Feeling slightly obligated to order something other than the free pizza, we wanted to pair it with a small 8" pizza option... just to have some variety... but annoyingly this place doesn't offer 8" pizzas for dinner or weekends. I'm not sure it is officially mentioned in their menus... but I didn't see it.


This basically forced us to go for some sides... we ended up ordering two very simple and safe options... first up was their Nachos - a bed of crispy corn chips smothered in cheese, ground beef and red kidney beans and then topped with sour cream, guacamole and tomatoes with a side of chilli sauce. The nachos reminded us of just how simple this is.. and how we could easily make this at home. All the ingredients tasted fresh and that chilli sauce had the neccesary kick.


Next on order was their Tomato and Mozzarella Bruschetta - cherry tomatoes, Italian buffalo mozzarella, Spanish onion and basil served on toasted organic ciabatta bread with balsamic glaze. Yet again fresh ingredients tasted fantastic but it would have been nice to have some more basil mixed into the tomato rather than random leaves sitting on the plate in a deconstructed style. Both were a great start to the meal.


Finally the BBQ Pulled Pork pizza arrived.... covered in parsley, cheese, balsamic onions, pulled pork, a drizzle of smokey BBQ sauce, coleslaw, coriander all on top of a smokey BBQ and tomato base.


As mentioned in my previous posts... I don't really go out looking for pulled pork... it's too simple of a dish to slow cook and make yourself. The pulled pork was unfortunately on the drier side.. and the pizza base with the mixture of the topping made it feel extra soggy to eat... which was quite off putting. The only crunchy texture to this thin based pizza was it's thin crust.  I managed to do a few slices and my wife struggled to do a slice and a half...


This addition to their menu is quite disappointing as I normally do rate this place for their dependable and great pizzas. Maybe it was just this one time with a bad batch or a slight hiccup in the menu... regardless I definitely would not order this again.

I opted for their Lamb Gyros with tomato, onion, tzatziki and chips wrapped in a pita bread. The sauce... the quality of lamb... and even their chips... ahh it was just that good. I can't even string sentences to describe how happy I was... there were definite moments of pure appreciation as I demolished my gyros...


My wife chose the chicken gyros (essentially the same as mine except with chicken)... but the chicken had some drier hard bits which made is slightly less plesant to eat. Though overall still a fantastic gyros...


Every time we decide to do dessert and there's a Nutella option... my wife insists on trying it.... and that's exactly what happen. To finish off we got their Nutella on Pita Bread. They went for the strawberries instead of banana as the additional fruit pairing. With nothing but chocolate and a smile on my wife's face... she wolfed this down with delight.


Personally for me... a great lunch would be a gyros here and then a short walk across the road for some Papas Patisserie for dessert.


This place definitely gets two thumbs from me.. their gyros is delicious and the service is fantastic.... what more can you ask for. I can't wait for a return visit.

They have taken the traditional Pork Bun from its traditional Japanese association and gave it a modern spin in respects to their choice of fillings and the ambience which they serve it in. Now a Bao is merely a smaller and tastier hotdog, enjoyed in another Sydney underground premise washed down with a side of alcohol.


Pricing wise is quite fair.. the Baos are substantially larger than Ipuddo which meant sharing five between the wife and I was more than enough to keep the stomach growls at bay.


The Slow Braised Pork Belly was a beautiful juxtaposition of meat and fat.  The flavours soaked into the Pork was full and heavy bodied which only enhanced the experience after my first bite.

The downfall of the buns has to be their Soft Shell Crab... the batter was too heavy which made it oily and masked the delicate taste of the crab. After one bite, my wife just handed the bun to me and after my first bite... I concurred... though I still finished it off... I hate wasting food.

The bun itself was obviously the same across all Baos... all of which was fantastic.. soft and fluffy... just like they should be.


The place has it's own bar section which serves large jugs of drinks at reasonable prices.... the bar is also a good place to hang around especially if you're waiting for seats as this place is consistently occupied with customers. The best way is to find people that are about to finish and hover like unwanted flies... it's annoying but what else am I to do when there's a couple hogging a booth big enough for six...


Good God was the previous location of The Dip... and when Belly Bao took it's place not much has changed except the menu....


The place still has music pumping throughout the premises... the layout remained the same... and the service was top notch... quick, efficient service with a smile and great attitude.


I can't wait for another eating adventure at this place... now that I know what I like there's no need to make any mistakes ordering... A definite two thumbs up on the concept and great food.

Despite the cold weather I still enjoy the fresh, brisk taste of a beer with my meal. So I started off with a glass of Suntory on tap... it even came in its own sponsored glass.


My wife opted for some cold Ippin Sake. Ippin has spent a lot of hard work trying to break into the Australian market. It offers a great, clean and extra dry sake. It's smooth to drink and pairs extremely well with fantastic Japanese foods.

One unique feature Izakaya offers is there Kids Play Area. This secure section allows you to enjoy your meal while the kids can entertain themselves. With quite a cosy layout, it was a thoughtful inclusion as to compliment the "no rush" mentality of an Izakaya.


Majority of the menu was recommended to us by the manager and Yuri (Managing Director of Washoku Lovers). We started with their Spicy Grilled Salmon Sushi. One bite and my eyes grew wide as I stared at my wife. "You need to try this!" I said with excitement.


The grilled salmon melted in your mouth and that spicy, creamy sauce was just perfection. Each bite was consistently orgasmic and I could have polished the plate of six easily.


Next up was the Prawn and Cod Roe Gratin. The mixture of vegetables, potatoes, prawns, cod roe and lots of cheese was another home run dish. The texture yet again can only be described as melt in your mouth.... so decadent and so good.


The dish itself had a very fishy scent and taste to it (from the roe), which I don't have a problem with but some might. We almost had to fight over who will polish off the remaining creamy goodness. The size of the dish is enough to leave you beckoning for more.


Our last recommended meal was their Spicy Seafood Hotpot with Miso Soup. It comes with a portable gas cooker on your table... which is fine but that left very limited space left to maneuver your plates and access to the touch screen. The seafood was fantastically fresh, the vegetables were plentiful, that tofu was silky smooth and the broth was delicate and sophisticated.

As I was enjoying the subtle flavours of the hot pot, I was explaining to my wife how this hot pot experience combined with their wooden decor really transported my dining experience away up to a small cabin in the mountains on a cold winter's night. Despite both of us not being huge hot pot buffs, there was not much left but soup and handful of vegetables when they cleared the table.


Still feeling slightly peckish (I know, we're massive eaters), we ordered a serving of Lotus Root Chips. I loved the consistently even seasoning of salt and seaweed powder on each chip. The salty crunch of Renkon paired well as I guzzled down the last drops of my Suntory.


To finish off, we always need something sweet... and I mistakenly chose the Tokyo Tower Parfait. Don't get me wrong, I'm in no way implying this parfait lacked in quality... I'm just saying this isn't the type of dessert I normally enjoy. Layered with cream, ice-cream (vanilla and green tea), mochi, cornflakes, red bean and topped with mint and a Nice biscuit... it was what a parfait should be... except I don't ever recall trying parfait and my wife insisted I wouldn't enjoy parfaits at all. I went against her judgement and then was left admitting "I was wrong". I'm at least happy how photogenic the dessert was... that I can appreciate.



There are many other Japanese places (Mizuya and Wagaya come to mind) that adopted the self-ordering system at the table... and I'm glad Izakaya Samurai has as well. It allows a gradual ordering of food without accidentally over-commitment from the get go. Plus the ability to monitor your expenses and to call staff from a screen is an added bonus.


WASHOKU LOVERS

If you are not already a member of Washoku Lovers, and I don't know why you wouldn't be, then I definitely recommend going to their page and signing up. They offer many perks at an ever growing list of Japanese restaurants.

In the case of Izakaya Samurai, you can enjoy your Suntory Malt for only $5 instead of $8.80 OR a small glass of Japanese Sake Ippin for $5 instead of $9.50 OR a free soft drink for you Dry July-ers.

Sign Up Here


I can comprehend why despite there being many other Japanese options, this place (slightly hidden mind you) still has it's fair shares of patrons. It's their perfect combination of a warm ambiance, impeccable service and salivating-worthy food.

Thanks goes out to Washoku Lovers and Izakaya Samurai for inviting me to sample their menu. As an avid fan of Japanese cuisine, I appreciate the consideration.

Kampai!