Early on in the new year, we visited Mikazuki in Parramatta to celebrate D’s and his mother’s birthdays.
Despite a mixup in bookings (due to an error on their part with a staff member booking the wrong date) we were accommodated swiftly around 6:30 PM before the evening rush.
We start with the Wasabi Yuzu Shrimp ($17.50), ‘tempura popcorn size prawn with creamy wasabi sauce and chives.
This is one of our favourites — the prawns have a crispy batter with a honey-sweet wasabi sauce that gave just enough kick.
Miso Kingfish Ceviche ($18.50), ‘sliced kingfish, jalapeno, red onion, crispy potato, miso sauce, lime’.
The small serving here, half of which is made up of red onion and crispy potato did not impress. That said, the kingfish was enjoyable with the tangy lime but lacked any heat without the jalapeno slices.
Takoyaki ($7.50), 5x ‘octopus ball, kewpie mayo, BBQ sauce, tuna shavings and seaweed paper’.
D’s brother enjoys the takoyaki. D and I have found frozen ones to prepare at home that taste almost as good as the ones in Japan, and at a fraction of the cost when dining out in Australia.
Spicy Edamame ($7.00), ‘pan-fried soybeans with spicy sauce’.
The edamame are plump with good flavour, although we’re surprised the spicy sauce is just sweet chilli sauce.
Sashimi Deluxe ($29.80)
Perhaps we visited too soon after New Year’s but the seafood wasn’t too fresh, with the fish having a soft mushy texture, rather than the crisp clean flavour we enjoy.
Salmon Lover ($24.80)
This one had the same freshness issues, although we were amused (and confused?) that D’s brother ordered this platter even though he’s keen on eating salmon…
Soft Shell Crab Salad ($17.00), ‘crispy soft shell crab and garden greens with sesame dressing’.
There’s a whole soft shell crab with a crispy batter coating and served piping hot, giving a contrast to the cold salad. We enjoy the sesame dressing.
Dragon Roll ($18.50), ‘tamago, avocado, cucumber, eel, soy glaze, sesame seed’.
The eel lacked the smokiness that we enjoy from our grilled eel in Japan, and we feel the price is steep for rice with avocado and cucumber.
Seaweed Garlic Butter Wagyu Beef Don ($16.50), ‘stir fried wagyu beef and rice topped with seaweed garlic butter, 75°C onsen egg, pickles, crispy onion, teriyaki sauce, sesame and shallot’.
We particularly enjoy the umami from the seaweed garlic butter and would love to make it at home! The wagyu is tender and the onsen egg is perfectly oozy.
Dynamite Hokkaidō Scallop Tobanyaki ($24.80), ‘baked Hokkaidō scallop and rice topped with mushroom, crab salad, shallot, tuna shavings, creamy sauce and spicy sauce’.
D’s brother enjoyed the scallop and crab salad but disliked the generous serving of mushroom, which he did not enjoy with the creamy sauce. D thought it tasted decent, though.
Wagyu Beef Katsu ($29.50), ‘breaded wagyu sirloin beef with wasabi mash, eggplant, mushroom sauce, Japanese BBQ sauce and citrus miso.
This is the first time we’ve encountered a beef katsu and it’s tasty! The panko crumb was crispy and kept the beef juicier and more tender than many medium rare steaks. The eggplant was flavourful, soaking up the sweet and tangy sauce, while the wasabi mash was an interesting twist. We’re not fans of mash generally, but we’d take this one over it.
Wagyu Sirloin Beef Steak ($29.50), ‘sliced medium wagyu sirloin beef, teriyaki sauce, stir-fried capsicum, wasabi mash potato and sea salt’.
This dish tastes much the same as the earlier one, but with a seared crust on the beef rather than panko crumb. We prefer the juicier and crunchier quality of the katsu.
Green Tea and Black Sesame Ice Cream ($5.50)
To finish, these two quintessentially Japanese flavours were well received by D’s brother and mother, although they did not enjoy the crunchy sugar crystals sprinkled on top.
Overall, it’s easy to see why Mikazuki received such high ratings (4.5/5.0) on Zomato. Service is prompt, the atmosphere is welcoming but still personal enough for conversation and importantly, there’s a variety on their menu of traditional dishes as well as modern and innovative takes on old favourites that are executed well despite not being budget friendly.
Mikazuki is located at 169 Macquarie St, Parramatta NSW 2150.