Picky Piggies: July 2018

Since our first visit to Minamishima, we've been looking forward to coming back ever since. It is our most anticipated restaurant of the year and a big draw for us visiting Melbourne. We thought Minamishima would be one of the last restaurants to change as it upholds the highest standards in sushi making. Did it meet our expectations? Keeping reading to find out...

The Omakase is $185pp.

Counter Seats (only take bookings for 2 people)

Eating at the counter allows the diners to develop a personal connection with the chef, as the chef gives a brief explanation of each sushi. And if Minamishima san is not too busy he might even have a little chat with you. For the full Omakase experience, I highly recommend the counter seat. However, counter seats can only be booked for groups of two guests (we didn't get them this time as we came in a group of three).

Table Seats

Whelk

Whelk is the hero ingredient of the first appetiser. It is served in a seasoned seaweed dressing, made with yuzukosho, sweetened soy sauce and Japanese extra virgin olive oil, and then topped with fresh radish and flying fish roe. The whelk had a nice chew to it, which paired well with the crunch from the radish and fish roe.

Chawanmushi

A one-two punch with a hot appetiser immediately following the cold whelk, the chef was awakening our taste buds. The steamed custard was silky smooth, and taken to another level by the smokey powdered millet roe and dried seaweed flakes. Just when you think you've reached full umami, the salmon roe bursts in your mouth and kicks in yet another wave of umami.

Takiawase

A simple looking dish that hides the amount of effort behind the scenes. Takiawase is a traditional Japanese culinary technique where each element is cooked separately before assembly. The taro, which was simmered for 3 hours at precisely 86 degrees, was sweet, soft and mushy. The black cod was tender, yet firm enough to hold its form, and had a hint of smokiness. A dash of yuzu juice added a subtle fragrance and tied the elements together. A good combination of colours, tastes and textures.

Charcoal Grilled Wagyu

Unlike typical steak or barbecued wagyu, we were pleasantly surprised at how light and flavourful the wagyu was. We are pretty sure the wagyu was meant to be the highlight, but somehow the eggplant stole the show. It's easy to flavour eggplant - just add lots of oil! - but this eggplant was not greasy at all and packed with flavour. A couple dollops of foamed wasabi creates an interesting contrast.

Strawberry & Sakura Sorbet

If you thought this was a peeled tomato then you are not the only one. A palate cleanser before the sushi course, we wish there was more of this sorbet and would have absolutely enjoyed it as a dessert. We couldn't really taste the sakura flavour, but never mind, the strawberry flavour was so intense, eating this sorbet felt like taking a tongue injection of a concentrated dose of strawberries.

King George Whiting (L) & Hapuka (R)

We began the sushi course with a couple of pieces of mild fish. The King George was paired with a plum sauce and shiso, while the Hapuka was topped with pickled daikon and ponzu.

Braised Octopus Sashimi

We were not big fans of this octopus. The texture was slightly on the rubbery side, and the miso didn't help to enhance the octopus's natural flavour. Mr Piggy was also sad to find one of his pieces a bit stenchy and bitter.

WA Amaebi (L), Seared Hokkaido Scallop (M), and Seared Flounder Skirt (R)

We were excited to see a return of the seared flounder skirt and were ready to order a few more. It was our favourite sushi on our previous visit, and sent us on a pursuit of this particular sushi wherever we travelled. This time however it was more firm, and we would have preferred the softer, melt in your mouth texture. The amaebi was soft and sweet, and surprisingly only to be surpassed in sweetness by the Hokkaido scallop.

Akami (L), Toro Aburi (M), Maki with Dried Gourd (R)

The Akami set the scene with a full-bodied deep oceany flavour that was clean and sharp, whilst the Toro had a softer texture and creamier taste from the melted fish oil. However, we missed the Otoro, which would have completed the full tuna experience.

Uni $22ea

We enjoyed the uni, but a crispy nori would have created a better contrast.

Kanigohan

The rice had fully absorbed the crab essence and was paired with porcini and carrot for added depth and sweetness. It was a subtle dish to end the savoury part of the meal.

There was also a stingray soup with a smoked dashi broth, which went done so fast we forgot to take a picture!

Tamago $10ea

This tamago was more cake than egg. The charred skin provided a caramelised bittersweet contrast to the fluffy and moist centre - an enjoyable dessert sushi.

Kuri Wagashi

Wagashi is a traditional Japanese confectionery that focuses more on the aesthetics than taste, but this one challenged our preconceptions.

Resembling the shape of a chestnut, this dessert was a concentrated bomb of chestnut flavour, crafted to immerse you in the full chestnut experience. The sweet runny custard centre matched perfectly with the nutty chestnut paste.

Tea Chocolate

We took our time to savour each chocolate and our final moments of the omakase experience. The distinct flavours of matcha, genmaicha, and hojicha highlight the skills of the chef in exemplifying the various aspects of a simple ingredient.

Food: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Atmosphere: 8/10

Highlight:

Desserts
Mostly impeccable dishes

Lowlight:

Significantly fewer pieces of sushi than before
You have to pay extra for the uni and tamago, which should have been included in the course
Barely enough food after paying extra for additional pieces of sushi
A table of noisy diners disturbed the calm atmosphere of the night, and the staff did nothing about this

Website: https://minamishima.com.au/
Address: 4 Lord Street, Richmond, VIC 3121, Australia
Hours: Mon closed
Tue-Sat 6-10pm
Sun closed

Phone: (03) 9429 5180

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Even though we came early in the morning on a Sunday, Lune was already packed with hungry people. Luckily there was more than enough pastries for everyone.

While Mr Piggy was in the line, I took a little peak of what's going on behind the scene. It was fascinating to watch how the puff pastries were handled with so much care and love.

The pastry chefs seemed to greatly enjoy making the pastries. It was strangely satisfying to watch them skillfully create the pastries.

Pecan Pie $10.50

A pocket packed with sweet delights - an upscale version of your typical pecan pie. As you bite into it, the crispy shell flakes away exposing the soft, fluffy pastry inside, filled with maple-infused chunky crushed pecans. A generous dollop of airy maple bourbon cream smothered atop - the perfect accompaniment to the pastry.

Lemon Curd $7 (L); Spanakopita $9.50 (R)

We were stuffed at this stage but as Mr Piggy is a big fan of lemon curd, he wasn't gonna leave without piggybacking one for the journey till our next food destination 😂 Lemon curd filled the cruffin all the way to the top. Even for the more sweet-toothed (vs sour) of us, this pastry was very enjoyable as the tartness of the lemon curd was well balanced by the sugar dusted pastry. The citrusy fragrance also helped to cut through the otherwise rich dessert.

Our only savoury pick of the day, the Spanakopita was a simple and delicious swirl, with layers of spinach and ricotta cheese inside. A nice intermission before we move on to the next dessert!

Coconut Rough $10.50 (L); Miso Caramel $7.50 (R)

This coconut rough was almost too cute to eat as it resembled a cute, spiky porcupine... but we weren't gonna let it go. The super crunchy toasted coconut chips juxtaposed the soft, airy bun, and the creamy filling inside. The chocolate and desiccated coconut filling added to the coconut theme. However, it was a little bit too sweet and rich for us, perhaps less (chocolate) would have been more.

We had to get the miso caramel, a dark cuisine fusion that has come into fashion. We've never tried this flavour and the combination proved unexpectedly outstanding. The caramel was gooey, and alternating levels of smoky saltiness added contrast to every bite. The sugar dusted cruffin had us licking our fingers guiltily at the end of the treat. Oh, and the black sesame crisp on top was a distinctive tribute to the Japanese inspiration, a nice salty-sweet touch.

Looks like Lune has refreshed the menu since our visit, with more interesting flavours. We'll be back!

Food: 10/10
Service: 7/10
Atmosphere: 7/10

Highlight:

Some of the finest pastries in Australia (watch out Paris!)

Lowlight:

Wish they have a shop in Sydney...
Not ideal for those on a diet

Website: https://www.lunecroissanterie.com/

Phone: +61 3 9419 2320

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If you are wondering why the tribute to Mao, Hunan is Mao's hometown, and Chairman Mao aims to bring authentic Hunan dishes to Sydney. While Sichuan is more internationally renowned for its spicy and numbing dishes, Hunan actually takes centre-stage when it comes to the use of chillis in cooking in China. There is a saying in Chinese that "Sichuan people have no fear of spiciness, Hunan people fear it's not spicy!"

Pickles Of The Day (complementary)

Every time the pickles are something different, and a good appetiser to nibble on while we salivate in anticipation of the dishes to come.

Pork Dices Steamed w Five-Spice Rice Powder $23.8

Generous chunks of fatty pork is coated in ground rice powder before being steamed under low heat for hours. This culinary technique fully renders the fat, and the rice coating helps absorb all the flavours of the pork and spices, and adds another textural dimension. One of the few no-chilli dishes in Hunanese cuisine that we always order.

Stir Fried Rumen Beef Tripe w Hot Chili $22.8

Offal has never been a favourite of ours, but when done right it can can offer textures and flavours that can't be matched by meat. The extra surface area of the tripe helped lock all the flavours inside. Like an elasticky sponge, the more you chewed the more flavours it unlocked.

Stir Fried Smoked Pork w Smoked Bamboo Shoots & Chili $26.8

A house specialty and a must-get every time we visit Mao. The house-smoked pork is like an extremely smokey version of smoked ham with more chew to it. The smoked meat and the semi-dried bamboo shoots complement each other and you can easily down a couple of bowls of rice with this dish in a flash!

Stir Fried Smoked Pork w Wind Dried Julienne Radish & Chili $26.8

No, this is not a picture of the same dish taken from a different angle... we love the house-smoked pork so much that we ordered another one with dried radish this time 😀 When you can't decide on which one, get both! The dried radish had an interesting chewy crunch to it, although our favourite is still the one with bamboo shoots.

Stir Fried Hot Green Chili w Black Bean Sauce $16.8

Ordering a pure chilli dish might sound weird to some, but if you love chilli this dish will satisfy all your heat cravings! This vegetarian dish is no weak contender in a restaurant serving mostly meat heavy dishes. The fermented black beans, fried till crispy, go perfectly with the charred meaty chilli. Be sure to remove some of the chilli seeds to dial down the heat.

Food: 8/10
Service: 6/10
Atmosphere: 6/10

Highlight:

Authentic Hunan cuisine, no cutting corners

Lowlight:

Dishes are very oil heavy
The level of heat is not for the faint-hearted!

Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chairman-Maos/121331887925593
Address: 189 Anzac Parade, Kensington, NSW 2033
Hours: Mon 5-10pm
Tues closed
Wed-Thu 5-10pm
Fri-Sun 5-11pm

Phone: (02) 9697 9189

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