Australian Series 1 - Yoshii Restaurant, Sydney, NSW

My dear readers,
This particular entry marks the beginning of a series of posts about my recent trip(dweeb here) to Australia in the beginning of February. While I could not possibly explore all of the landmark restaurants in this vast and beautiful country, the ones that I did have a chance to visit was well worth the journey.
Ok. No more bullshit. Restaurant number 1 was our first lunch at Sydney, Yoshii's. Operated by Chef Yoshii Ryuichi, Yoshii's is a small restaurant that features a beautifully cozy dining room in The Rocks neighborhood of Sydney. The room features a sushi bar as well as maybe two short rows of tables seperated by a wooden blind. the Dark earthy tones of wood and stone interior felt clean, and was very inviting. We arrived fairly late for lunch. Upon consulting the chef, we are allowed to stay for the tasting menu.

Dining partners: Le Dweeb, Dweeb's girlfriend(self-proclaimed manager of this blog), and Dweeb's mother(yes, even someone like me actually have a mother)
Menu Selection: Yoshii Lunch Course @AUD$60
Remarks: Sydney Morning Herald's good food guide(This is, according to what I was told, Aussie's answer to The Michelin Stars) award this place 2 out of 3 chef hats(toque), see picture in back of post.

Restaurant exteriors

Menu

Kopachi

Appetizer
Scallop wrapped in seaweed, taro root ball served in syrup
This is a fairly interesting offering. The scallop was perfectly cooked(possibly marinated as well), with the thick kobu-like seaweed wrapping offering much contrast in texture and flavor, making it a thoroughly interesting bite. In comparison, the Taro root tastes somewhat dull.

Soy marinated Tuna Sashimi, Asperagus, Scallion Floss
While it does say Soy marinated, the marinate used here is obviously more than soy. there's the presence of the added flavor of alcohol, amongst other element in which I will have to report back once I manage to find my notes. (Left it at Dr.T's Office) This is a proper continuation from the lass course, prompting what's to come. Nice.

Black Cod marinated in White Miso
The simplicity of the name of the dish doesn't even begin to describe this. To start, this damn thing came as a smoldering pouch, still giving off smoke like a minature chainsmoker on steroids. The pouch was made with Japanese cedar. as it was heavily blacken on the grill, the fragrant smoke filled the room. As our envious neighbors on the table behind us observed, I opened the wooded pouch(it's still burning, sort of). The fish sat pefectly center, having been imparted a tempting yellow hue from the wood and the marinade. The meat of the fish was firm and flaky, with a light layer of caramelization on top. Some would say that the fish might be somewhat overcooked, since it's not as tender as it could be. However, I believe this is meant to be the meat dish of the meal. The slightly overcooked, firm texture of the fish, coupled with the ethereal smoke still giving off by the cedar, every bite I took confirmed satisfaction. White miso was used beautifully here, as it's subtle taste complements the fish's almost oily texture perfectly. This is the climax of the meal.


Sushi
What more can I say about this? It's well done. Everything offered was incredibly fresh(I do mean incredible). Rice was done properly, the mild acidity was very palatable. it's a nice, familiar complement to the last course.

Brown Sugar Ice Cream

Yoshii is a properly good restaurant. It's offerings have a comtemporary flare aside from the traditional corner stones of Japanese dining. It was a very enjoyable lunch. Friends, visit here, say hi to the friendly staff, and stay for the meal. You will delighted that you did.

Oh, I found this outside the toilet in the back.