Sushi Zanmai

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Reviewing this place twice is ok, but three times is excessive. Well, in my quest to share the best sushi experience in Tokyo, I did venture away from my beloved Sushi Zanmai in Akihabara and tried their flagship Tsukiji store. So, here’s how it went. Unlike in Akihabara, this Sushi Zanmai is multi-storey (oooooh), and at lunchtime it was pumping. We waited about 15 minutes for a table, and then were taken upstairs. Unfortunately our sushi chef was under the pump and had three groups of diners to look after at the counter, along with the table orders, so service was very slow. We started out with green tea and miso, sharing a bowl of the seaweed miso (so good). Next was the tempura squid, which was quite a good size portion and had a really lovely crispiness, along with plenty of salt to season. Then it was sushi time. We went for the classic favourites, having multiple serves of aburi salmon, before another go at the saba – sadly there was a bit too much wasabi on our pieces to fully enjoy this one. The unagi was excellent though – it just melted in your mouth. The verdict? Stick to Akihabara, or go at an off-peak time.

Sushi Zanmai, 4-11-9, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo                                       http://www.kiyomura.co.jp/ (Japanese only)

Bookplate

My team organised a lunch at Bookplate, the cafe at the National Library of Australia, which has come under new ownership this year. The menu is varied and extensive, making it hard to pick just one thing. One of my favourite lighter meals is a caesar salad, which was my pick on this visit. Whilst you have to order at the counter, meals are brought out to you – we sat under the beautiful stained glass windows. The salad was elegantly presented in a reasonable-sized bowl. This caesar was all about the individual flavours – the pancetta was beautifully crispy and salty, the lettuce really fresh, and the spring onion added a kick. I am a sucker for good croutons, and these were right up there, although a little hard to cut. My only complaint was the lack of dressing – a good, oily caesar dressing would have gone better than the sparing daubs of a creamy version. For dessert I ordered one of the giant hazelnut meringues in the cake cabinet – it was heavenly! There was a lovely balance of crispy outer and gooey inner and the hazelnut flavour was just perfect throughout. Oh yes, I’ll be back.

Bookplate, National Library of Australia, Parkes Place, Parkes ACT       http://bookplate.com.au/

Pressed Juice

Having formerly worked in a juice bar as a student, juice is very important to me. I even have my own juicer at home, although I’m usually too lazy to use it because it takes so long to clean. As such I don’t mind paying for juice, especially when I’m out of town. I’d seen a closed-up Pressed store after hours in Adelaide earlier in the year, but was very excited to wander past an open one when I was in Melbourne. I have to admit that the store fit-out drew me in – almost Scandinavian with blonde wood, plants (yay) and rows and rows of beautifully coloured juices. I’m not very adventurous when it comes to juice flavours, but Pressed really encourages you to move away from the traditional apple/orange mixes and pack some veg into your beverage. This time I stuck to something more traditional – green apple, lemon, mint and pineapple – and was rewarded with a tangy, beautifully refreshing juice that brightened up my afternoon. There is a clarity of flavour you get from cold pressed juice that isn’t like anything else.  Definitely calls for a #cometocanberra campaign.

Presse Juices: various locations in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide    http://www.pressedjuices.com.au/index.php/