http://www.wasabisb.com/
Wasabi Restaurant has been in my scope of desire for a long, long time but as someone who doesn't frequent the Sunshine Coast, I never found myself there on a suitable evening. Recently, we had a lovely friend's wedding at Noosa Heads and took that as an opportunity for a long weekend away. I knew immediately this was our chance to finally try Wasabi.
Umeshu (plum wine)
We made a booking for a Saturday night. I didn't plan far in advance so many time slots were taken but there was one available at 8:30pm, which suited us fine because we prefer eating out later at night. The restaurant isn't quite in the main strip along Hastings Street but it was a very short drive away with easy parking. We were seated near a window that looked out onto the water outside. I could see fish in the water but it was too dark to make out much else.
The menu at Wasabi allows for either a 7 or 9 course degustation (with matching wines if that takes your fancy) or a 3 course a la carte. We went for the 7 course so we didn't have to make any decisions. Laziness wins!
The courses were presented in a timely manner with enough time between each to feel relaxed but not so dragged out that we got bored or hungry. As each course was introduced I painstakingly took notes on my phone. I think our waitress noticed and took pity on me because she handed me a printed copy of the evening's meal progression at the end of the night.
As with most degustations, there are too many courses to hark on about individually so I'll post them all here and summarise at the end.
Tsukidashi - amuse bouche of free range chicken mousse with artichoke
Tekkadon - yellowfin tuna, hishiyo raw soy, sesami and fuki
Kani shinjo - local spanner crab, yama imo mountain potato, tempura, dai dai citrus and lime
Shiromi ponzu - ponzu cured hiramasa kingfish, sesame, ginger and green onion
Ebi nigiri - local king prawn, hiyuna crumb, seiyo-yama lemon balm and orange-miso emulsion
Negimen - egg noodle, burnt onion broth, shitake and okinawa spinach
Wagui - with daikon, gobo root, karashi mustard seeds and heirlom carrot
Palate cleanser
Amai - chocolate sorbet, kinato gelee, ogasawara mirin and cacao nib
Overall, we found the dishes to be fresh, delicate and refined. The quality of ingredients were allowed to shine with simple and well thought out compliments and cooking techniques. My favourite courses of the evening include the spanner crab, wagyu beef and chocolate dessert. The broth course was notable for being too salty. Service was great and whilst this was a memorable fine dining experience, I wouldn't say the food was necessarily tastier than some other less expensive restaurants in town.
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