Kushi 2011 is a Japanese izakaya in Potts Point. Come along with us as we find out what is worth ordering, what surprised us and what we wouldd go back for at this popular Japanese restaurant. Great for a casual dinner - save this for your next night out!
It's Easter Sunday when Sophia and I make our way to Kushi 2011 on Bayswater Road in Potts Point just a few minutes walk from Kings Cross train station. Kushi 2011 has a sister restaurant in Manly called Kushi 2095. The Japanese izakaya restaurant takes up the space where restaurants Harajuku Gyoza and Izgara previously sat. The space is darkly lit, with a centre bar where the charcoal grill is busy cooking kushiyaki or grilled Japanese skewers.
The menu has helpfully tagged the most popular or signature items and there are quite a few with around a dozen to choose from. We go with a combination of these and what we like the sound of (Sophia has very specific food likes and dislikes). Service is friendly and there are plenty of staff members on the floor so you're never waiting long for service.
The first item to arrive are the tempura mushroom and prawn balls. There are two balls to a serve, each split in half with a fat shiitake mushroom on top of prawn paste that is battered and deep fried and served with a seasoned soy sauce, with spring onion and sesame seeds. It's not bad, although I think I would have loved it with a bit more seasoning.
Admittedly, I was a bit underwhelmed with the first dish, but the rest of the menu keeps coming and it's full of solid hits. All of the kushiyaki is served in sets of 2 skewers and they light the grill with two tea lights (although the grill never gets that warm). The tsukune or skewer of chicken meatball is served with an onsen egg, Although the chicken meatball is a bit lukewarm in texture, the flavour is excellent, and the yolk coats it nicely when dipped into it. We would have loved this to be hotter, but flavour and texture wise this hits the spot.
The next item to arrive is the soy braised pork belly kakuni tacos with grilled mini tortillas with a good amount of pork belly kakuni. This is quite a substantial and filling item and we both really enjoy the flavoursome and luscious pork belly with spicy mayo, cabbage, onion, shallots and shichimi togarashi (mild chilli powder). Make sure to squeeze the lime on top to balance with the pork belly.
The chicken wing comes out with just the flat and the tip and is coated in a delicious black pepper tare. This yakitori is warmer than the tsukune and it requires hands to properly eat the meat off the bone.
Sophia isn't a massive fan of tuna sashimi, so I have pretty much this whole sashimi pizza to myself. On the bottom is a crispy deep fried mini tortilla base and on top is diced sashimi tuna with olive, onion, tomato and sesame as well as chilli mayo. The pizza comes with a bottle of Tabasco, which makes this really sing and I would order this again even if it is on the smaller side.
The sushi comes out next and it's a little different to what we thought. We thought that the soft-shell crab was inside the roll, but it's actually on top. The sushi itself is an inside-out roll filled with avocado and cucumber and on top is crunchy soft-shell crab, tobiko, onion, cheese mayo, teriyaki sauce, bonito, furikake and a spicy mayonnaise. It's delicious, although you do have to take a bite of the sushi and then take a bite of the soft-shell crab to really enjoy both at the same time. This is a generously portioned sushi too and we can't even finish it, try as we might.
Next to come out are the grilled skewers. The Wagyu is first and you have a choice of having it with just plain salt or shio or with a tare sauce. We go for the salt just to get the true Wagyu flavour. It actually needs a little more salt, which they bring over and it melts in the mouth perfectly.
We also tried the king mushrooms that are brushed with tare sauce and are well cooked until succulent and juicy on the grill.
The last skewer is the miso black cod, which is nice although I think I prefer a stronger miso flavour to this, but the texture of the fish is lovely and moist.
There are just two items on the dessert menu: a yuzu sorbet and a banana bread with caramel and ice cream but we are too full from the savouries to even contemplate getting a dessert, and neither of these was really calling out to us. Instead I finish with a bite of that delicious tuna sashimi pizza!
So tell me Dear Reader, do you enjoy Japanese izakayas? Have you ever tried sashimi pizza and did you like it?
This meal was independently paid for.
Kushi 2011
13-15 Bayswater Rd, Potts Point NSW 2011
Phone: 0493 734 874
Sunday 5:00 PM - 10:30 PM
Monday closed
Tuesday - Thursday 5:00 PM - 10:30 PM
Friday - Saturday 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM
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