Tuesday 22 January 2013

Jap's Table, Darlington

Jap's Table is a small and cosy shop situated at a junction near Redfern Station. As soon as I heard the waitstaff who were dressed in their traditional Japanese costumes conversing among themselves in Japanese, I knew this would be one of the very few authentic Japanese restaurants you can find in this area - And authenticity usually means great food!

After ordering our food, we were surprised to be served with a complimentary appetiser each. From my amateur tastebuds, I am guessing this is chicken skin dressed in a Japanese vinaigrette. A complimentary starter is a rarity unless you are in a Korean restaurant or an expensive fine dining restaurant that serves you fresh bread rolls for starters. Jap's Table has definitely earned brownie points for their generosity!

Complimentary appetiser
We ordered Chicken Gizzards and Gyoza as our side dishes. The Chicken Gizzard Skewer was the best I have ever had. It was basted with a Teriyaki sauce. This was no ordinary sauce. It had the right balance of flavours, uncomparable to ready made ones in the supermarkets. The gizzards were cooked to perfection, as they were neither overcooked nor undercooked, which gave them the perfect texture. Gizzards are secondary stomachs used by birds to grind their food before digestion because they don't have teeth. They have a slightly springy texture. Just like calamari, overcook it and it will taste like rubber.

I thought that the Gyoza had good flavour as well. Other than that, there was nothing to rave about this dish. If only the Gyoza skin had a crispier texture, this would definitely be one of the best dishes in this restaurant.
Yakitori-Chicken gizzards $2.80/skewer

Gyoza $7
One of the main rice dishes that you can order from this restaurant is the Cyashu Don, which basically means rice with roast pork. This comes in a lovely bento box which brings the presentation of this dish a step higher. It makes you feel like you're Japanese and your beloved wife has just packed you a special bento box made with love for you to bring to work. The roast pork was flavourful and succulent. Topped with their special homemade soy-based sauce, finely chopped spring onions, and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds, this was heaven in a box.

Cyashu Don $11.50
I wasn't that hungry that night due to my heavy lunch, so I decided to order a half sized Yokohama Ramen. It came with seaweed, spinach, a few pieces of roast pork, and half an egg. This wasn't one of the best Ramen I have had but I would score this dish a 7/10. The soup wasn't tasty enough and I still prefer eggs with an oozy egg yolk :p

Yokohama (Half sized) Ramen $7
This place is quickly filled up by regulars that are residents at this area, as well as staff and students from Sydney Uni which is just down the corner. They also have a private Washitsu, a Japanese-style room, ideal for special occasions. I forgot to mention that after we paid for our bill, we were given a small packet of Inari sushi for free! Happy days!

Jap's Table on Urbanspoon