An Expensive Train Ride at Zensaki Sushi & Izakaya

Everybody in sight seemed to be getting hot and steamy...



If I am not mistaken (but I probably am), the previous restaurant that once existed on the ground that Zensaki now stands was a Japanese restaurant called Mr. Samurai.
Mr. Samurai was a popular eating place, for during peak eating hours it was always bursting at the seams. If Mr. Samurai was a person, he would be jolly, good, and much adored by everybody.

Unfortunately one day, Mr. Samurai was no more. Along with him was also the demise of $5 lunch time curries, $1 salads and $1 miso soups. Needless to say, I was an absolute wreck.

Fortunately, the death of one Japanese restaurant meant the rebirth of another - the handsome Zensaki. Although not always this handsome to begin with, Zensaki semi-recently underwent a major makeover and even I was lured in with its now striking good looks.

Zensaki; not too many similarities to its precedent Japanese restaurant, besides the need to queue for a table!

Oh hello, Mr Fantastic. You're certainly not too fantastic on these Winter nights!

Upon joining the small forest of people waiting for a seat, I noticed this slushee dispenser that churns and spews out all your slushee desires. I'd say it's a very clever, strategically placed temptation to have it located up the front amongst tired, hungry, thirsty people impatiently waiting for some food and drink!

The new and improved upgrade of Zensaki

The interior of Zensaki boasts a really sleek, contemporary design that is vastly different from its previous format of bench seating and tables in the middle. They have chucked in a sushi train, adjacent to some booth-like seating arrangements and some live sushi entertainment courtesy of the sushi chefs.

The hanging light fixtures are mesmerising and really beautiful as centrepieces. The only downside to the restaurant layout is the squishy waiting area at the front, which results in non-stop awkward shuffling, excuse-me's, sorry's and urmph's as people try to get past each other.
Lack of spaciousness - always a good sign to the business :)

Scallop Roll - $6.20
Grilled Scallop, Crab Salad, Avocado, Cucumber, Fish Roe & Kabayaki Sauce

Many of the sushi plates that roll down the sushi train are eye catching, lots of them involving interesting combinations of ingredients which I later discover are mostly Zensaki's "fusion sushi" choices, making up a big part of their menu.

Some of the more intriguing names are the "Pumpkin Crown" and "Banana Rock", which feature soft shell crab, cheese, egg wrap, pumpkin topping and yoghurt sauce; and grilled banana, lettuce, cucumber, almond flakes and yoghurt chocolate sauce respectively.

I'm trying to imagine it but I can't get my head around a sweet dessert sushi. Very fusion indeed.

Scallop Roll; the scallop angle

This inside-out scallop sushi, was really a one-mouth wonder as I tried to stuff the entire contents of the sushi in one go. The crab salad was as good as crab salad can ever get but of course, the butterflied scallops were perfectly plump and juicy and go really well with the caramelised sweet soy sauce.

$6.20 can be quite steep for 2 pieces of sushi, so the more budget friendly options range from a blue-plated $3 all the way to a white-plated $7.50 rainbow spectrum. If none of the choices are your cup of tea, or, um, your plate of sushi, you can also resort to asking the chefs to customise your own sushi with your own original inspiration.

Chashu King - $15
Tender sliced pork, soft yolk boiled egg, fish cake, seaweed, beansprouts & spring onion

Looking around us, everybody in sight seemed to be getting hot and steamy with a big, hearty, warming bowl of ramen. Just like a perfect companion to cosy up to on a chilly Winter night, ramen was evidently a number one, unanimous choice for just about every customer in Zensaki.

The ramen broth at Zensaki is of the essence, requiring at least a 24 hour preparation time frame to ensure they are packed full of flavour. Andy's choice of broth with his chashu ramen is prepared with a miso base - a distinct salty flavour from the use of fermented soybean paste, and is served with thinly cut ribbons of fat-embroidered pork.

Original Ramen - $9.50
Tender sliced pork, fish cake, seaweed, bean sprouts, spring onion
(It has just come to my realisation that my Original Ramen contains the exact same ingredients as the Chashu Ramen aside from the what appears to be a $5.50 half soft boiled egg!)

Aside from miso, other broth choices include a shoyu (soy sauce), shio (garlic salt) and tonkotsu (pork bone) base. I love the idea of an aromatic, slightly fatty idea of a pork bone stock, and I know I made the right choice when Andy takes a spoon of my soup and declares mine is the better one.

What do you know; never argue with a woman for she will always be right.

A busy Zensaki scene that stays this way for the whole night

As I am preoccupied with scooping out every remaining strand of ramen from my bowl and savouring all the soup there is, I am wary that our seats are still precious resources for those still waiting in line for their Zensaki fix.

As sushi train plate prices seem a bit dear, we forgo the tempting thought of another $6.20 sushi plate, which is barely enough to pay for 2 hours of parking in the city.
Perth is probably one of the few cities where you will pay more money for your car to rest than you would for an entire meal.

Zensaki Sushi & Izakaya

I've only tried the tip of the Zensaki iceberg for now, and I look forward to sampling dishes from their Izakaya section of the menu, which has a whole load of enticing dishes.  They also offer nabemono, a kind of Japanese hot pot and perfect for the chilly flu season.
(It's a communal dish, so just don't invite the ones who actually have the flu) :P

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Zensaki
Monday - Saturday: 11am to 8pm
Friday: 11am to 9pm
Sunday: 11am to 5pm

(08) 9221 7577
83 Barrack Street, Perth WA 6000

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Matilda Bay Restaurant

I sat in the dark - feeling vulnerable, plagued by curiousity, unaware of the destination I was being taken to on this chilly, blistering cold Winter night.

As we turn the corner, getting closer, and closer...I was at my wits' end. I couldn't handle this feeling of the unknown.

"So where ARE we going for dinner?!"

I was in the passenger seat of the car, anticipating this birthday dinner of mine that had been delayed a fortnight. Andy kept it a secret from me to retain an element of surprise that had me sulking for an entire week about not knowing what to expect.
I did know however, I was in for a treat. Especially when we pulled up in front of the Matilda Bay Restaurant :)

You can see the blue wall from afar, but we ended up in the wrong carpark. After a few confusing turns, we ended up in the same carpark again.
Activate your night vision for the poorly lit surroundings.

The invitation to a grand evening

Pushing open the doors, the entrance is warm, classy and very grand. We walk past paintings down a short hallway before being warmly greeted by the host, who show us to our table and seat us promptly. It's a busy night tonight, and the restaurant is already operating at full capacity.

We stick our noses into the menu like its the first time we've seen it, despite studying it for 20 minutes in the car just outside the restaurant. Matilda Bay Restaurant offers a seasonal a la carte menu or a 3-course set menu priced at $95 per person, where the latter offers a more limited variety of dishes.

Espresso Martini - $18
42 Below vodka and Kahlua shaken with an espresso shot and butterscotch schnapps

We weren't planning to have any drinks that night, but the anticipated long wait for food resulted in a quick change of plans. The drinks menu is extensive and full of temptations and we're instantly drawn to the section labeled "Dessert in a glass" (after moving on from 3 different choices - not so instant).

After breaking lose from the calling of the words chocolate vodka, we settled with an Espresso Martini. It arrives promptly and the alcohol is surprisingly strong and bitter that while sharing the martini, Andy asks if I can hop into the driver's seat for the drive home as he feels a wee bit woozy. I raised my eyebrows at him, seriously man?

Quail - $28
Partly boned, Pedro Ximenez marinated and chargrilled, Pear Chutney, Frisee and Crisp Bacon

For our all important starting course, we share the Quail. Not very fleshy but roasted to perfection, the quail and every ingredient on this dish were absolutely perfect matches. Pedro Ximénez is a certain grape variety grown in Spain, which gives the dish an overall sweet flavour.

With a slight (ever so slight!) bitterness from the frisee, the pear chutney adds a dimension of sweetness; its soft, slightly pulpy texture offset by croutons of salty bacon crisps. Its a good start to the night as we both - just me really - clean the plate until it gleams.

I was afraid the staff would collect the plate before I finished the last drop of chutney, so I left a piece of bacon in clear view just to indicate that no, I have not finished scraping the plate just yet :P

Black Angus Dry Aged Fillet 300g - $55

After what felt like a considerable wait time between entree and main course, Andy's beef fillet comes nicely presented on a wooden board, garnished with a slice of grilled lemon. It looks thick, juicy and plump with minimal garnishes, with a pouring jug of red wine jus on the side that is served with all steaks.

Anticipation, anticipation everywhere!

Why so gorgeous for?

Upon cutting into the meat, we see that it has been cooked to our request of medium rare right down to the second. It is perfectly seared on the outside, encrusted with specks of pepper and retained its own juiciness in the flesh, which is still a lovely pink colour. It is a hefty piece of steak consistently cooked throughout, giving full justice to the renowned connotation between Angus cattle and their superior eating quality.

Pink Snapper - $45
Pink Snapper fillet served with Spiced Avocado and Cucumber Puree, Fattoush Salad

Personally I have always associated Matilda Bay Restaurant with seafood, and I couldn't go past their fish options on the menu. My cousin had previously raved about a really good salmon they do, but as this wasn't on the menu I went with their pink snapper.

I'm still really ravenous at this point and look at my dish with sadness, because to my hunger-fuelled brain the portion looks just a tad small. I squeeze the juice from the lime and cut through the fish, which appears to be soft and fleshy. I found it to be a little overcooked, resulting in mouthfuls which were a little dry and lacking flavours I hoped for.

Fattoush Salad - reminds me of Summer!

The component which really outshone the seafood for me however, was the fattoush salad - simple, humble but packed full of flavour. As a popular salad in Levantine cuisine, fattoush salad is a mouthful of crunchy textures from fresh raw vegetables such as cucumber, red onion, capsicum and mint.

This is a new taste for me, which meant I had to consult Dr. Google to find out what the unbelievably crispy pieces of what looked like thickly cut potato chips were in the salad. The answer to my ignorance was fried flatbread! I'm also a loyal fan of the avocado, so the refreshing spiced avocado and cucumber puree nestled under the salad was a big hit with me.

Crème brûlée - $18

Meal swap is a common occurrence at dinner time and by the time we finished playing musical plates, they were promptly whisked away and replaced with dessert menus. I have a habit of consulting staff members on their food expertise and asked for suggestions from our waitress when we couldn't decide between the equally decadent sounding caramelised tart and crème brûlée.

With limited persuasion from our friendly waitress, we left behind the caramelised banana, banana jam and crème fraiche in sweet vanilla pastry crust option in pursuit of their rich (and more generously sized) crème brûlée. Dessert doesn't come cheaply, and we went with the one which gave us more spoonfuls between the two of us haha!

I have a real weak spot for crème brûlée and it came out looking stunning - if this was a person, it would be downright HOT! When I could bring myself to destroy the golden ceiling, the audible cracking sound was loud and gave way, revealing the beautifully creamy substance underneath.

Every mouthful was smooth and velvety, and you could see the specks of vanilla scattered throughout which really gave it a rich flavour. The thin pistachio and almond biscotti had a nice crunch to it, but was really no substitute for that amazingly crisp canopy on the brûlée (which I practically DEVOURED. ASAP. Myself.)

The waitress dropped by afterwards, collected our very empty dessert bowl and asked very sympathetically, "So...did you want to order a second dessert?" Haha, so very understanding of them!

Given its pristine location right on the waters, Matilda Bay Restaurant is a splurge, but a good splurge for special events, occasions and people. Unsurprisingly, the dimly lit atmosphere is a winner with couples but I can also imagine the beauty of the restaurant in the day when its ceiling-to-floor glass panes allows all the sunshine and natural light to flood in.

I really enjoyed the hospitality from the staff on the night, and felt well looked after by each of the waitresses that served us from beginning to end. Each person we encountered was friendly, polite and willing to chat, which earned big, big ticks in the area of service. Its just a nice feeling to feel that the price tag attached to your meal includes pleasant service, when most of the time it unfortunately does not.

Matilda Bay Restaurant is one of those venues which can be considered extravagant, whilst also having that laid back, casual vibe about it. It is very easy to picture a business lunch occurring in the restaurant and signing a million dollar contract, just as much as one would imagine it to take place on one of the many posh, luxurious boats docked outside, just on the other side of the restaurant's windows.

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Matilda Bay Restaurant
Lunch & Dinner: 7 days, 11am - late
Closed on Sunday evenings during Winter months

(08) 9423 5000
3 Hackett Drive, Crawley WA 6009

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