iiza – Newtown, Sydney
plum wine
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
I prefer not to write about my personal life story on my food blog because firstly, it is totally unrelated topic and secondly, I am always cautious about sharing my personal life story on the interwebs. But right now I think it is an appropriate moment for me to express myself for once. I have to say I don’t have many friends in real life, sounds depressing doesn’t it? It is not. And when I say friends, I don’t mean the random strangers that you added on Facebook or the thousand fans that follow you on twitter. Don’t even get me started on the “reciprocate to comment on each others blogs” rule to make friends. I simply don’t buy into that.
I’ve learned from a very young age that you can’t buy friendship. I’ve always known that I was different from other kids at school, but I did have a group of very close friends that hung out together with. Call us “GLEEK” if you like. But same old story, as time went by, we all drifted apart after high school and me being landed in Australia and lost contact with most of them. But when I am least expected and thanks to new technology, some of my closest friends from high school had suddenly popped up on facebook and now we all have 15 years of life stories to catch up on. It is the most surreal feeling I’ve had for a long time.
A particular close friend that just found me last week has also invited me to attend his wedding in Canada in July! He was my junior and I actually didn’t even think we were that close until he started mentioning that I used to call him by the nickname ‘xxxxxx’, and he remembers my colour socks with the pattern of the world map that I used to wear to school which I totally forgot about. It only then strikes me that we were a lot closer than I’d imagine! I am still deciding whether I will go to Canada for his wedding, but catching up again in the future is definitely a big ‘Yes’.
Like I said, I don’t have many friends, but I’m very lucky to have a few close ones and Helen is one of them. I have known Helen way before I started this food blog and we’ve been going out for dinner and karaoke god knows since how long ago! (Yes Helen, I still have the photo of you standing on the couch rocking Living On A Prayer somewhere… 
) During our recent trip to Melbourne, I didn’t even have to ask whether I could stay over at her place so that we both can catch a cab the next morning to the airport to catch our flight, she has already presumed that’s the plan and told me do not bring towel and use hers so that I only have to carry a light hand luggage while we both catch up for dinner in Newtown. Helen, you’re a Champion! This is what friendship is all about and it is the small little things that count, and I will never take it for granted.
Toss between iiza and bloodwood, two newish establishments in Newtown that we both like to try. But Jon has a good review on iiza which does help us to make our decision a little easier. Once used to be a pizza joint sandwiched between a Thai and a Vegetarian restaurants on each side, iiza has now taken over the space and is now a modern Japanese izakaya restaurant. The minimalism decor in the restaurant makes the space twice as large – simple wooden tables stretched along one wall with paper lanterns overhead, massive sake bottles on the bar are just as impressive as the giant Japanese calligraphy banner hanging on one wall. It is not Japan, but they do make an extra effort with waitresses dressed up in traditional kimonos and shuffling up and down the tiled floor in plastic Japanese slippers.
Aburi sashimi salmon - 14.00
The extensive pictorial menu offers more than just izakaya-style food, but also sushi, sashimi, salad to slow cooked hot pots. It takes us quite some time to coordinate and decide what to order, eventually we settled on few dishes simply because they look pretty in the photos. The first dish to arrive is the aburi sashimi salmon. Aburi salmon has never fail and is one of my all time favourites.
Eight thin slices of salmon belly are lightly seared to perfection while itself is still melt-in-the-mouth tender, served with zesty saikyo miso dressing which enhances the sweet flavour of the salmon belly even further. But the highly addictive salty crumbs on top had both of us intrigued. I ask the waitress what it was and she excuses herself into the kitchen to ask the chef, then comes back with the answer of dried garlic miso.
Camembert tempura - 14.50
Cheese? It’s a no brainer. Helen and I didn’t have to think twice and it is the first dish we have already confirmed to order right from the beginning. The Camembert tempura unfortunately is little pale in colour and also lighter in flavour, and the batter is also a little too thick to be tempura style. Dip into the little tea cup of Teriyaki sauce also can’t really save the day.
Spider roll - 14.50
Helen is highly amused by the unusual presentation of the Spider roll – ‘safe sex sushi’ as she calls it. The crispy soft shell crab sushi rolls are wrapped with a translucent sheet of daikon radish. The ratio of sushi rice and soft shell crab is a little imbalanced in my opinion and the flavour is very subtle, me ended up using fair bit of wasabi and pickled gingers to accompany it. But it is priceless giggling along with Helen like school girls while biting into these novelty sushi.
Japanese gyu-suji nikomi - 18.00
We order a hot pot as our last stomach filler. The Japanese gyu-suji nikomi is a hot pot stew of tender wagyu beef tendon with sweet daikon and crunchy beans added before serving.
The wagyu beef had been braised overnight to a melting point, it is incredibly soft and simply disintegrates into meat floss. It is served with two thick slices of garlic toasts but I was craving for a bowl on steamed rice with all the gravy goodness drizzle all over. Perfect winter comfort food.
Kokutou brulee - 7.00
Despite a gorgeous photo with all desserts beautifully plated in one shot in the menu, there are actually only a couple that take our fancy. I take the honor of cracking the Japanese brown sugar toffee on the Kokutou brulee to find a velvety smooth custard beneath which is perfect and not overly sweet. A spoonful of mixed fruit balances the sweetness of the dessert nicely.
Kinako cheesecake - 7.00
I never really particularly like Japanese cheesecake, but it is the Kinako powder that we are interested in. The thin slice of kinako cheesecake is a little firm and heavily dusted with ground toasted soybean powder, which has a distinctive sweet nutty flavour which I adore.
iiza has some beautiful and some “interesting” presentations of their dishes, but flavour wise there are room for improvement in my opinion. I enjoyed my meal, because I shared it with one of my best Tomodachi.
iiza 184 King Street, Newtown Sydney P: +61 (02) 8095 9260 Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 6pm-11pm
A Table For Two (ATFT) is Billy Law's food blog that features best eats in Sydney and around the world with drool-worthy food photography to salivate your appetite. I also throw in a smidgen of my food and travel photography for good measure. Billy Law also happened to be a contestant on MasterChef Australia 2011. 
I was going to comment on the food but suddenly I’m all warm and fuzzy. What a sweet post (hi Helen). It sounds a bit trite but I honestly believe that it’s not quanity that counts but quality. I think that if we all have at least one or two close friends then we’re lucky.
*hugs*
.-= Karen | Citrus and Candy´s last blog ..Easter Obsessed #1: Hot Cross Buns =-.
Awww Billy… your post iiza so touching and sweet! Friends who can forgive me for tainting their meal with thoughts of safe sex sushi are priceless indeed
Have had too many hilarious moments with you over the years. As for karaoke, we make a pretty good Abba duo too as I recall!
.-= Helen (grabyourfork)´s last blog ..King crab, Hokkaido milk and strawberries =-.
omg now u reminded me of the ABBA. we are soooo going to do it again! LOL
Good friends are indeed precious things. Love your post and review of iiza, it is next on my hit list.
.-= Zina @ tastedbytwo´s last blog ..Recipe: Beef Bourguignon =-.
A truly lovely post, Billy! I think it’s safe to say that most of us have friends, and then we have *friends*.
.-= Y´s last blog ..Daring Bakers Challenge : Orange Tian =-.
The photos are gorgeous as always, but oh! Your story was just so real – thanks for sharing with us B.
Aww… that’s what friends are for. Especially the eating out at new restaurants part
.-= Tina´s last blog ..Stick it =-.
Catching up with long lost friends is great! I’ve just recently found a highschool friend that I’ve lost contact with for 13 yrs.. Definitely credits to facebook
.-= YW´s last blog ..Honeymoon Part 3 =-.
awwww billy such a sweet post! warm and fuzzy friendships are the best!
.-= chocolatesuze´s last blog ..chocolatesuze tattoo [8] =-.
the sweetest post ever =D I was reading it and smiling to myself, haha I sound like a loser. It’s truly a nice story. Btw the food looked good too.
Awwww you guuyyysss ^^! Yeah true friends are rare but precious /tear
and lol at safe sex sushi
PS what is GLEEK?
.-= FFichiban´s last blog ..The Winery – Surry Hills, Sydney =-.
you have to watch GLEE to understand GLEEK
Awww what a sweet post
Real friends are hard to come by but being rare is what makes them so special
.-= Jacq´s last blog ..All You Can Eat Ribs at Waterfront Grill, Darling Harbour =-.
The really nice thing about time passing (aka getting older, hehe!) is that you become a lot wiser about what friendship really means, that it is really quality and not quantity and being popular was never as rewarding as it seemed at the time, sometimes too high a price to pay! Lovely, lovely piece of writing and I ain’t referring to the food review!
.-= Moya´s last blog ..L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon – Hong Kong =-.
who said I am old?! hahahahaha… nah you are right, perhaps gets older also makes us wiser no doubt. I am just happy that many people agree to what I said.
I echo the comments above – it’s the quality and not quantity of friends that matters (much like good food). You want people you can depend on and count on when in need, not just people to keep you company.
.-= mademoiselle délicieuse´s last blog ..New Shanghai Chatswood (新上海), 31 Dec 2009 =-.
Love the safe sex sushi! LOL
A lovely post! I understand and agree 100% with you about friendship.
Haha, that ’safe sex sushi’ is incredible!
.-= Anh´s last blog ..Days before the Easter break – Recipe: Udon noodles with kabocha sauce =-.
Haha HEAR HEAR! Sorry yes I am a stranger that came across your blog. Me too w the friends thing – A lot of people know me, but hardly anyone knows who I hang out with or where I am. Unfortunately, especially increasing in younger generations, we’re bombarded with Crap and media that teaches people all the things that Don’t matter/Irrelevant to life. Who cares about LadyGaga’s blablabla, get on with your own life!! Value your good friends, this world is changing. Sorry, hehe!
Cheers.
My Lord I can’t stop staring at that safe sex sushi..
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..Wine Quotes Part IV =-.
Hahahaa.. I wanna see what wine you going to pair with the safe sex sushi
It’s wonderful that you appreciate the friends you have, rather than randomly making new ones. And if they are into the same (food) things as you, then count yourself lucky
.-= Belle@OohLook´s last blog ..Tiramisu with minibar Kahlua espresso syrup =-.
First time reading your blog on iPhone, I likey the mobile app.
.-= Rasa Malaysia´s last blog ..Clay Pot Yong Tau Foo (Yong Tow Foo) =-.
Great post, Billy! Good friends are hard to find. Found one, treasure it. I always like this quote from Bernard Meltzer – “A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked.” I am already in Easter holiday mood.
.-= Ellie (Almost Bourdain)´s last blog ..Oyako Donburi (親子丼) =-.
ROFL! that’s GOLD! ahahahah how funny!
seems to be the flavour of the month to visit along with Bloodwood
.-= Simon Food Favourites´s last blog ..Efendy: Lamb Testicles and other authentic Turkish meze, Balmain (28 Mar 2010) =-.
Such a touching story. What is anything without good friends, right?
Some of the presentations of the dishes look real nice. Shame it doesn’t always deliver in the taste area. Maybe it’s still finding its feet.