Sushi-Ya

Sushi Ya is our go-​to sushi restaurant. The sushi is good, not amazing, but consistently good. We always have a nice time there but I think it’s some times hit and miss on service, especially upstairs. There is room for improvement and just a little bit more effort would go a long way with regulars like me who get tired of the same old menu.

fav dish = beef tataki. the house sauce goes so well with it. sushi & sashimi is like your average japanese restaurant. service is good if u sit downstairs. upstairs, very difficult to get anyone. staff’s helpful & polite.

Recently, my partner gifted me with a staycation in Chatswood for our 3-​year anniversary. For those who don’t live in Sydney (or who don’t get out much), Chatswood is about a 20 minute drive to the north of Sydney CBD. It is also a mélange of different cultures that has grown to include Chinese (both northerners and southerners), Koreans, Japanese and Malays.
Unlike Sydney CBD, you won’t find your dingy Chinese restaurant where hygiene seems like a foreign concept. Almost every single Chinese restaurant, be it a Shanghainese or Cantonese restaurant has a well-​maintained modern feel to it. In saying that, that doesn’t mean you won’t find the occasional bug in your rice bowl (Asian restaurants, get used to that!)
My first dinner of my staycation would be at Sushi-​Ya. Sushi-​Ya is a new favorite, simply for it’s fine balance between quality, price and service. Quality is top-​notch, while prices aren’t dirt cheap, but not exorbitant either, and service is typical of most Japanese restaurants (run by Japanese) quick and cheerful.
First off the menu is the Kingfish Belly Sashimi. Sashimi aficionados here will realize what a treat this is as it’s not very common. This sashimi is unreal! It tastes fresh and simply melts in your mouth.
Next up, the Roasted Unagi Chirashi. The flavors are absolutely divine. It has the perfect amount of sauce and the eel is not too fatty and not too bony. My only qualm is that, it came out a little lukewarm and would have been warmer if it was hotter.
As I took my head out of my Chirashi, I noticed most of the patrons had a sushi dish on their table. It quickly became apparent that we should join in the fun. So, we ordered the Smokey Mango Roll! Unfortunately, the mango proved to be too ripe and rather than complementing the smoked salmon, it vied for control of my tastebuds instead. The result left me unsatisfied, though I am willing to give Sushi-​Ya the benefit of the doubt, because mangoes are not in season.
To cap off the night, Zenzai! Anyone not familiar with Asian desserts, that red soup-​like liquid is warm red bean broth. The white roasted Zenzai is chewy, and is like eating a cloud made of doughy marshmallows. Delicious.
~ Jambon Cochon