Ishizuka is a famous high-end Japanese restaurant in the heart of Melbourne CBD. We were really looking forward to this meal but maybe due to our high expectations, we left disappointed. There were quite a few empty reservations a week away from Valentines.
The Kaiseki was $315 per person, but this Valentines special was $365 per person. The alcohol pairing was an extra $250 per person.
The Kaiseki was $315 per person, but this Valentines special was $365 per person. The alcohol pairing was an extra $250 per person.
Kaiseki
We were welcomed with a cup of sake.
Our first dish sakizuke was a snow crab chawanmushi. This was a strong start. It was served cold, which surprisingly highlighted the sweetness and delicacy of the crab.
Our first dish sakizuke was a snow crab chawanmushi. This was a strong start. It was served cold, which surprisingly highlighted the sweetness and delicacy of the crab.
The otsukuri fish of the day was a 5 day aged imperador from New Zealand, served with kombu. It was very fresh, elegant and creamy.
This wan was the best dish of the night. It was an abalone soup with turnip. The broth was a mix of turnip juice, salt and chives oil. There was no soy sauce or dashi, but it was incredibly flavourful and delicious.
Next was an aburi. This was an ocean trout from Tasmania with shio radish on top in a chrysanthemum sauce. It was tender, with the perfect amount of char. The sauce was so subtle but impactful.
This was nakazara where Chef Hitoshi Miyazawa smoked caviar and placed on top somen and arkshell. It was a very interesting and delicious dish. The somen was 0.9mm thin, mixed with olive oil. This brought out a subtle umami that should have highlighted the caviar, but we felt by smoking it, it diminished the eggs. Still, quite creative.
This was yakimono, a chargrilled lobster with eggplant and bisque sauce. It was beautiful, umami and sweet. The eggplant puree and green mustard was a perfect balance.
For our susumezakana, we had a Great Ocean duck with oyster sauce. This was good, but the apricot was too stiff and not sour enough. It needed to be poached longer. The duck was perfect, but kind of basic as a dry-aged duck. There was nothing creative.
This dish had drama. This was shiizakana, an A5 Kumamoto wagyu sukiyaki.
At the beginning of our meal, the staff was heavily advertising the truffle they had flown in from Europe for $30 extra per person but when they served this dish, there was no truffle. We waited until they served everyone and then asked “hey, where’s our truffle?”
They had forgotten. But when they went to shave truffle for the patrons next to us, the patron had already finished half her dish and they continued forcing the truffle on to her despite her saying “what’s the point? Just don’t charge me the extra”. It was awkward. And then afterwards, they had a whispered domestic in the kitchen but it echoed and we could all hear it 😳…..
Food wise, it was delicious. The wagyu was extremely fatty and melted in our mouths. The truffle did not really add much to the dish. The egg yolk was perfect. And then we were offered rice afterwards to mix in with our egg and broth. This was comforting.
At the beginning of our meal, the staff was heavily advertising the truffle they had flown in from Europe for $30 extra per person but when they served this dish, there was no truffle. We waited until they served everyone and then asked “hey, where’s our truffle?”
They had forgotten. But when they went to shave truffle for the patrons next to us, the patron had already finished half her dish and they continued forcing the truffle on to her despite her saying “what’s the point? Just don’t charge me the extra”. It was awkward. And then afterwards, they had a whispered domestic in the kitchen but it echoed and we could all hear it 😳…..
Food wise, it was delicious. The wagyu was extremely fatty and melted in our mouths. The truffle did not really add much to the dish. The egg yolk was perfect. And then we were offered rice afterwards to mix in with our egg and broth. This was comforting.
This was shokuji, a toro sushi and aburi kingfish sushi. The toro was perfect – you can’t really go wrong with the best and fattiest cut of fish. The mushroom and miso soup was warm and soulful. The aburi was a beautiful slice: clean, delicate and umami.
For desserts, we had kanmi. This was a chocolate brownie with canelé ice cream and strawberry syrup. It was a tad sweet but nice. And we were offered an array of petit fours to enjoy with a cup of warm matcha.
Drinks
Most of the alcohol offered in the pairing did complement their dishes. We also ordered a sake and cocktail. Both were great too.
Service
The traditional Japanese vibes in this industrial space felt enchanting and intimate. I think the service was a bit of a mess, which ruined our experience and is the main reason we don’t plan on returning.
Review
Overall the food was good but we seek gastronomy, and not many dishes wow’ed us. Especially considering the price. We had a nice Valentines but definitely didn’t think it was worth a revisit.
Thanks for reading. Happy eating.
Thanks for reading. Happy eating.
