I was recently invited by Daniel to tryout his new establishment set in the heart of the Perth CBD area. Shiro Japanese restaurant sits nicely in Central Park just beside the Commonwealth Bank. With an awesome decor that faces the park, it really is a nice place to be regardless of night or day. If you have a big group, Daniel even has a long table capable of accommodating a large group of 20 or so. Moving on to the food, Shiro offers a variety of Japanese cuisine including some which are given catchy names like the Rolls Royce or the Salmon GTR. This made me excited and I was dying to try some. As the list was long, I definitely could not afford to order every single item and limited my choice to the dishes which Daniel had in mind for my friends and I.
For starters, we ordered the:
The Soft Tofu Salad @ $7.90 has two serves of bean curd on a mayonnaise dressing topped with spring onions and red cabbage. While the accompanying sauce was decisively delicious enough to go with the tofu, it was the texture of the tofu that my dining companions and I did not like so much. For us, a tofu with a smoother texture would be highly preferred. Nevertheless, it was still a decent opening to our meal that night.
Our next appetizer was the Namban Tsuke or the cold fish tempura @ $7.90. According to Daniel, the fish is deep fried before being marinated for about 24 hours or more. To me, this was really quite enjoyable. Its sauce in fact reminds me of the sauce typically found in Thai dishes which is usually a concoction of sweet, sour and salty; and to a further extent, fruity. My friends were also agreeable with some commenting that perhaps a little more softness in the fish would have been appreciated. But I reckon for something that will be left in a marinade for 24 hours, it does have to be a little over fried than normal.
The Sunomono Salad @ $13.90 consisted of Prawn, seaweed, and cucumber smeared with ponzu sauce. For me, this was exceptionally pricey for something that I find to have capture the freshness of all its elements but for a young crew like me, “meh”!!! Instead “karaage” all the chicken, throw all the ponzu and and mayo party please! Perhaps a mature audience only show?
Our next appetizer was the Ocean’s 5 @ $37 which was a HIT! The serve of scallop, yellow tail, tuna, snapper and salmon were one of the freshest in the business. No wonder Daniel says its a big hit with its customers. Everyone thought it was delish and another serve would undoubtfuly be much welcomed. Even the scallops were still fresh and sweet!
After ending our sashimi note on a high, we moved on to a slightly toned down version which to me was the best dish that night. The Salmon Aburi Maki or Salmon Belly blow-torched before being topped with flying fish roe and drizzled with mayonnaise on sushi rice captures all the sweetness and richness one would expect from a fatty fish belly. It was faultless with a certain melt in your mouth feel. Boy how can you not want that aye? My words? Definitely worth the $5 price a piece! But do not expect Moby Dick to land in your tummy when you are done because I WARN you its small. Its more of a delicacy, not a main course but damn it was good!
The Rolls Royce as it name suggest should be no less than luxury, exclusivity and satisfaction on a plate. For $23, you get 8 pieces of sushi filled with lettuce, crabstick, and cucumber topped with diced prawn tempura, Unagi, cucumber, onion and tiered with apple sauce, teriyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise, finally topped with scallion and tobiko. Hmmm. not bad! While it might be hard to distinguish or appreciate the effort spent in preparing this dish, do not be fooled. It was truly deserving although at this particular time, it has started to feel as if the Japanese Mayonnaise that I truly love so much is starting to weigh down on the dishes. Nevertheless, Fishman in particular found this dish worth coming back for. I’d second that. Definitely beats those outrageous looking Spider rolls which is no more than a show.
Next we moved on to a main that we ordered to share, the Toothfish braised in Shiro style soy sauce @ $34.90. At first, it looked really good. Perhaps my expectations were slightly more than your typical filleted teriyaki fish. But it was the sweetness which I though made this dish a little difficult to eat. Having some sugar in foods can be good such as how having salt in chocolate foods help bring out its flavour. But too much and you know you have messed up. This was exactly how it turned out for me. Not quite there but I reckon there is still space for improvement. The little darling agreed with me too and thought that this was too sweet for her liking. But looking back in retrospect, this is the kind of sweetness most Caucasian like is it not? Cannot blame Shiro for keeping up with consumers need. Then again, I was here for authentic Japanese food with a touch of creativity and excitement. Looking back then, I realise this does not quite satisfy my requirements.
The chicken Teriyaki @ $19 was decent but I would not say it was the best. For me it lacked the fragrant that I desire in every chicken Teriyaki. Neither did it carry that lovely contrast between the skin and the flesh. Í am super keen of the Teriyaki at Kanta’s and this definitely does not match what I was looking for. However, taste wise, it was not too far away.
Over all, our meal was pretty good at Shiro’s Japanese Restaurant. While the things like Rolls Royce, Salmon Aburi and Ocean’s 5 are likely to leave you wanting for more, it is the other missing minor details like the sweetness of the tooth fish or the poor consistency of the tofu that will leave you wishing for improvements. Nevertheless, it is still a brilliant place. I have read most private reviews and one thing consistent is about the price Shiro charges. I do have to admit that some foods are expensive such as the soft tofu salad @ $7.90 or the Sunomono Salad @ $13.90. Even the Teriyaki @ $19 seems luxurious for what you get. Perhaps a slight revision would help draw the crowd. But based on its prime location, it is no wonder that such prices are charged. Perhaps the targeted crowd is not you and me but corporate people dining at the company’s expense. So if that is the case, I have all the right reasons the believe that Shiro will go a long way and become a successful establishment in the heart of the city, and this is because it serves good food; and truthfully, people will be willing to pay. Thanks for the 10% discount Daniel :D!
WenY
