14 November 2009

Musashi Dining Bar, Haymarket



Following our fantastic lunch at Marque and watching Julie and Julia, we finished off our day of all-things-food by having dinner at Musashi. Since they don't take bookings after 6pm, we joined the queue and waited for about 30 minutes before getting a table. Which was good in a way since it gave us time to build up an appetite for the delicious food to come.


Grilled jumbo oysters with bacon, butter, garlic, olive oil and soy sauce - $18.00 for 4

We started our meal with one of the specials for the day: grilled jumbo oysters with bacon, butter, garlic, olive oil and soy sauce. These oysters were huge and were grilled to perfection so that they were almost melt-in-the-mouth. The buttery, garlicky sauce was not too overpowering and I loved the sprinkling of crispy bacon bits and spring onions to add a bit of crunch.


Sashimi (main) - $25.80

We also ordered a sashimi main which contained thick slices of kingfish, salmon and tuna amongst others. The fish was very fresh and although there was nothing particularly special about it, it still managed to satisfy my sashimi cravings.


Rainbow roll - $14.80

The rainbow roll was a colourful display of fresh sashimi and avocado layered on top of a california roll. Although I thought it was a bit dry and could have done with a bit more mayonnaise in the roll, there was a nice balance of rice and filling. 


Tonkatsu pork loin - $18.80

The tonkatsu pork loin was a definite winner! Pieces of tender pork loin were encased in breadcrumbs and deep fried until golden brown. They came out piping hot with a crunchy exterior and were perfect when dipped in the sauce. One of my favourites of the night.


BBQ calamari - $18.80

My other favourite dish was the BBQ calamari - something I don't usually enjoy probably because there have been too many times when the calamari is overcooked and rubbery. This was the total opposite, the sweet BBQ-sauced calamari rings chewy but still tender. The serving size was also very generous and these were so yummy I ate far too many and left the restaurant feeling very full! A great place to have dinner if you don't mind waiting a bit (or if you're willing to eat very early or very late)! 

Now on a completely different note, I recently received my very first blog award from the lovely Ellie at Almost Bourdain. Go and check out her blog if you haven't already - it makes my mouth water every time! Thanks Ellie!




According to the rules of this award, I must accept the award, post it on my blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and their blog link. Pass the award to 8 other blogs that you’ve recently discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

So here are some fantastic blogs that I'd like to pass this award along to:

The Ninja from The Ninja Review 
Lex from vue de cuisinier 
Mademoiselle Délicieuse from Spoon, Fork & Chopsticks
Mr. and Ms. Taste from tasted by two  
Chris and Tim from the way it crumbles 
Trissa from Trissalicious 
WX, JL and AY from nom it like it's hot
Von from Vondelicious!

Musashi Dining Bar
447 Pitt Street (cnr Pitt and Campbell Streets)
Sydney NSW 200
Ph: +61 (02) 9280 0377
Lunch: Monday - Friday, 11:45am-2.30pm
Dinner: Open 7 days, 5.30-10pm (9.30pm on Sundays)



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Musashi on Urbanspoon

11 comments:

  1. Jacq, you are most welcome! Musashi is one of my fav jap restaurant. Nlike the idea of all-things-food day!

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  2. The oysters look AMAZING. I'll definitely check it out once, uh, my paycheque comes in. In the meantime I'll sleep and dream oyster dreams.

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  3. Thanks for the award Jacq! I really appreciate it. If only I could give it back to you too I would as I love your reviews! I had dinner in Masuya last night which I think is the sister restaurant of Musashi and it was delicious!

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  4. I've heard lots of average stuff about Musashi before which is why I've avoided it up till this point. The no-bookings thing is understandable but quite annoying in my opinion (I know at Makoto they give you green tea while you wait though. I like green tea). Will put it back on the list after your excursion though : )

    I'm going to have a hard time finding 8 blogs...time to search the ninja archives!

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  5. Hi Ellie - Haha a whole day dedicated to food can't go wrong! Something I should do more often I think hehe

    Hi Rose - I like the sound of oyster dreams! Especially if they involve eating them ;)

    Hi Trissa - You're welcome! And you definitely deserve the award :) I've only been to Masuya once but the food was great!

    Hi Ninja - I suppose Musashi isn't what I would call spectacular Japanese food but it's pretty good considering the price. And it's consistent as well which is a big thing for me! They usually give out green tea while you wait at Musashi as well but they didn't this time :(

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  6. Hi Jacq, thank you so much for the award! It's very special as the blog is still very much in its infancy and this is my first 'recognition' =) You've definitely made my day! And I look forward to reading many more top posts from yourself =D

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  7. Hi mademoiselle délicieuse - You're welcome and very deserving of recognition! Your blog is awesome and I love reading your posts :)

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  8. I'm actually drooling reading this post. I love all things Japanese but have not been to Musashi yet, I'm definitely going there tomorrow, thanks =)

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  9. Hi Linda - Surprised you haven't been before! The great thing about the Masuya group is that their food is consistently good and most definitely drool-worthy ;)

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  10. Dear All,

    Thank you for your tips about this restaurant. I will certainly try out this place asap.

    The pictures you have posted look really delicious. ^^;

    Thank you.

    Mike

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  11. My experience at Musashi,

    They did not take bookings, but we really enjoyed our meals and the staff were very friendly. They did give us a cup of green teas when we were waiting outside (just like Makoto) and it was a very nice gesture.

    I will recommend this restaurant to anyone who is looking a traditional as well as fusion Japanese cuisines.

    Ken

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