Tatsumi

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

When? Tuesday December 29, 2015

Who? My parents

Food Style? Contemporary Japanese Fusion

I'm back at Tatsumi with my parents for their annual Christmas dinner special: an eight course degustation showcasing some of the best Japanese food that Auckland has to offer. I'm never disappointed when I'm here, and I'm looking forward to gorging myself with all kinds of delicious meat and fresh seafood.

First Course

Amuse bouche
A simple smoked salmon pastry that was rich, creamy and crispy. A light way to start the meal and tantalise - or amuse - the taste buds.

Second Course

Treasure Box: Chef's choice of six kinds of appetizers
I love these little samplers that give me variety over quantity. The caramelised lotus root is nice and crispy, and I really like the accompanying sesame flavour here. The oyster in the bottom right is fresh and salty and sweet, and the soy sauce jelly is exquisite and such a great addition. The chickpea tofu to the left of the oyster is interesting, but I prefer the texture of regular tofu - it was a bit grainy. The three fish appetizers - the tuna, the whitefish, and the tempura battered alfonsino fish - are all solid dishes, and very enjoyable.

Third Course

Beef Tataki Carpaccio: seared raw beef, wild rocket, wasabi cream, truffle oil, balsamic soy, walnut, sliced parmesan
Fantastic truffle and cream flavours, with an ever so subtle hint of wasabi to round off a great dish. The nuts and rocket added a nice crunch.

Fourth Course

Variety of sashimi: three kinds of raw fish (salmon, tuna, yellowtail) with fresh wasabi and premium tamari soy sauce
A simple dish transformed into a masterpiece with an amazing set of garnish - lotus root, seaweed, sprouts and microgreens - that was both equally delicious and pretty. The fish is so fresh that it almost isn't like fish at all. I've never had prawns as sashimi before, but it was my favourite of the seafood in front of me.

Fifth Course

Tempura Calamari Salad: squid ink battered calamari, mango salsa, Thai style dressing, spicy miso mayo
I find squid ink a little gimmicky and more often than not, it's purely used for theatrics. The salad itself is light and crunchy and refreshing, a good pause before the heavy mains are served. The squid is okay, and it's not the best I've had (that would have probably been at Wellington's Crab Shack) but it's still appetising. I guess the squid ink makes the batter heavier than usual and I wasn't really a fan.

Sixth Course

Steamed Blue Cod: with prawn, tempura battered stuffed lotus root, Yuzu citrus flavoured shiitake mushroom dashi sauce
The smell was amazing, rich and seafoody. The rice crisps are so good, and the fish is fresh and has a great bite to it. The star of the dish however, is the lotus root with pork stuffing. I cannot get enough of it. The broth is incredibly fragrant and tasty, and reminds me of shark fin soup. I can detect the citrus from the Yuzu, and it balances the flavours perfectly. Yum!

Seventh Course

Slow Cooked Braised Beef Cheek: Japanese taro gnocchi, pumpkin puree, tempura asparagus
A hearty dish, very reminiscent of goulash. The meat pulls away easily and is tender and tasty. The gnocchi is bouncy and perfect for soaking up the rich sauce.

Eighth Course

Green Tea Fondant and An-Nin Three Tier Blancmange
I've been here so many times that I've tried all the desserts already, so between the three of us, we had one blancmange (plum wine jelly, almond blancmange, mango milk pudding) and two green tea fondants (with Kohu Road vanilla ice cream and candied sliced orange). The fondant is the house speciality and it's easy to see why - its so rich and dense and gooey, very much like liu sa bao, the duck egg yolk custard steamed bun you get at yum cha. Absolutely divine. The blancmange is refreshing and fruity, a very pleasant way to end the meal.

Another exquisite and very enjoyable time at Tatsumi. The eight course degustation was $85, with the five course variant only $60. Still one of my favourite Japanese places in the country and have never been disappointed coming here.

Posted by Jeremy at 9:31am on Monday September 26, 2016 :: 0 comments ::