Asakusa, King Street, Newtown

Asakusa, King Street, Newtown
Wednesday 8 March, 2006

Tonight my movie buddy and I watched 'The Manual of Love' at DENDY Newtown. It's a new Italian romantic comedy that has some good laughs and follows four intertwining stories of love - falling in love, falling out of love, finding more love and finding new love.

After the film we needed a quick bite - it was already after 9.30pm and we were both starving. My movie buddy lives in the area, so suggested Asakusa - Japanese restaurant. You know a place must be popular when it's still 75% full at 9.45pm on a Wednesday.

Asakusa is an open plan restaurant with flags and pictures of Japanese settings. The staff are all Japanese and the tables are set close together. Within minutes of sitting down we were offered drinks and menus. The staff are casual, they didn't balk at our late arrival - we had the restaurant manager doing the books at the table beside us.

We decided to share the sashimi for entree. The menu describes this as an assortment of thinly sliced fresh raw fish. We enjoyed the raw salmon and tuna with lashings of wasabi and soy sauce.

For main I decided to have the Kushiyaki Set - grilled salmon and Japanese mayonnaise on rice. I don't know what it is about Japanese mayonnaise but I can't get enough of it - it goes beautifully with salmon and all the Japanese garnishes. I could eat garnish all night - just think... someone has been dutifully preparing the thinly sliced garnish out the back - it deserves to be eaten. My movie buddy ordered an Asakusa dinner box that typically comes with gyoza, salad, rice and a choice of beef, chicken or fish.

The food was fresh and delicious and the crowd was diverse which is representative of the area, students, professionals etc. Asakusa is cheap & cheerful - for this feast we paid $20 each.

Asakusa - 119 King Street, Newtown - (02) 9519 8530