Masuya Japanese Restaurant
My favourite place for Japanese in Sydney (and yes I have been to Tetsuya’s!) is Masuya, tucked into the basement of a building on Sydney’s O’Connell Street. Its unassuming position in the middle of Sydney’s lawyers and bankers offices mean that its clientele is predominantly lunching corporate types, and that means be sure to book! Which really surprises me that the food is so affordable, for the amazing quality that you get. For example, the Masuya Set, at $23.80 provides teriyaki chicken, 2 tempura jumbo prawns and veges, sashimi, sushi along with rice and miso soup is huge! The tempura is no dodgy gluggy oily job either, it’s the real thing – light and crispy and not oily at all. The chicken is tender and moist (thigh fillets), and not too salty. And the sashimi fresh daily. For those non-sushi eating types, the Teriyaki Angus Beef Steak ($19.80) really is as promised “prime angus scotch fillet cooked with ginger teriyaki sauce”. And I reckon you get more than a whole steak there, and it is plenty for one person and more. (And it comes with rice). It’s perfectly cooked – cooked through (just) and not dry at all, and sweetly scented with teriyaki sauce that enhances the tender sliced beef.
Teriyaki Chicken ($15.80) – sauteed chicken thigh fillets with soy and mirin has a sauce that is strangely much lighter in colour, and a bit oilier. Perhaps it’s due to the chicken skin? But for me this is definitely serving size for 1.5 people which is hugely generous and not usually the case with Japanese! And I love scallops – which is why I have a tempura scallop hand roll ($4.80). Usually it takes a few attempts with the staff to order “no mayonnaise”, but when it does come, it’s worth it. Two lightly battered scallops wrapped in a case of rice and nori with lettuce and watch out for the wasabi kick! Desserts are availble (green tea ice cream etc), but we’re taking a walk the long way back to the office instead!