After six years in the kitchen of one of Sydney's premier restaurants, Tetsuya's alumnus Hiro Tagaki has struck out on his own, setting up shop in an assuming street in Sydney's lower North Shore. A light, bright room takes its cues from Sydney's minimalist school of design, with the chefs providing a living backdrop in the restaurant's open-plan kitchen.
Riding the wave of tapas-mania that's sweeping Sydney, Japaz marries Mediterranean flavours with classical Japanese technique. That might sound like fusion cuisine gone awry, but with a deft hand in the kitchen the scorecard generally records more hits than misses. A series of sharing plates lets diners move through a spectrum of styles and textures. While the Iberian Peninsula leads the charge, Japanese subtlety shines through in dishes such as swordfish and preserved lemon jus with just a hint of aniseed.
Moving through the menu you'll encounter dishes such as octopus pilaf; and braised wagyu beef cheek with almond cream, before finishing off with such unlikely combinations as ice cream served on manchego cheese, or chocolate tart topped with olive oil ice cream. The flavours are bigger than the portions, so expect to order around three dishes each to walk away sated.
Jen Paterson
Open
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Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
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Late
Mon-Sat 6pm-late
Japanese and Spanish
Signature dish: Braised wagyu beef cheek with almond cream
Mains: $5.50-$16
Dessert: $12
Payment accepted: MasterCard, Visa and American Express
Licensed. Wine is available by the glass. BYO (wine only) BYO Mon-Thu only
This venue accepts bookings. Group bookings are supported.
All reviews and ratings are the expressed opinions of our users, and in no way reflects the opinions of yourRestaurants, its staff and its affiliates.
Posted by:
happy eater
|
15 August 2009, 5.55pm
Dinner
We had a fabulous dinner here. Finding ourselves booking-less on the night of a very important anniversary we wandered into Japaz on a Monday night. There weren't many people so the atmosphere wasn't great but that wasn't a major concern. Placing ourselves in the hands of the kitchen by ordering the tasting menu we were very impressed with each course that came out, the standout being the beef cheeks. At first the staff were a little quick in bringing out each course but once they realised we weren't in a rush and slowed down the pace, the service improved immensely. Loved it.
Food:
Visit: Mon 3 November 2008
Mealtime: dinner
Service:
Atmosphere:
Posted by:
zyou
|
3 January 2009, 2.18pm
What a piece....
This place needs to change its name firstly. There is nothing Japanese about the food, pretending to emulate a Japanese-style eatery but it falls short of achieving the desired effect. It is a very poor attempt at Spanish tapas with the menu average at best with a random collection of unappealing items. The tortilla was overly salty to compensate for its bland flavour, the chorizo felt like rubber in the mouth and wagyu beef also so salty we needed a bottle of water to wash down a mouthful. Overall this place was terrible in its concept and quality of food. Stay away or be ready for disappointment. You've been warned.
Food:
Visit: Wed 3 December 2008
Mealtime: dinner
Service:
Atmosphere:
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