We in Sydney do love our sushi. Oh yes indeed we do. And while there are many nice places in Sydney to enjoy a chunk of raw fish (mainly in train format) there is only one place that captures some of the essence of a Tokyo sushi restaurant, Sushi E.
The Establishment building on
George St. is mostly known for its namesake bar on the ground floor (P.S. do
not go here on salsa night unless already accompanied by a man, seriously), but
if you venture to the 4th floor and manage to resist the charms of
Hemmesphere you will find arguably the best sushi restaurant in Australia. You
are guided to a hushed space, humming with light chatter and sleekly dressed
staff. There are about 40 seats, half of which are dotted around the waist-high,
central kitchen. Classically trained Japanese sushi Chefs reverently slice fish
to order overlooked by their well-heeled clientele.
While the almost religious mood
of sushi dining has been maintained at Sushi E, the menu has been tweaked to
include many non-sushi options as directed by Chef Ura-san. We start with two
Sydney rock oysters, one natural, one steamed. The natural oyster comes with
salmon roe, cucumber and ponzu, a lovely refreshing combination. The second
oyster is delicately poached, retaining the creamy texture you expect of an
oyster accompanied by soy, mirin, shallot and peanut oil. This is followed by
snapper sashimi dressed with white soy and sesame. It is by far my favourite
dish. Every component lifts the next, with the slightly smoky sesame balancing
the sweet flesh of the snapper, and the salty soy rounding the dish off. The
prawn shumai are silky little pillows that melt in your mouth. A truly stunning
sashimi platter comes with tuna, salmon, kingfish and bonito. Save the bonito
for last; it’s intense flavour is a pretty unique sashimi experience (in a good
way). Seared scallops coated with spicy mayo and chilli are quickly devoured,
as is the scampi nigiri sushi.
The cocktails up here are
excellent. I recommend the Ume royal, a Japanese take on the Kir royal. A
bitters soaked sugar cube, sake and Chandon. The rest of the meal is
accompanied by cold sake, akishika shuzo, a lovely dry sake that goes
beautifully with the meal.
If you do find yourself in need
of a really good sushi fix, this is your place. Nab a spot at the bar if you
can, it is the best spot to watch the chefs work their magic and do a little
people watching for night time entertainment.
Level 4, Establishment
252 George St, Sydney 2000
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