A word on the cutest ice-cream sandwich that ever landed on a table.
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that → land → table
Two perfect, puffy rice wafers shaped like scallop shells sandwich a scoop of vanilla ice-cream squiggled with bittersweet hojicha caramel.
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wafers → shape → caramel
It looks like a mermaid dream house.
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It → look → house
Actually, this whole restaurant, built in a deco-era shopfront in various shades of blush and peach, looks like a mermaid dream house.
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restaurant → build → house
Between the stucco ceiling and walls decorated by Sydney artist Nix Francia, it feels a little like dining inside a piece of coral.
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it → decorate → coral
There are a couple of murals around the room, but one in particular catches my eye.
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one → be → eye
It features a napping lady, nude apart from a pair of fishnet stockings, being embraced by an octopus, the tentacles maintaining her modesty like a sort of PG-rated version of Hokusai’s shunga work.
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tentacles → feature → work
(Sidebar: if you want the adults-only depiction of the Japanese artist’s 1814 masterpiece, there’s a more realistic decal of The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife out by the loos.
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you → want → loos
Here, though, the focus is demi-fine Japanese food served with coastal ease.
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focus → serve → ease
It has to be a pretty sweet spot for Kim to land in after eight years of working in a casino, where the beach is a quick stroll down the hill and the whole suburb smells like the sea.
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suburb → have → sea
To start, there’s an ultra-luxe spring roll that explodes on impact, filled with silky-sweet scallop and prawn meat.
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that → start → meat
A couple of (very salty!) chicken wing yakitori skewers are seasoned with a house-made Japanese spice mix and topped with some beautiful chive work.
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couple → season → work
And a squeeze of lime helps temper the enthusiastic seasoning.
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squeeze → help → seasoning
On the other end of the spectrum, the lamb cutlet, masterfully grilled with a nice, even rosy interior, is slightly underseasoned.
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cutlet → grill → interior
Perhaps it’s a deliberate move – those cutlets share the plate with Japanese eggplant slathered in a highly sticky, concentrated miso.
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cutlets → ’ → miso
There are plenty of blue chip touches on the menu, if you swing that way.
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you → be → menu
That’s a 500 gram piece of brined bluefin or yellowfin tuna (depending on the season), crumbed and flash fried and served with cabbage, katsu sauce and condiments.
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That → ’ → cabbage
But for my dime, it’s all about the nigiri.
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it → ’ → nigiri
The nice thing about Kim’s sushi here is that it’s available to everyone – not just a select few who have the patience and money to book months ahead for an omakase experience.
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who → ’ → experience
I’d cross town for the perfectly seasoned rice, each grain just held together and perfectly formed, painted ever-so-gently in wasabi.
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I → cross → wasabi
There are 13 varieties on offer when I visit, each fine sliver beautifully prepared and seasonally specific.
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sliver → be → offer
Deep orange slices of ocean trout have immense depth of flavour and a creaminess, almost like a different animal.
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slices → have → animal
Also order the tuna while it’s still in season: there’s the slightly leaner chutoro from the upper part of the belly and otoro – the underbelly of the fish and Rolls-Royce of tuna cuts.
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it → order → cuts
I’m driving, so I stick with nutty, tannic green rice tea.
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I → drive → tea
But if I wasn’t, I’d be digging deep into that wine list, packed with white and red burgundy.
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I → dig → burgundy
What really sells this restaurant for me is the vibe of the place, and the infectious enthusiasm from the staff.
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sells → sell → staff
It’s not fine-dining service, but it’s the type of attention that immediately makes you feel comfortable and cared for, whether that’s keeping glasses filled, clearing plates or suggesting a double hit of the dense, caramelised miso financier with yuzu glaze and that ice-cream sandwich.
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that → ’ → glaze
The low-down
Atmosphere: Demi-fine dining Japanese food in cool, coastal environs
Go-to dishes: Nigiri ($14- $26 for two pieces); ice-cream sandwich ($9); scallop and prawn spring rolls ($30)
Drinks: Very solid range of sake and beer, and a wine list packed with Old World surprises
Cost: About $280 for two, excluding drinks
Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently.
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reviews → go → drinks
A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.
More:
- Bronte
- For subscribers
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restaurant → pay → subscribers
The Aporia
