Fujisaki - Sydney

We had a fantastic evening at this restaurant. We reserved the Tatami Room with a minimum spend of $300. The room was private and accommodated 6 people comfortably. Upon entering, we took off our shoes and sat at the table. We visited during truffle season and had the opportunity to indulge in the special truffle menu, which we couldn't resist ordering in its entirety. Despite the minimum spend requirement, our total bill came to $704, including drinks for 3 people, and it was worth every penny. Every dish we tried was exceptional and delicious, with no average offerings in sight. The service was impeccable, with our waiter Luca ensuring we were well taken care of in our secluded room. He constantly refilled our water glasses and checked on us regularly, providing great attentive service. We were lucky to visit during truffle season and experience the special menu. Luca even gave us a tour of the restaurant, showcasing the various private rooms available for larger parties. We are eagerly looking forward to returning to try the omakase menu and will be recommending this place to all of our friends.

The Patagonian toothfish was amazing! Too bad it isn’t part of the banquet menu. All of the dishes were alright and we were happy with the service and wine selection. The staff were also very accommodating to a member of our group who had dietary requirements. If you’re planning to seat outside at night, be prepared for endless horn honking of a 100s of taxis and cars banked up in traffic right at the front of the venue.

Quite an authentic place, minus kudos for wait staff condescending you. The food was great, I personally recommend the swordfish Toro and the otoro. Price for the sashimi is quite reasonable. The cauliflower is also quite nice. Another favourite would be the tooth fish, can't go wrong. The spanner crab, avo and uni was a massive let down.

The Fujisaki dining space oozes class with blue velvet and black tones throughout. The lighting arrangement impressed us, with two oversized spherical marbled lights, indented in the ceiling, like a pair of full moons above the dining space. There is also a Tatami style room allocated for private dining, where you can enjoy a meal in a traditional Japanese manner. There is also the option to dine at the counter, to view the impressive techniques on display by the chefs. The service at Fujisaki is very professional and personable. However we must give a special mention to the Sommelier Zoe, who was very knowledgeable and suitably well versed in all areas of the drinks menu and guided us with Sake and the right ones to match with the meal. It is traditional Japanese food or washoku is there but with Fujisaki adding their own touch to the menu, with interesting and delightful flavours. The flavour combinations are well thought out and the techniques on display are impressive. Fujisaki use the freshest seafood selected daily from the fishmongers. It is a very approachable menu, suitable for any diner of any age, The lunch menu has the workers of the area in mind and it caters for that express lunch, without compromising on quality. Fujisaki also offer a tasting menu, for those looking for a long lunch or beautiful evening meal. At night, Fujisaki also run an Omakase experience, but it is super popular and you will need to book well in advance. Omakase are great for you to trust the chef, learn and watch all the action in an intimate setting. We started the meal with plump Shoalhaven rock oysters with nashi and ponzu sauce, highlighting the natural taste of the oyster. The flavours intensified with the next set of tasty morsels. The chicken liver parfait and currants are great combination and the pickled sakura (cherry blossom) helping cut through the richness of this dish. This dish was not alone, it was served with finely diced cubes of tuna and avocado, served on a tapioca crisp. The knife skills of the chefs are on display with this tasty bite. The Sashimi was a good mix of super fresh snapper, kingfish, salmon, tuna and the prized Toro (sourced from the belly of swordfish), served with a fresh Tasmanian wasabi which has that unique wasabi essence without that punch to the sinuses. This offering was beautifully prepared and presented, a work of art, with a beautiful garden scene playing out on the plate. There were some intricate mukimono vegetable carvings which added some flare to the sashimi plating. The carvings included a piece of carrot carved to look like a butterfly, a carrot ribbon and the cucumber fan. This dish paired nicely with a refined sweet sake Kirei Shuzo, which was delicate and did not overpower the taste of the sashimi. The Silken tofu with a shitake dashi, a classy dish with an almost sensual mouth feel, served cold, with fried enoki, adding a unique sweet nutty butter flavour. The tartare certainly impressed. At the centre is a Ponzu cured yolk with an intense orange colour, finely sliced wagyu, smoked puffed rice and served with a lettuce cups. A very clever dish, even though the beef is uncooked, the charred puffed rice simulates beef cooked on the BBQ. The cedar smoked salmon with woodear mushroom is delivered to the table still smoking, and this certainly enlightens the senses. These theatrics added excitement to this dish. The flakes of salmon melting in your mouth. The smoke flavours working nicely with the sweet glaze. This dish paired with the Aikasho sake, a bold unfiltered and unpasturised sake with earthy, spice and caramel flavours this sake complimented the smoky sweet salmon. The Slow cooked wagyu is an amazingly quality piece of beef with a citrus kick from the bitter dai dai and infused with the kombu butter for added umami. The flavour of the beef really stood out. The Nigri was some of the best we have tried with a mix of snapper, swordfish, tuna, salmon and kingfish. The mekajiki toro or charred swordfish belly was a standout that must be ordered.

I highly recommend the delicious tasting menu at this restaurant. The staff are talented, knowledgeable, and friendly, with a great sense of style. The location is ideal, just a short walk from the harbor and center of Barangaroo. The ambiance is cozy, chic, and romantic. The glacier toothfish dish was unlike anything I've ever tasted before.