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Satsuma – Mandarin Club

Tuesday, 5 May 09

According to its website, Satsuma is a province located at the southern tip of Japan. It is famed for being the “ province of revolution” where an anti Shogun movement was started by the last samurai in the late 19th century. Certainly, being located at the newly renovated Mandarin club (okay, so not that new, having opened last November) and combining traditional Japanese izakaya style cuisine with a sleek design, it was to be a night full of revelations in presentation, tastes and flavour, though I’ll leave it to more seasoned taste buds to decide whether a revolution has taken place.

We started the night trying to rescue Tim’s neon tetra, which unfortunately had lost some of his neon glow and was looking decidedly sad floating by the tail along the bottom of his tank (Fishy’s now gone to that great blue bowl in the sky, but that’s a different story). Running somewhat late, we were glad to see our failure to book had not penalised us, as our friend H had secured a table by this pretty light fixture (definitely look up at the lights, they are really pretty!). The tables by the bar had been booked out, but the area in front of the open kitchen looked quite unoccupied. I’d be intrigued to sit by the chefs on the next visit.

gyu tan steak – bbq beef tongue, spicy miso dipping sauce

Having perused the menu prior to coming, our choices were very quickly decided. We started off with some bbq beef tongue, this being the second time I’ve tried these strangely chewy but tender and addictive pieces of offal. The spicy miso sauce complemented them well, adding savoriness with only a slight tinge of spiciness.

red spider – crunchy softshell crab, crab meat, spicy sauce

The spider roll was full of crunchy, not oily, soft shell crab goodness. Tim was particularly enamoured with the spicy sauce, sriracha like in colour and taste, and a little too strong for H and I. Instead, I quite liked the half shells on the side, crisp on the outside but filled with the fluffiest mashed potato interior.

kamo, nasu dengaku – grilled duck fillet & eggplant, sweet miso paste

This dish was the attraction that led H to recommend this place for dinner, despite it being her third visit in a week! Avoiding the green chilli, we snatched at the tender duck and melting eggplant, smothered in miso paste so rich and sweet, it was almost hoisin like. Even Tim, who doesn’t particularly like eggplant was won over by this dish.

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gindala yu-an miso – black cod in yu-an miso marinade

Ever since trying the miso cod at Waqu, I’ve always swayed by restaurants that offer it on their menus. This was a great example, caramelised on the outside and tender and buttery on this inside. The sesame oil glazed beansprouts on the side were very similar to the korean beansprouts salad. Definitely pleased by this main, which was also quite generous with three decent sized pieces.

teppan wagyu steak- served with seasonal vegetables, sesame miso, spicy garlic & “oloshi-ponzu (citrus)” sauce

I think we’ve been spoilt for any other steak. Cooked to a beautiful medium-rare with a melting mouth-feel, we were also impressed by the sesame miso sauce. The grilled mushrooms were also smoky, while retaining some bite, while the creamy

oh-tolo steak – teppan tuna belly, garlic ponzu sauce

This was Tim and my first experience with the famed ‘o-toro’, and definitely a great meeting. The tuna belly was just seared on the outside, and almost like sashimi on the inside; the best of both worlds! Just like the steak, it was tender and melting on the inside – I’m definitely a fan of marbling of both meat and fish! The garlic chips took it over the top, and the teppan-grilled mushrooms also featured again. The ponzu sauce cut through a little of the fattiness with acid, balancing the dish well.

We didn’t have a bad word to say about Satsuma at all, and, apart from maybe the wagyu steak, the prices (most mains ranging from $20 to $30, the steak was nearer to $50) were quite reasonable. Definitely go with a group, so you can  experience more items, but from what we’ve seen, Satsuma doesn’t put a toe wrong in presentation or cuisine.

Level 5, Mandarin Club

1 Dixon St, Sydney

Open 7 days, Lunch: 11am – 3pm, Dinner: 5.30pm – 11pm

Posted at 4:58 pm in Eating Out | Respond?

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