Matsumoto, Brunswick

That's the same "Sushi Master" that's seen on their website

Ahhh, Matsumoto... It's one of those nights where you know you're gonna have a good time even before it began. I remember that my buddy, K, had literally just arrived from the airport after visiting his family in Perth for over a week. And sometimes, not seeing your good friends for more than a week can seem pretty long in "friends time" ;p Together with A and S, a catch up was in order. As Matsumoto had been on our (ever growing) list of places to try for a while, it was pretty much a no brainer for where to go.

Well lit but not bright with nice high ceilings, ambience was just nice and casual for me. Good for catchups

Deluxe Sashimi -- $20
(of Hokkaido Scallops, Surf Clams, Yellow Fin Tuna, Salmon Belly, Kingfish Belly, Oysters)

Even though they were more famous for their Sashimi Boats more than anything else, we decided to give it a pass this time around. Everything was fresh and quite lovely, except for the scallops. You could sort of tell they had been frozen for a while, hmmm...

Beef Tataki -- $10

I've always been a huge fan of Steak Tartare, so I was happy my friends was up to try this Japanese version. I consider this the counterpart of the European classic because it was mostly raw than it was seared on the outside (when it should be as the name suggests).

Still, quite delicious and tender when paired with the dressing (that some found slightly salty but I thought was okay) and the runny egg yolk.

Crispy Soft Shelled Crabs -- $10

As with most soft shelled crab dishes, eating it will only leave you wanting more. I enjoyed this, especially because of the drizzled spicy mayo.

Nasu Dengaku -- $8
(Grilled eggplants with Miso paste)

Was okay. Thought the miso was a bit too sweet and wished the eggplant had been more charred and tender.

California Roll -- $8

Erm... Nothing I particularly liked (or disliked) about this dish. It is what it is, I guess.

Wafu Steak -- $24
(Grain fed beef eye fillet in homemade fruity Wafu sauce with vegetables on a hot plate)

I... Thought the sauce was too sweet and "gloopy" and really overshadowed the beef.

Tatsuta Age -- $17
(Deep fried marinated chicken with garlic and ginger served with salad)

I have yet to clarify the difference (if there is even any, at all) between Tatsuta Age and the usual Chicken Karaage. Anyway, both are marinated fried chickens so let's leave it at that. Though it was crispy, it wasn't as juicy as I'd hoped. Also, there wasn't as much batter as what I'm used to as well.

Yaki Meshi -- $9
(Vegetarian Teppanyaki Fried Rice)

Really plain... Still, no one does Fried Rice better than the Chinese with their roaring burners/stoves.

Tempura Banana -- $8

YES!! Batter was light, crisp, golden and perfect. The flesh was sweet on its own and soft but still held its shape. It really was too delicious to eat (or share lol), especially with the Vanilla ice cream. Simple, but GOOD. My ideal dessert.

I also tried asking where they got their bananas from because it's the first time I had one that was so small in Australia. The Japanese waittress didn't really understand my question (or English) so never mind lol.

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Overall, even though the food could be better in certain areas, I still really enjoyed eating at Matsumoto for a number of reasons:

1. CHEAP
(Very, very affordable and reasonably priced. No guilt in ordering a lot)
2. Highly EXTENSIVE menu
(Which is quite rare these days but quite important to me! I like having a wiiiide selection to choose from when eating Jap)
3. Cool, CASUAL environment
(Really ideal for simple dinners and catch ups)

Besides that, I'm really keen to come back for their Sashimi Boats, cause that would be awesome.

Finally, just wanted to say thanks to my dear friends for such a lovely evening. Also, to K for his generosity for shouting all of us dinner that night. It was totally unexpected but SO, very nice and gracious of you. Thank you!!! Now, let's get the gang together to get crackin' on that list so we can go on more foodie adventures, woo-hoo! =D




Oh, oh and P.S.: I've also finally written an "About Me" page so don't forget to check that out ;p