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It has been well over 4 weeks since I was released from hospital with severe gastroenteritis and placed on a strict diet of bland foods. Boring, it was. But now that I'm skipping around as though I've never been sick, my taste buds told me it was time to take revenge... and eat lots of the golden fried foods I had been craving for.
Ginza is a big and bright Japanese/Korean fusion restaurant that sits on a corner site which many restaurants had previously failed at. Being opposite the park and Burwood Westfield, it gives tired shoppers a chance to refuel with a decent meal... away from the food court of course.
I was pleasantly surprised when a complimentary cup of brown rice green tea was brought out to us. Green tea is usually a priced menu item. What impressed me even more was when they carried a teapot around to each table, offering free refills.
Another goodie about dining at Japanese and Korean fusion restaurants are the complimentary condiments. I loved the caramelised sweet potatoes, kimchi and pickled bean sprouts.
Takoyaki balls ($5.90 for 6) are a favourite of mine. I was never fond of them until my trip to Osaka where I snacked on them every day. These were garnished with a generous load of bonito flakes and seaweed.
For just $8.90, we also couldn't resist to order the deep fried soft shell crab. There were four satisfying halves... a light crisp batter held together the spindly legs, juicy flesh and all. The accompanying sauce looked like a glossy soy but was sweet like heaven. There's something about eating the crabs whole that I simply love.
Zen decided to play it safe and ordered the teriyaki chicken bento box ($10.90).
Meanwhile, I was greedy and had the tonkotsu ramen ($11.90) as a set (additional $3.90) with mixed tempura and avocado salad.
The tonkotsu broth was flavoursome but not as good as Ichi Ban Boshi's. There was a stack of bean sprouts at the bottom of the bowl which padded out the noodles to look like more than it actually was... the egg was overcooked and the pork had bits of the fat trimmed? Or maybe it was just lean. Hmm...
Luckily I had the side dishes to change my mind about Ginza. For the extra $3.90 I thought it was a bargain to get a full size tempura and salad! Both were triumphantly good!
The small sashimi boat also crossed our minds but the photograph in the menu pictured tuna and salmon with a little too much grey bits. Ughh! Although when the table beside us ordered it, I saw nothing but brilliant slices of fish, glowing with freshness.
There's plenty more to try here.
Ginza
35a Burwood Road, Burwood
Tel: 9715 5117
Hi there!
Loving your blog - I stumbled across it whilst digging through the Australia Food Bloggers Ring. The pics are excellent.. make me drool..
One question - I can't seem to navigate your site preperly >
I had a mad craving for tempura last night and, after seeing this page, jumped on the train to burwood. It seems Ginza didn't make it also, and this venue is now called Cafe Juju, but retains the korean/japanese theme.
The place has zero atmosphere - the simpsons was playing on a 42' lcd - but the food is superb. And as it was half empty, on a friday night, the service was pretty good too.
I ended up having the soybeans w/ skins, kingfish & salmon sashimi, prawn & vegetable tempura, plus a bowl of miso (delicious) and the three korean-style sides they brought to the table before i started (which, to my despair, did not include kimchi). Washed down with a small jug of hot saki and a couple of Asahi Beers, I was feelin pretty damn good when I left.
Next time i need nearby tempura, i'll be back.
Ah yes, I noticed the ownership change! Good to hear you had a good feed there! If it's not too far from you, try Sushi Bar Rashai next time, which is at Annandale. I'm writing a blog post about it soon :)