Sydney DAY 5: Dinner at Wagaya

Wagaya
Level 1, 78-86 Harbor St, Haymarket



Despite reading about Wagaya in many places online, and being really fascinated with the idea of a touch-screen menu, I was willing to give it a miss on our Sydney trip. That is, until a friend in Sydney also recommended it and I thought 'what the hell, why not?'



We went really late on our last night in Sydney. This is because we were so full from all the days of eating that it made sense to take advantage of Wagaya's late opening hours and go when we were at least partially digested.





I heard Wagaya was really busy during dinner time and we were prepared to wait a while before being seated. Supposedly, going late had another advantage because we managed to get a seat right away. It was still pretty full when we first got there but the number of people definitely decreased from that point onwards (we were seated at around 9pm by the way).



I grabbed the paper menus right away and pored over those while the guys fiddled with the touch screen. It ended up being so much fun! I initially thought the touch screen menu was mostly gimmick and maybe slightly increases efficiency. That's such an underestimate of how much that system improved our meal experience.

Ideally, you would go in a group, maybe after a few drinks and just go nuts. The dishes are mostly small things at low prices so you feel comfortable ordering many plates to share.


That's exactly what we did; pretty much tackled the whole thing yum-cha style and just ordered a bit of everything to try.


There are many interesting drinks on the menu. We ordered a few mocktails (some have Calpis water; don't know if you've tried it but it's an awesome drink) and sake.



Individual dishes...

Mixed sushi set

Mixed entree platter

Mixed yakitori plate

Deep fried cheese

Ox tongue

Takoyaki

Spider rolls

Japanese pizza

Raw abalone

Deep fried fish

Grilled wagyu

Rare beef

Mini sukiyaki

Raw oysters

Rainbow roll

Assorted tempura

Vegetable tempura

I didn't like the raw abalone but on the whole, everything was alright. Generally, Wagaya's food is good but not its main appeal. The restaurant has a casual, eatery feel but it's nicely furnished and very large. Prices were very reasonable and the whole experience is fun and distinct.


Even though the novelty has gone, I still think the touch screens are a great way to order food. It was so easy to push through your choices and order as you go rather than deciding on everything at the beginning of the meal. For this style of eating, I think it's the best way to order.