Kushi

During my pregnancy, the one thing I really craved was sashimi. Unfortunately, raw food was something I had to avoid so I spent a year watching longingly as others consumed bite after bite of delicious salmon and tuna. So large was my craving that, as soon as I brought Charlie home, I was on the hunt for the perfect place to have sashimi. I had heard about the excellent food at Kushi so I decided that this would be the place. 

Expectations were high.

Inside, Kushi was dimly lit, with high ceilings and a spacious interior. The dining area was cleverly sectioned to form a few different spaces - large private areas, smaller intimate areas for small groups, and booths for an even more private feel.

Suntory - $11.00, Plum Wine - $9.50

We started with some drinks while we perused the menu. Jason had a Suntory, a malt beer which was smooth and easy to drink.

I ordered a plum wine which was syrupy but not overly sweet. It reminded of a childhood cough medicine, but in a nice kind of way. 

Edemame - $6.95

We ordered edemame to have while we waited for our food although we didn't make much of a dent before our first dish arrived.

Takowasabi - $8.95

The Takowasabi involved little pieces of raw octopus marinated in a wasabi dressing. There was a sweetness to the octopus flesh which was complimented by the light dressing. I enjoyed each bite of the slippery yet chewy octopus that was accented by delightful pops of caviar.

Small Sashimi - $20.95

Our order of small sashimi came nestled within a Paua shell. We were treated to thick slices of salmon, tuna and kingfish. I closed my eyes and made sure to savour each bite - the fish was so fresh that it had a sweetness to it.

Beef Tataki - $14.90

The beef in this dish was very nicely marbled and sliced delicately. I felt that it was a little light on dressing so the beef tasted a bit bland. The flavour of the beef was lifted when eaten in conjunction with the salad but I thought the dish would have been nice with some sort of dipping sauce specifically for the beef.

Kani Tempura - $20.95

The tempura batter for the soft shell crab was incredibly thin and crunchy. The crab itself was quite meaty and well seasoned. The mild wasabi mayo made for a great dipping sauce. The fresh radish slices were a bit bland compared to the rest of the dish and may have been a nicer addition if they were pickled (this, of course, is a very minor issue in an excellent dish). 

Buta Ko Kakuni - $16.90

The pork belly was our favourite dish of the night. Kushi's special soy marinade fully penetrated through the pork. Each piece was impossibly soft and melted as soon as it reached my mouth - it was actually made it a little difficult to pick up with chopsticks! 

By the end of our meal, we were in a near food coma. Each dish was impeccable in both presentation and taste that, at times, we couldn't decide what to have for the next bite!
My very high expectations were certainly met.

Kushi can be found at 22 Durham Street West, Auckland.

Cocoro

I've always thought that the trick to a great meal is to drag others along so you can try more dishes. I have found that 4 is the magic number for a meal - this gives a nice variety without having to wait an age for your food to arrive. This is also the best number for great conversation without having to shout across to the other end of the table.

My recent outing confirmed this when I, along with three others, 
tried the set lunch menu at Cocoro. For $49, we could order an entree, main and a dessert from 4 options - so of course, we opted to order every single thing on the menu to share. Not only did this rule out any potential food envy, it vastly sped up ordering time!

Amuse Bouche - Tempura Fish

We started with an amuse bouche consisting of a soft fish (I didn't catch the name) in a very light tempura batter -a great way to start the meal.

Amuse Bouche - Teriyaki Tuna

The second amuse bouche was a grilled teriyaki tuna which was cooked just right. There was just enough teriyaki to give it flavour, but not overpower the tuna.

Entree - Chicken Nanban

The Chicken Nanban was crunchy on the outside while still being moist and tender on the inside. I found the tangy Nanban sauce was a great addition to the usual karaage dishes I love so much. The fresh salad was a nice side, adding a bit of colour to the plate.

Entree - Tempura Salad

The tempura salad at Cocoro has one of the lightest batters I've ever had. Each piece was super delicate, with a crunch that could be heard from many tables over. 

Entree - Traditional Sashimi

The traditional sashimi was very fresh, with generous slices of salmon, blue fin tuna and john dory. The highlight for me was the fresh wasabi on the side.

Entree - New Style Sashimi

The new style sashimi was sliced thinner than the previous dish and cured in a vinaigrette. The partially cooked flesh had an interesting texture while the radish and cucumber added a freshness to the dish. The small balls of light tempura batter provided a nice crunch to the soft fish, like having popping candy in your mouth.

Main - Tofu with Vegetables

The Agedashi Tofu was served under a pile of sauteed mushrooms so the batter had fully absorbed its earthy flavours. I loved how saucy and hearty this dish was - I could have had it all to myself!

Main - Angus Teriyaki

The Angus Teriyaki was flavoursome and tender. Although the serving size looked to be slightly smaller than the other mains, I assure you it was quite filling. The mushrooms and the bean sprouts also tasted amazing after they had soaked in the sauce.

Main - Nigiri

As expected, the nigiri was fresh and it was great to see such a variety of fish. I'm told that nigiri is supposed to be served at room temprature (to fully appreciate all the fishy flavours) but I have to say that I would have preferred it on a bed of ice like the sashimi. 

Dessert - Miso and Yuzu Brulee

I was incredibly excited when I saw the brulee on the menu. The miso flavours stopped the brulee from being overly sweet while the yuzu gave it a hint of freshness. The sesame sablé  was the perfect pairing  -light, crumbly and melt in the mouth.

Dessert - Ume Granita

The granita was a very refreshing end to the meal. There was a good balance of sweet and sour and no flavour overpowered the others. The stewed plum and rhubarb were nice additions. 

We found that each dish was meticulously prepared and the serving sizes were generous. The wait staff were attentive and super polite. Cocoro has a very extensive menu and I felt that the set menu was a good introduction to their offerings. 

Cocoro can be found at 56A Brown Street, Ponsonby, Auckland

Ramen Auckland

Ramen is the ultimate comfort food. You may remember a previous post I made, where I shamelessly gushed about how I could happily eat it for the rest of my life. Since then, I have taken it upon myself to sample lots of ramen to find the top 5 ramen/soy egg/broth/charsiu ratio in Auckland. 

Below is the result of months of "research" undertaken by myself, along with friends, work colleagues and family whom I dragged along so I could sample more food. 

Welcome to my Ramen Safari.

Shoya Japanese Cuisine

Our first stop was Shoya Japanese Cuisine on Upper Queen Street. We arrived at lunch time to a quiet shop with a few small tables lined up in a row. The smell of ramen broth radiated from the kitchen and made my mouth water. 

The broth is rich, leaving a light film on your lips. Shoya Ramen had the best noodles out of all the eateries - chewy, with a good thickness to them. The noodles were also the perfect length to fit into the spoon and prevent any awkward slurping. 

Clockwise from top left: Negi Hell Ramen - $13.90, Miso Tonkotsu Ramen - $12.90, Shoyu Ramen - $11.90

The Shoyu Ramen broth had a clear taste, while the Miso Ramen had a deeper flavour. The charsiu was melt in the mouth and I really enjoyed the marinated bamboo shoots. The soy egg had a deliciously runny centre but unfortunately the marinade did not penetrate to the middle of any of our eggs.

The restaurant special is a Spicy Hell Ramen which is essentially a ramen broth drizzled in copious amounts of chili oil. There are three levels, each with a little hotter than the last. We were only brave enough to try level one which had a heat that creeps up on you and leaves your tongue a little tingly after each mouthful.

Clockwise from top left: Tonkotsu Ramen with Egg - $12.00, Tantanmen - $12.00, New Tonkotsu Ramen (without egg) - $10.80, Red Dragon - $14.00

Being so close to my workplace, Maruten Ramen was my usual lunch haunt for a long time. You may remember my previous post about some of their offerings. 

Maruten Ramen has the best soy egg out of all the places we visited and being able to choose your noodle thickness is a nice touch. The portion sizes are generous and there are an ample amount of toppings. The broth, however, sometimes has a tendency to be too salty, but the staff are happy to provide extra soup base to dilute the soup.

Kitchen at Ramen Daikoku

We step into Ramen Daikoku Noodle Bar on a particularly cold winter's night. Although it opens out on the street, the restaurant has a very exclusive, intimate feel to it - low roof, close seating and upbeat Japanese pop playing in the background made it seem as if we had been let into some great secret. 

Clockwise from top right: Tonkotsu Ramen - $10.00, Gyoza - $6.50, Spicy Miso Tonkotsu - $14.00

The thin noodles at Ramen Daikoku reminded me a little of an instant noodle packet but the flavoursome broth made up for this. The tonkotsu broth is a bit runny, without the fatty film you would expect, but the kick from the spicy broth is exactly what you need on a cold night. 

I found the egg quite disappointing (plain boiled eggs aren't really my thing), but I was very pleased with the amount of charsiu we received - tender and cut into thick slices -yum!

The sides at Ramen Daikoku are worth ordering. There are a number of ramen + side deals that are offered on their menu. Our favourite is the gyoza, with a crunchy base and yummy pork filling. 

From Left: Tanpopo Ramen - $14.00, Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen - $11.00, Gyoza - $6.00

Tanpopo is an institution among the resident Japanese crowd in Auckland. It is always busy at meal times, often serving more than 2 or 3 rounds of guests per table at each sitting. The owners seem to know most of the people who come through the doors and greet them by name.

The broth at Tanpopo is my favourite - very rich, thick and full of finely chopped garlic and sesame. The charsiu is tender and almost melts into the soup. I enjoyed the marinated seaweed which provided a nice crunch to the dish.

The portion sizes here are quite generous so sides are probably not necessary, but the gyoza is quite light if you want something to go with your ramen.

Clockwise from top left: Tonkotsu Ramen - $13.00, Tan-tan Ramen - $15.50, Lotus Root Chips - $6.00

Lastly, we head into Ramen Takara in trendy Ponsonby. It is definitely the most well presented of all the eateries we visited and has a great selection of sharing plates. It feels like a place for friends to sit down and have a chat rather than somewhere to have a hasty meal.

The noodles here are second only to Shoya Ramen and the cloudy pork broth is light without compromising on taste. The egg has been over cooked on most of my visits here but, fortunately, the marinade penetrates to the centre. The Tan-tan Ramen here is unique -the sour and spicy sesame base awakens the palate while the crunchy mince and stir fry is a nice alternative to your usual ramen toppings.

A must order here is the Renkon chips - crunchy deep fried slices of lotus root. A great alternative to potato crisps, these lightly salted snacks are perfect with a cold beer while you wait for your meal.

Ramen Takara Ponsonby

Whether you are a seasoned ramen enthusiast or wanting to try some great comfort food, I would recommend these great eateries around Auckland. If you know of any other great ramen eateries, please comment below - I would love to try them out!

Shoya Japanese Cuisine (best noodles)
478 Queen Street, Auckland CBD, Auckland

Maruten Ramen (also known as Japanese Kitchen, best soy egg)
Mercury Plaza, 23-32 Mercury Lane, Karangahape Road, Auckland 

Ramen Daikoku (cool underground vibe)
Britomart, Corner of Britomart Station and Taylor Street, Auckland CBD, Auckland

Tanpopo Ramen (best broth)
13 Anzac Avenue, Auckland CBD, Auckland

Ramen Takara, Ponsonby (best environment and sides)
272 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland

All meals were independently paid for by Lucy and her companions.

Maruten Ramen

If I had to choose just one meal to eat for the rest of my life, I would choose ramen. Not much beats chewy noodles in steaming hot broth. I don't mean the instant ramen that you get from the supermarket, I mean the good stuff. A proper bowl of ramen takes a long time to make -roasting and boiling the bones takes near a day to produce a broth containing ample umami. Amazing ramen is quite hard to come by, so I was very excited to find some so close to work. 

Mercury Plaza foodcourt is less than 5 minutes away from my work place so I was delighted to discover a stall that serves homemade ramen. You can even choose between thick, thin, firm or soft.

Maruten Ramen serves a variety of dishes from gyoza and tofu to some fusion-y looking dishes like basil chicken ramen and hamburger steak on rice. I have yet to work up the courage to try the latter.

As the name suggests, though, ramen is what they do best and I will share some of my favourite dishes with you.

Chicken Ramen - $12.80

The Chicken Ramen is served in a clear, chicken broth. This bowl came with thin ramen which was firm and chewy. The chicken katsu was flavoured the salty broth which had seeped into the crumb. One of my favourite things about this dish is that it comes with the perfect soy egg, or "shoyu tomago." The soy flavour had fully penetrated the egg white and the centre was amazingly gooey.

Tantanmen - $12.00

The Tantanmen is the Japanese version of the Chinese Dan Dan noodles. It comes in a spicy chili and sesame soup with a generous dollop of minced pork topping. The soup is so thick that is almost like a sauce which coats the noodles. The contrast of the hot soup and cold topping creates a nice mixture in each bite. This dish must be eaten fast or the ramen expands, though this is usually not a problem because it's so tasty.

Chicken Karaage - $10.80

The Chicken Karaage is not something I usually order and, in fact, I only had some because my friend ordered it. The batter is thin and light and is a great option for any of your non-ramen oriented friends.

Tonkotsu Ramen with Egg - $12.00

Lastly, the Tonkotsu Ramen has the most amazing broth I have ever tasted. The fatty broth is rich and creamy which can only come from long hours of preparation and comes with drops of black garlic oil. It is thick and has an intense porky flavour which coats your lips with every mouthfull. The pieces of char siu pork belly melts in the mouth. 

The Tonkotsu Ramen is usually $10.80 and a soy egg can be added for an extra $1.20. 

I could really go for some ramen right now.

If you love ramen as much as I do, Maruten Ramen is definitely worth a visit. It is located in Mercury Plaza, 23-32 Mercury Lane, Karangahape Road, Auckland

Tres Bien (well.. sort of..)

So I'm at my computer surrounded by a mess of clothes, clutter all over my desk and my bed is so messy. Instead of doing something about it, I'm blogging. I've even left my boyfriend sitting on my bed with nothing to do. I'm addicted. 

The proud graduand

Yesterday was my cousin, Jacky's, graduation. As in Chinese tradition, it was up to him to take his guests (his girlfriend, Jenny, and me) out for a meal. He'd treated the whole family to a lovely dinner two weeks ago, but I was n00b back then and didn't take photos so you'll have to trust me that it was delicious.

Look! I found their website! http://www.bien.co.nz/index.php

Because it was graduation day, parking in town was horrendous! We ended up walking 15 minutes to our destination: Bien -a cute Japanese restaurant tucked away on Mount St in Auckland City. I'm quite surprised I've never noticed it before as it is opposite O'Rourke Hall (Auckland uni halls of residence) which I used to frequent in first year.

Ever since stumbling upon this, I prejudge all Japanese restaurants by the quality of their chopsticks -are they generic takeaway store ones or nice ones you'd have at home? The ones at Bien were somewhere in between -disposable, but there was none of that annoying splintering business. First test = pass.


There was also catchy J-pop playing in the background which reminded me of the DDR games I used to play. Second test = pass.

Unsuspecting sushi waitress

Bien has a great variety of meals to choose from ranging from donburi and udon to many different types of sushi. All quite reasonable prices for lunch. 

Takoyaki

We started off with Takoyaki -octopus balls. It is a very popular Japanese dumpling made of batter,  baby octopus, tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger, and green onion, topped with okonomiyaki sauce, ponzu, mayonnaise, green laver (aonori), and katsuobushi (fish shavings). These are a personal favourite of mine -I can't go to a Japanese meal without a serving of good ol' octopus balls!


I had originally meant to get this as my meal but, because they looked so good, I was made to share and get another meal..

Kitsune Udon (half)

I wasn't feeling particularly hungry so I ordered a half serving of the Kitsune Udon which is thick Japanese noodles with sweet bean curd with soup. The soup really clear and simple which went really well with the sweet bean curd. 

Chicken Katsu Don (half)

Jenny ordered the Chicken Katsu Don which, I must admit, didn't look very appetising to me (I didn't take a very good photo either.. oops). The dish included deep fried chicken cutlets cooked with onion and egg on top of rice(you can also choose pork). Despite its appearance, it was delicious -the egg was full of flavour and the chicken still crunchy.

Chicken Katsu Curry

I'm a big fan of Japanese curry. Unlike Indian curry, it is mainly sweet. Jacky's dish tasted very generic -like store bought Japanese curry that you can heat at home and pour over rice. The portion size, however, was very generous.

How to eat sushi like a pro

Since I got the smallest meal, I had a good 10 minutes of sitting around while waiting for the others to finish. But it was OK, there were plenty of things to look at -like the best way to eat sushi!


Verdict? Nice -just like ALL the Japanese eateries I've been to so far. The food tasted nice, but there wasn't anything particularly special about it. It's certainly better than any of the food on uni campus though -so I'll definitely be back when semester starts next year!