Tatsumi

Where? Tatsumi (Newmarket, Auckland, New Zealand) Map Menu

When? Tuesday December 23, 2014

Who? My parents

Food Style? Contemporary Japanese Fusion

Tatsumi are originally from Christchurch, but made the move to Auckland after the devastating earthquakes forced them out of the red-zoned central business district. Newmarket should be glad to have them; their menu has been refined for over 17 years and brings an exquisite, contemporary freshness to traditional Japanese cuisine unlike anything I've ever had before. I took my parents here for Tatsumi's Christmas Degustation; Khim opted for the five course variant, while my father and I took the full eight courses.

First Course

Amuse Bouche
Today's amuse bouche was a shot of thick tomatoey juice, sour and tangy with plenty of fresh herb flavours, and a spoon of trevally, strong and salty with a good bite.

Second Course: Treasure Box

Chef's Selection of Six Appetizers
Today's selection was mushroom and deep fried monk fish, beef tataki, tuna tataki, tempura oyster, mussels and lotus root and sesame green bean. Each individual appetizer had its own unique, delicate flavour; the seafood, I remember, was full of natural flavours highlighted with whatever mayonnaise, sesame or soy accompaniments. The standout dish to me was the tempura oyster - amazing texture on the inside and outside. Looooove oysters.

Third Course (Eight Course Menu): Rainbow Sashimi Summer Roll

Fresh Tuna, Salmon, White Fish, Shiso Leaves wrapped with Rice Paper, Japanese Pickled Plum Miso Sauce, Soba Seeds, Crispy Shrimps
The choice of plums in the ingredient list is truly inspired, giving the dish some wonderful personality, and a real summery essence. The fish was fresh and shrimp was deliciously crispy. They balanced umami, salt and sweet so well here, with a fine smokey finish in the soba seeds. This wasn't just a fantastic symphony of flavours, it was a work of culinary art, full of colour and pizzazz.

Third Course (Five Course Menu): Variety of Sashimi

Three Kinds of Sliced Raw Fish with Fresh Wasabi and Tamari Soy
There's something wonderful about the way the Japanese do sashimi. The texture is perfect and smooth; the fish meat is void of bones and fat and roughness, and when wasabi is freshly made instead of recomposed from powder and water, it definitely makes a difference to the meal.

Fourth Course: Crispy Kadayif Wrapped Blue Cod

Grilled Prawn and Hokkaido Scallop, Cherry Tomato Compote, Miso Flavoured Beurre Blanc Sauce
Oh my goodness, the sauce was amazingly rich and buttery, fantastic complimenting textures with the crispiness in the kadayif and the soft meaty flesh of the cod inside. This was super tasty, and balanced nicely with the fresh greens and sweet tomato compote. This also had a really good summery feel to it, and I love that simple gestures like that give the food so much personality.

Fifth Course: Canterbury Wakanui Beef Steak

Marinated Mushrooms, Asparagus, Japanese Picked Plum Flavoured Grated Daikon Radish, Shiso Leaves with Ponzu Sauce
Good, solid chunks of meat with an incredibly tantalising sauce. I have to admit that I am not a fan of mushrooms, and these were gifted to the nearest neighbouring plate in return for more meat. The asparagus was pretty tasty too.

Sixth Course: Scampi Miso Soup

Tatsumi's Scampi Miso Soup is something special, and I think what I appreciate the most about this is that they've gone out of their way to make this feel truly homemade and different to what you'd get from other Japanese restaurants. One thing that struck me was the subtle addition of orange peel - superb! The scampi provides some wonderful seafood flavouring to the soup, and despite my best efforts, I was unable to suck any meat out of the shell.

Seventh Course: Nigiri Sushi

Salmon, Tuna and Scampi Nigiri Sushi, Fresh Wasabi and Tamari Soy
From left to right, tuna, scamp and salmon. This was sweet with not too much of a fishy flavour. Great and fresh, with some really potent wasabi - just how I like it!

Dessert #1: Yuzu Meringue Tart

Japanese Yuzu Citrus Flavoured Meringue Tart, Mascarpone Mousse, Berry Sauce, Pistachios
In order to maximise our variety, we decided to ensure we each had different desserts so we could sample the most from the menu. My choice was an ordinary meringue tart with extraordinary ingredients; a well-balanced dessert that wasn't sickly sweet like many similar meringues made from lemon curd. The liquor is definitely gave it that wonderful bitter alcoholic finish that made this so appetising. The vanilla cream was sublime, rich and intense, as if it was the embodiment of vanilla essence.

Dessert #2: An-Nin-Blancmange

Plum Wine Jelly, Almond Blancmange, Mango Milk Pudding
Blancmange is a pudding made from milk or cream, but thickened with sugar and gelatin until it becomes quite jelly-like. Khim was hesitant about this initially, but was won over by its refreshing, summer flavours. Simple and elegantly presented, this dessert was a pleasant surprise.

Dessert #3: Green Tea Fondant

Kohu Road Vanilla Ice Cream, Candied Sliced Orange
Perhaps their most famous dessert, dad's choice of dessert was as good as it's ever been. I was so impressed by the candied orange slice. The fondant is quite dense and cakey, with a beautifully thick gooey texture on the inside. The green tea really polishes the sweetness off so nicely with a hint of bitterness, but you might not like this if you're not used to this flavour. The three elements on the plate - orange, berry/vanilla and green tea - complimented each other perfectly. A truly inspired dessert.

This would have been my third time to Tatsumi and I have never been disappointed. Presentation and flavour is impeccable; each plate overflowing with vitality and personality, and so beautifully crafted on a simple dish. Thoroughly enjoyable, a full 10/10 experience.

Posted by Jeremy at 11:27am on Wednesday January 28, 2015 :: 0 comments ::