Sano-san introduced himself and the menu for the evening, where he would prepare everything right in front of our eyes. He started us off with the New Zealand Snapper with caviar, shallots and white soy dressing. The snapper was incredibly fresh as it would melt across my mouth, revealing a subtle mellow sweet flavour.
The next dish was the Black Sesame Tofu, with egg white, white soy, white sesame oil and wasabi. The combinations of flavour created were rich and creamy, yet the sharpness of the wasabi would cut through the palette to freshen the tastebuds of the soft tofu.
The grilled Tako (octopus), Sanma (pacific saury), Broccoli and Sancho were served. The tako was very tender and had flavours of truffle, the sanma three-way grilled, soaked and cooked again was full of umami and beautiful savour flavours, whereas the broccoli was a nice addition as a palette cleanser before moving onto the 'sushi's'.
Moving on, the Chutoro sushi where the rice used three kinds of vinegar to ensure the right balance of flavours. The chutoro cuts were lightly marinated in the vinegar mixture to pair well with the rice. The sushi was delicious, and the chutoro was lightly firm with a well-rounded flavour where the slight sourness built my appetite for greater expectations.
The next sushi was the Ika (squid) which a lemon was lightly squeezed on the top before placing onto the sushi rice ball. It was fresh, firm, and chewy in texture.
The Pearl Meat sushi with burnt butter soy and lemon zest. This was something new to me as it was my first time trying pearl meat (I think). It was very tender with a slight crunch! The dressing was burnt butter soy and lemon zest, and let's be honest, anything with butter cannot go wrong. It was creamy, delectable and just mouth-watering even after taking that bite.
Swiftly, the next sushi arrived which was the Marinated Tuna with tune belly mince, which was located underneath the tuna slice. It was so far my favourite sushi flavour-wise as it had a nice punch of spicy kick to it.
Next up, is the Redbean Rice Chawanmushi. I could smell the yuzu fragrant as this dish was served up. There was imperador (type of fish) inside the chawanmushi, which made the whole dish more hearty and wholesome. The vegetables were super sweet and delicious too.
Moving onto the tenth (10th) dish of the evening, the Shabu Shabu Prawn, where the prawn head was made into a reduction dressing, elevating the flavours of the sushi and paradise prawn.
Next up was the Cured Scampi and Anago (monkfish liver) topped with scampi oil. The combination of the buttery deliciousness and scampi oil further enhances the scampi sushi and its' flavours. The anago also added a layer of richness to it too.
The next sushi was one my friend was looking forward to as she enjoys eating imperador. The Seared Imperador with ponzu white radish and Japanese mustard. The sushi was very light and delicious, and I loved how the ponzu rounded all the flavours together really well.
Okay, the Baby Abalone with olive paste and curry. I remember the batter was light and crispy, yet the abalone was succulent and flavourful. The condiments were mild, which paired well to enjoy the balanced flavours.
Next up, was a traditional dish, the Ikura Spanner Crab, where each roe pearl was very soft offering a satisfying pop, whilst the crab meat with chives and seaweed combination was delectable! And may I just say, look how beautifully presented this dish looks!
OTORO! Sano-san stuck with bringing out the natural flavours of the otoro and enhancing it with the use of vinegar/soy lightly brushed on top. It was fatty, smooth and just divine.
The Crunchy Sear Salmon Maki (roll) with ponzu and Japanese mustard was another one of my favourite dishes as it was fatty and delicious. I just couldn't get enough of the crunch and crispy salmon!
Another dish I really enjoyed was the Miso Cod with cucumber, moral miso, persimmon and tofu. The tofu and persimmon took me by surprise with their unique flavours and the cucumber and miso were super refreshing and delicious. The miso cod was also cooked to perfection, tender, soft, and oh-so delicious!
Next up was the Sea Eel, Kale and Wasabi, which was cooked beautifully. The eel was tender and the combination of the wasabi was very delicious.
The following dish was Sano-san's famous Negitoro Maki, made of leftover tuna pieces from the sashimi cutting or whatever was scraped off the bones, where the flavours and fattiness reminded me of the earlier toro sushi. It was contrasted nicely between the layers of crunchy seaweed, warm vinegar rice, radish, shisho and shallots.
Honestly, by this point, I was getting pretty full and that's where they whipped out the Soumen and Tempura dish. The soumen and broth were clear, clean delicious, and I somehow managed to finish it all. I suppose the clean flavours helped with cleansing any additional heaviness.
You know it's the end when you are served the tamagoyaki. The Tamagoyaki souffle with prawn juice, was light, fluffy and beautifully cooked. I could have gone for another serving!
To bring the whole dining experience to an end, the final dish at dish number twenty-one (21), the Soy Milk Pudding with black sugar syrup and kamquat was the perfect way to end the night. It was light and refreshing, with a touch of sourness from the kamquat.
Overall, I had a great time dining with my friends at Sano-san's Omakase located at Azuma Restaurant. It will be a while before Sano-san returns to Sydney, as he is currently working at Hakkoku in Tokyo, Japan, plus Azuma Restaurant will be relocating due to the refurbishment of Chifley Square.
Currently in Japan. Azuma is being relocated.
TBC.
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