Satsuki, Subiaco (revisited)
I have blogged about Satsuki before, but this is the first time that I have written about the newly refurbished restaurant. The large overbearing sushi counter is gone, leaving more room for tables, and a tatami room. The outdoor area has been floored and is more part of the main restaurant, than a courtyard (which used to get quite chilly in winter).
We perused the menu, glad to see that our favourites were still there – scallop nanban and their signature tuna tataki. The presentation is slightly different but the tastes are still there.
Yuzu chu-hai is always a winner, but it’s alcoholic so you have to be careful not to have too many. The punch of yuzu flavour is incredibly good.
The miso soup served here is always exquisite, rich and nourishing.
The first dish to arrive was tuna tataki, as good as ever with great quality raw tuna, daikon, and spring onion.
Then we ordered one of the specials – sea pollock with some tempura beans and an agedashi broth – lovely rich agedashi and fresh fish.
Our next item was duck and potato which is very similar to a duck and aubergine dish that we have had before at Ha-Lu (the sister restaurant). Beautifully prepared duck with fried leek and salted onion, and very helpfully divided into two portions with a nitsume sauce reduction (eel broth, mirin, soy, and sugar).
Then came the scallop nanban, scallops in a light batter, fried with crispy lotus root and tobiko, and a smattering of chilli powder. One of our absolute favourites – the scallops are so fresh and meaty.
The last dish to arrive was aubergine dengaku. A roast aubergine half topped with a sweet miso and minced teriyaki chicken paste. This is another good nourishing dish with lots of flavour and thoughtful preparation.
I still rate Satsuki as a great Japanese restaurant, and definitely somewhere to go if you want more than the regular sushi train offerings. My only gripe is that they serve the food quite quickly – for all the thought that goes into the dishes, there is no consideration of how to pace a meal, giving the diners a chance to digest a dish and chat before the next dish arrives. If they can nail the service aspect, Satsuki will be hard to beat.
