Musashi

447 Pitt Street (Cnr. Pitt & Campbell Street), Sydney

(Lunch) Monday to Friday 11:45am-2:30pm, (Dinner) Monday to Saturday 5:30pm-10pm

Who can't resist places with daggy/amazingly cool photos of the restaurant's chefs plastered upon the walls?! Certainly not me.

Having previously been here for dinner - and at that time being treated to the unique and wonderful culinary delight of watching six or more chefs, kitchen-hands, in addition to a sashimi-master (yes, he was a MASTER) prepare and cook your food in front of your headface whilst you sit at a bar area - the thought that lunch would be nice to share with friends was a good one.

Being seated at a normal table, one was able to notice the simple Japanese interior design so employed at Musashi rather than, like before, staring into the eyes...I mean, pans flipped and swirled by artisans. Is nice! Nevertheless the food is amazing, and all in all the architecture was not really that important. I'm just obsessed with that kind of thing.

On a whim I ordered a Green Tea Shake for an extra two dollars with my meal. Not usually into the whole 'mocktail' thing loved by namely this restaurant, it was nevertheless, well, quite good. A little bit watery for my liking, but I guess I shouldn't evaluate too harshly as I tend towards the preference of 'creaminess' rather than that more watery texture of sorbet's etc. in my taste. For a friend who loves the green tea though, it was enjoyed muchly!

Lately having the most bizarre need for the type of eel cooked at most Japanese and Korean restaurants, I decided to go with the lunchtime Unaju Set priced at $15. Mayhaps it is my new way of measuring the goodness of other restaurants specialising in these cuisines...sort of a "base" to judge upon? Maybe not. I love this restaurant quite alot for so many other reasons that their eel could not at all be the foundation with which my opinion rests upon. What a silly idea.

The presentation was, as usual, rather pleasing. It came out with side dishes of miso soup, a mini-salad, and a few pieces of sashimi salmon. Not being a huge fan of miso soup in general, it was, in fact, reported to be "really good". The salad was delicious - with a delightful sauce that I imagine was some sort of conglomerate between a mayonnaise (of sorts) and a sweetened soy - and the sashimi was as good as it gets...that is, it exists only to amaze the tastebuds. The eel was cooked to it's soft perfection and the (apparently) simple ingredients in the soy-based sauce melt with the small strands of dried seaweed and sesame seed garnish. Such an incomplex dish and yet so flavoursome. As tasty it was, the main problem for me were the tiny bones that were still there - it is supposed to be completely filleted. Thus I have never had eel with the bones remaining, and found this to be odd for such a meticulous place. Although really quite minute (the bones could never have been picked out like some other fish) it made the dish a tad unsavoury, if bites were not placed intermittently with plain rice, and just that little bit disappointing. Despite this I still highly recommend going here.

I wouldn't have written this much, if it were not the case.

What else was good? All others that accompanied seemed to be completely satisfied with the price and quality of Musashi. The Tonkatsu & Sashimi Set was yum, the Teriyaki Chicken & Sashimi Set (below) was scrumptious, and the Wagyu Yakiniku Beef Set (not tried) was professed to be fabulous.