Toshiya Restaurant, Cremorne

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Japanese food is one of my favourite cuisines of all time. Matt and I head to Cremorne for some Japanese food at Toshiya. The locals may be familiar with Toshiya as it's been operating in the area for almost 10 years. That's a great achievement! 

Toshiya is best described as Modern and up-market Japanese. Matt and I like to eat early so we head there at 6pm on a Thursday evening. By 7pm, the restaurant is completely full so I suggest booking in advance. We kick off the evening with a glass of sapporo beer ($7.80) and a glass of pinot gris ($13). I've had a epic period at work recently so I relish in the sips of crisp, fresh pinot gris.

The owner and head chef is named Toshiya Kai and he has a really kind presence. I briefly chat to him as I look at the menu. There's a few really innovative dishes I've never tried before in Japanese cuisine before.

The first dish Matt and I share are the Sashimi Tacos ($15, 2pcs). The taco shells are crunchy and made from gyoza skin. How creative! The sashimi is diced and coated in a chilli mayonnaise. This is a modern twist on Japanese ingredients and I enjoy the contrast from the fresh sashimi in the creamy mayonnaise with the crunchy fried taco shell. 

Next up is the Salmon Carpaccio with truffle dressing. This dish comes out looking quite delicate with the thinly shaved strands of daikon, saffron and flying fish roe on top. While there is a bed of salmon sashimi pieces in a mildly sweet truffle dressing. I quite enjoy the truffle aromas in this fresh sashimi carpaccio dish. I highly recommend this dish!!

By recommendation of one of my friends, I order the Duck dumplings ($16, 4 pcs). The dumplings are gyoza style with a crunchy base and a glossy thin skin at the top. The dumplings are served up with a chilli soy sauce. Matt absolutely loves duck so this is a nice alternative to the usual pork gyozas.

Now for a creative twist, check out the Spicy Salmon Potato Spring Roll in Parsley sauce ($15). This giant spring roll is presented beautifully with edible flowers on a bed of potato and a bright green parsley sauce. The spring roll is a great crunchy contrast to the other dishes I've tried to date and adds variety of flavours with a creamy, mushy potato texture inside with chunks of salmon flakes.

Matt's enjoys the Beef Carpaccio in an olive oil sauce. The razor thin pieces of beef are very melt in your mouth and capture the natural flavours from the olive oil. The little capers also add a slight saltiness to the flavour palette. This too is a beautiful dish which is decorated with edible flowers. 

One of my favourite dishes was the Squid tempura in yuzu sauce ($14.50, 5pcs). The lightly battered squid is light on the outside and you can taste the softness from the squid inside. The delightful twist it that sweet citrus flavour from the yuzu sauce that pops in your mouth. There are also saffron strands on top for additional flavour.

Matt's highlight of the night is actually a secret menu item that is available only upon request. It's the Seared Salmon nigiri with proscuitto. The salmon is seared with a blow torch in front of us at the table which makes for a little bit of live theatre and then Toshiya Kai tenderly puts the proscuitto onto the seared salmon.  I take a moment to reflect on whether i've ever had any proscuitto with any sushi before. I look up and Matt's already devoured his piece. I gingerly bite and really enjoy the complimentary flavours between the smokey proscuitto and the sweetness from the seared salmon. I highly recommend! Remember you have to specifically ask for this dish.

For heavier meaty dishes, you could try the highly flavoursome Panfried chicken and mushroom, w porcini teriyaki sauce ($24).  The mushrooms absorb all those teriyaki juices and will burst juices into your mouth. Delicious and very homely. Perfect for winter.

I'm quite full by this stage, however Matt's still a bit peckish. He continues to eat some salmon sushi ($16.50, 6 pcs) which is seared on the outside and there's fresh avocado on the inside. This is a traditional dish.

We also enjoy some Tempura sushi ($17.50, 6pcs) which is typically topped off with a scallop however as Matt has a shell fish allergy, Toshiya have kindly created a creamy substitute to contrast with the lightly battered sushi. I've never had deep fried sushi before, I quite enjoyed the more crunchy texture of the rice. The avocado sushi is buttery and is delicious.

There's also the Beef Teriyaki ($25) which is a traditional classic but something I often crave in colder weather. You could eat this with some rice or enjoy with the side salad. There are strands of saffron and Matt tells me the beef is super tasty. The beef is juicy and tender and melt in your mouth.

For dessert and the final dish, we are treated to the Assorted Dessert plate, chocolate spring roll,  matcha creme brulee, Black sesame ice cream, red bean ice cream ($15). This is the perfect way to finish the meal with the refreshing ice cream, the sugary crackling from the matcha brulee is flawless and those crunchy sugary chocolate spring rolls are perfect. What a joy.

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Summary: Overall I really enjoyed my experienced at Toshiya. My favourite dishes are the Salmon Carpaccio, Yuzu squid tempura and Matt's favourite is that secret menu item, the proscuitto and seared salmon nigiri. All the dishes were of high quality. Check it out if you are looking for an up-market dinner with some modern twists on Japanese ingredients.

Price: Mains vary from $20-33

Location: 1/283 Military Rd, Cremorne. I recommend booking as it was super busy. BOOK NOW

Opening Hours: 
Lunch: Friday and Saturda 12pm to 2:30pm
Dinner: Tuesday to Sunday 6pm to 10pm
Closed Monday

Weekend Food Escapes dined as guests of the venue or their representatives. All photos, opinions and words are my own.