? In the middle of the city?). We resolve to find gelato somewhere nearby, and return to the Cafe another time.

Azuma Kushiyaki
Ground Floor Regent Place Shopping Centre
501 George St, Sydney
www.azuma.com.au
+61 2 9267 7775