A trendy alleyway restaurant & bar! In a small alley way just off oxford street, lays a japanese restaurant owned by the talented Takashi Ohuchi. As you enter the restaurant, it gives you different-vibe like not many sydney restaurants do. In saying this, dining in Uchi Lounge makes me feel as though i’m in one of Melbourne’s trendy alleyway bars/restaurants which is something sydney lacks.

Takashi bases the quality of food around shinsen meaning fresh. They have no MSG policy and select organic foods with seasonal tastes, which offers a variety of dishes to choose from including vegetarian. Prices are very reasonable for the area as dishes start as cheap as $6 and the most expensive is $24. I decided to ask the lovely waitress about suggestions / signature dishes and it was brought to my attention to try the set menu at $49 per person for 12 dishes.

water couldn’t get any funkier than this..

I love restaurants which have mint embedded in their jugs of water. Its something about it that stands out to me as it makes drinking water fun!

cocktails

Lovely Krissie suggested I try her favourite cocktail called ‘crunchy tiger’ zomggggg it twas delicious! Mango juice and passionfruit sake, sets the mood perfectly with its summery fruity bliss

(B) couldn’t get past the name of ‘samurai mist’ which was a really interesting cocktail. Blueberry sake was very nice as you could taste its subtle sweetness and the added lemon gave a bit of a kick which balanced deliciously. Takashi says the color of this cocktail is all natural thanks to the blueberries (no additive coloring). The cocktail glass is coated with salt which really gives a lovely taste when mixing the two combinations together.

Complimentary – crispy rice cake
Crispy rice cake with light soy. Great way to cleanse the mouth as the food comes rolling out.

the banquet begins..

DISH #01: miso soup with tofu
Always my favourite way to begin any japanese meal. I often find some miso soups can be fairly salty, but this one was just right if not better.

DISH #02: Agedashi tofu with tororo kombu
Lovely tofu which is lightly dusted with cornstarch or potato starch and deep fried until golden leaving the inside soft and delicious. Agedashi is served in a yummy hot broth and garnished with tororo kombu (pickled, softened seaweed which his shredded – usually found in miso soup, udon).

I loved this very much. Usually when i go to japanese restaurants, i rarely order this because sometimes it can be quite oily and can get quite sickly. In this instance, it was absolutely divine and has revived my agedashi dry spell. The broth was perfect especially when the tofu soaked up the soupy goodness.

DISH #03: prawn and fish balls with green tea salt
(B) and I absolutely loved this. Outside is a lovely texture and the inside is soft and filled with minced prawn. The highlight is when you dip the fish balls with the green tea salt. This is what complements the dish and seals the deal! – I want more of these babies!

DISH #04: top ‘n roll sushi – Sashimi on top of avocado sushi rolls
Salmon, avocado with gigantic salmon roe how could anyone find faults in this? You little beauty you!

DISH #05: Fresh pacific oysters with umeshu vinaigrette
I’ve never been a fan of raw oysters. It never does it for me unless its steamed chinese style with shallot, ginger, soy and sesame oil.

When shoved in my mouth, the umeshu vinegar takes over the oysterish taste leaving it very pleasurable and easy to eat that I had no trouble downing it. The umeshu doesn’t have the bite like western vinegar, in fact its more subtle that your face wont even scrunch up due to its sour like taste.

DISH #06: Asian green salad with wagu dressing & crispy gobo
Fresh simple salad with a crunch to sooth the sydney humidity. It’s a good idea to save some till the very end of the set menu, as it complements the meaty dishes such as the chicken and beef which is soon to follow (scroll further down).

DISH #07: char grilled king prawns with sansho salt
One of the best ways to eat fresh prawns is to have it char grilled without tampering too much with the natural prawn flavours. In saying this, the burnt char grilled edges give it that char-grilled taste like charcoal chicken has or seafood cooked on the side of the streets of vietnam.  *anyone care to slurp prawn head?

DISH #08: Kingfish sashimi with shallot, umeboshi and tamari dressing
Kingfish Sashimi is my ultimate favourite fish when having it raw. The umeboshi plum (red raspberry like condiment) mixed with the tamari soy, is definitely a delicious way to eat it this way rather than the traditional sushi train style with soy sauce and wasabi.

DISH #09: Grilled egg plant with miso & parmesan
When i was first told this dish is amazing, I still wasn’t sure if i wanted to try it. Seriously this was my ULTIMATE favourite dish!! I couldn’t stop raving on about it. Ive never ever ever ever had eggplant made like this before. It was orgasmic that I’d definitely come back for this dish and order it again. Vegetarians you will love this dish i guarantee it!!!

DISH #10: Miso peri chicken
Soft delicate pieces of chicken with hints of chili spices sprinkled on top. It’s not hot so chili-wimps you’ll be able to eat it without complaining its spicy.

DISH #12: Medium beef steak with chilled wasabi mash
This is usually served medium-rare and because I’m not too good with medium-rare meat, they kindly asked if i’d like to have this medium. Beef was soft tender not even a single piece of fat in sight. It was as lean as i’d like my arms to be LOL. Wasabi mash had the wasabi kick it should – WASABI LUV RIGHT HEREEE.

got any room for dessert?

Unfortunately dessert photos didn’t turn out as great as the sun went down. Desserts are not included on the set menu so i suggest you leave room for the best part of the night.

I’ve heard great things about their green tea brulee which unfortunately I didn’t get to try because (B) wanted his azuki strawberry and rhubarb icecream. No matter how hard i tried to convince him to try the brulee he wouldn’t budge awww LOL. I on the other hand had my heart set on the japanese pumpkin tart. Its not every day you see that on a menu.

Azuki strawberry and rhubarb ice-cream
Unfortunately I couldn’t remember what it tasted like. Truth is I didn’t want to share my dessert with anyone not even my companion LOL!!

Japanese pumpkin & chocolate tart with vanilla ice-cream
Japanese pumpkin towers over butternut pumpkin any-day. Seriously japanese pumpkin is sweet and delicious it works brilliantly as a dessert. Pumpkin was smooth and creamy and the thin layer of chocolate on the bottom of the base was the right amount. Anymore chocolate than that, would have empowered the pumpkin. Loved it lots, it reminds me of american pumpkin pie without the cinnamon and nutmeg.

Beverages: Coffee and green tea
I love japanese crockery

I had a fantastic evening at Uchi Lounge, service was lovely. The two ladies that served us was  very bubbly and the when asking for suggestions they were very good with explaining what you should try. No doubt i’d love to come back with a bigger group next time for cocktails after work and a bite.

* Pigged-Out dined as a guest

Uchi Lounge
15 Brisbane St
Surry Hills, 2010
P: (02) 9261 3524
W: uchilounge.com.au

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