Birthday lunch @ Nobu [Crown Melbourne]

It has been an incredibly busy past few weeks, with a few November birthday celebrations in the family, lengthy dance rehearsals, and the arrival of a new baby in the family just a few days ago (my sister's not mine)! I myself celebrated my birthday a few weeks ago, and hubby arranged to bring me out for a birthday lunch. He was very secretive about his plans for the day, but he had to ask my sister to help collect our youngest from kinder and to look after her, forgetting to tell my sister that it was supposed to be a surprise. One thing that remained a surprise until we arrived was the location of lunch, which was at Nobu. Japanese cuisine remains one of my favourite, so hubby did very well in his choice. The Nobu brand is probably the world's most recognised Japanese restaurant, and we had the pleasure of dining at Nobu in Hong Kong where we enjoyed the fusion of traditional Japanese cuisine with Peruvian ingredients. Nobu is located inside the Crown complex, a place that I quite enjoy visiting without having to set foot inside the casino. Service was friendly but professional, and our waiter was very helpful in recommending drinks and food. The contemporary timber decor and the lovely river views made for a stylishly cool setting for a celebratory meal. I finally got to try Nobu's lunch bento boxes, almost exactly two years after I first set my sights on them in the menu. The food was excellently executed with top quality ingredients, and hubby and I enjoyed every morsel of food.

Hokusetsu onigoroshi (devil killer) sake. Flavour profile: "dry and refreshing, savoury notes arise on the palate". I've yet to encounter a sake I do not enjoy:

Hubby's Mayura Gold Series Wagyu with Wasabi Salsa. That wagyu was everything a good quality wagyu should be - tender and melt-in-your-mouth texture with a beautiful flavour. This was a tasty dish, even the cauliflower had absorbed the flavourful broth and was such a pleasure to eat:

Nobu Signature Bento Box - clockwise from top left: sashimi salad with Matsuhisa dressing, Chef’s selection of assorted sushi, seafood ceviche, baby tiger prawns with creamy spicy sauce, black cod Saikyo miso, sautéed seasonal vegetables with spicy garlic sauce. Every bite was excellent:

Whisky Cappuccino with cardamon cream, toasted cinnamon crunch, espresso gelato and Suntory Whisky foam. Such a cute presentation, and so delicious:

Petit Four of matcha azuki bean donut and Earl Grey mochi ice cream, complete with a written birthday wish:

Nobu [Crown Melbourne]
Crown Riverwalk, Crown Melbourne
8 Whiteman St
Southbank VIC 3006
Tel. +61 3 9292 5777

Tasty ramen @ Shujinko [Russell Street], Melbourne

One of the best things about living in the same city with a sister who appreciates food is that we meet and go out for the sole purpose of satisfying whatever cravings we have. It requires a bit of coordination with our husbands to look after our kids on a weekend day, but my hubby is happy to take the kids for a few hours as long as I bring home goodies for him too. Shujinko is a 24-hour ramen bar, and it serves hearty bowls of Tokyo-style broth ramen and classic Japanese snacks to satisfy the midnight munchies if you so happen to find yourself in the city late at night. I'm sure the daytime atmosphere is quite different to the night vibe, but the food nonetheless was lip-smackingly delicious. This trip to Shujinko was the last of three food stops for lunch that afternoon, and our eyes were bigger than our stomachs when we ordered three dishes to share. Happy to say that we managed to finish everything, and we enjoyed every bite we had.

Gyoza - the perfectly crispy base contrasted the chewy dumpling skin and moist tasty filling. As it said on the menu: the best side dish to go with ramen:

Tofu salad - soft tofu served with cherry tomato and salad mix, dried bonito flakes and sesame soy dressing:

Shujinko ramen - the original signature ramen in tonkotsu soup base. That pork belly alone is worth the visit to Shujinko!

Shujinko [Russell Street]
225 Russell St
Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel. +61 3 9654 0989

Great Japanese food @ Matsuya, Melbourne

There is a gem of a Japanese restaurant in our neighbourhood. It ticks all the boxes for what we look for in a good Japanese restaurant: fresh ingredients, authentic preparation and presentation, and delicious food. It's a bonus that it is a walk of less than 10 minutes from our front door, and there is even an early bird discount for dinner everyday - perfect for our kids who have early bedtimes. We have dined at Matsuya twice - once on a lunch date without the kids, and another time for an early dinner with the whole family - and have also ordered a takeaway sushi platter for one kid's birthday celebration a few months ago. There was a wide range of Japanese dishes on the menu, to suit even the pickiest of eaters, like my kids can be. The fish and seafood were always of excellent quality, and other dishes were delicious and tasted just the same as those we ate while we lived in Japan. The service was what one would expect of Japanese hospitality, and prices were reasonable for this calibre of dining.

The sake was really good:

The korokke was crispy without being greasy:

The gyoza had the perfect slightly charred base, with a skin that was not too thick nor too thin, and a delicious moist filling. This was the 10-year-old's favourite:

The 3-year-old loved the inari sushi, for the slightly sweet fried tofu skin and the sushi rice within:

The karaage was perfectly seasoned, not greasy, and the crispy coating contrasted nicely with the moist chicken meat. The 5-year-old favoured this dish:

Miso soup and salad that came with the sushi dish:

Seafood that looked and tasted fresh and lovely:

Chirashi don, one of my favourite dishes to order at a Japanese restaurant:

Katsudon, a nostalgic dish for hubby. It was delicious and he wolved it all down pretty quickly:

Ice cream mochi was a great way to end a delicious meal:

Matsuya
146 Station St
Fairfield VIC 3078
Australia
Tel. +61 3 9482 6088

Birthday lunch @ Nobu [Intercontinental], Hong Kong

I had my birthday a couple of weeks ago. Hubby had just returned from two weeks of work in London, but he wanted to organise something special for my birthday though it was short notice. I requested Japanese, and he mentioned Nobu. My first reaction was: "There's a Nobu in Hong Kong?" How could I have not known? Having babies have certainly taken up much of my resources, and it's evident I've had to let many things slide. I've always wanted to try Nobu, and I'm glad that Nobu came up as one of hubby's suggestions. Nobu is a good option for a classy lunch: there's panoramic harbour views paired with stylish interior, and service is a good balance of warm friendliness and professional efficiency. Our waiter was more than happy to recommend drinks based on our preferences, and to help us with menu selection because sometimes it can be hard to choose due to having so many options! I was lucky to try the new Hokkaido Premium Set Lunch (HK$668) that was launched on that very day, and hubby enjoyed the Signature Tasting Lunch (HK$888). The food was delicious and gorgeously presented, and I honestly liked them all! There were quite a few other enticing menu items, and I would love to try out the bento options one day.

The restaurant interior is long and narrow, which allows for more tables with a view:

A cocktail with yuzu (an excellent choice for those who like fruity cocktails) and the mocktail that came with the Hokkaido Premium Set Lunch, which also had citrus notes of the yuzu fruit:

The appetiser on Signature Tasting Lunch was salmon tartare with caviar:

The first course of the Hokkaido Premium Set Lunch was zuwai gani (snow crab) with miso butter:

Second course on the Signature Lunch was yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno:

Second dish on the Hokkaido Lunch was seared tuna with cheese and jalapeno, and hotate (scallop) with yuzu dressing :

Third course of Signature Lunch - rock shrimp tempura with creamy spicy sauce:

Third dish of Hokkaido Lunch - hokkigai and oyster tempura with ponzu dashi:

Fourth course of Signature Lunch - black cod saikyo yaki. Hubby loves black cod at any Japanese restaurant, and this was excellent - so juicy and flavourful:

Hubby's second cocktail, named Sea Foam which was delicious, made with ume shu (sweet plum wine):

The meat course was grilled US prime beef for the Signature Lunch. This was not as good as the meat dish for the Hokkaido set, but it stands well on its own without comparison:

Meat for the Hokkaido Lunch was braised wagyu short rib. This melted on the tongue:

Sushi for hubby:

My sushi set:

Dessert for the Hokkaido course was titled Snowy Comfort and it featured all things associated with Hokkaido - cheese, corn and lavender. There was also a birthday wish on the dessert, which actually surprised me, even though i should have expected it:

Hubby's dessert was soy panna cotta which I forgot to take a photo of in the fuss of my dessert coming out with a candle and everything. It was also delicious and possibly a boozy dessert. This was a really pleasant first Nobu experience, and I do hope to get the opportunity to try out the other Nobu restaurants in other countries.

NOBU [InterContinental Hong Kong]
2nd Floor,
InterContinental Hong Kong
18 Salisbury Road
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Hong Kong
Tel. +85 2 2313 2323

Sunday brunch @ TokyoLima, Hong Kong

It has been full-on for the past two weeks. Two weeks ago, the kids and I were in Phuket enjoying the sun, sea and sand, and less than a day after returning to Hong Kong, I had to rush to Perth on an urgent family matter. I had to literally drop everything, rushed to book the same day flight out to Perth (I got the last seat on a flight departing in 4 hours), repack for winter for my littlest one and I, and zoom to the airport. My poor 1-year-old was still tired from not sleeping well on the previous trip, but she's a little trooper. My dad is another trooper, and it was amazing to see him improve day by day. He's still in the hospital, but doing so much better. Hubby and our domestic helper did an amazing job looking after the older two kids, who are still on their summer school holidays. Our helper is only six months new so she was chucked in the deep end (as my ex-boss liked to say), but she did a fantastic job!

This post has been waiting for three weeks to be posted, and I'll going to do my best to recollect this meal we enjoyed to celebrate hubby's birthday. TokyoLima is a Peruvian-Japanese restaurant, located in a commercial building with an unmarked entrance. My aunt-in-law had warned me that she had trouble finding the restaurant, and her tips helped us locate the entrance easily. We thought Peruvian and Japanese was an unlikely fusion, but apparently there are many Japanese migrants in Peru, with the first 7000 migrants moving to the South American country in 1889 to help with farm work and build the Peruvian economy. Who would have thought a restaurant visit would result in a lesson in history? (This article gives a good background on Nikkei cuisine.) TokyoLima is windowless, which lends to the atmosphere of a basement izakaya. On the weekend, TokyoLima serves the Omacasa Brunch (HK$398 per person), which has a selection of small plates, raw fish, and a choice of one hot dish per person, all meant for sharing. There is also a Kid's Brunch Menu (HK$128 per child), which includes juice, two dishes and ice-cream. The flavours were bold and fresh, and we all enjoyed everything. Portion sizes were good, and we were full before dessert arrived.

Two dishes of the Kid's Brunch Menu - "Ki-mo-chi" Fried Chicken (chicken thighs prepared karaage-style), and Tuna Sushi Roll:

The "Ki-mo-chi" Fried Chicken with spicy soy tare, is also one the dishes on the main brunch menu:

Calamari Chicharron is available only on the Kid's Brunch Menu. The Nikkei-style crispy squid is paired well with the black olive mayo:

Nikkei-style soba salad with seaweed tempura, avocado, chili and sesame sauce. I really enjoyed this cold noodles, especially the spicy sesame sauce:

T-3, TokyoLima's 3-textures salad with pumpkin, mix leaf, poached quail egg, heirloom confit tomato, grilled fennel, crispy glass noodles, almonds and Nikkei dressing. This was a delicious way to eat a vegetarian salad:

H&M, one of the raw bar dishes, with hamachi (amberjack) and maguro (tuna) with shoyu (soy sauce) citrus:

Ceviche Classico - seabass, tiger's milk, sweet potato, choclo,
onion and coriander:

Portobello & Nasu Sticks. The miso mayo, charred leek and pickled ginger were nice accompaniments to the grilled portobello mushrooms and eggplant:

Grilled Black Cod (extra HK$68) with citrus miso glaze. We love black cod, and always order it whenever we see it on the menu. This was moist and delicious:

Dessert included three types of sorbet (coconut, raspberry and mango)...

... and a fabulous banana split with hazelnut chocolate ice cream:

We had a lovely time at TokyoLima. Highly recommended for a different type of Japanese food in Hong Kong!

TokyoLima
Ground Floor
Car Po Commercial Building
18-20 Lyndhurst Terrace
Central, Hong Kong
Tel. +85 2 2811 1152