Mizuya: Friends, Food and Weak Drinks

When Mizuya is on the tables as the place to dine, you should be expecting loud conversations, a good atmosphere, a unique table service and freshly prepared dishes. However, on this one occasion, it was a night out with my university friends and many cocktails were ordered. So there were louder conversations, a greater atmosphere and a cascade of dishes being ordered. The cosy albeit small booths are separated by tall walls which allow a great feel of privacy and the ordering system allows for more conversation flow.

But first, here is my apology. As the night passed, faces became redder, my photo taking skills depleted and my aim to take photos of the food before we dug in became a battle that I was slowly losing. Sorry I could not document all the dishes we had but these are the ones I managed to take photos of.

I ordered the Mojito while my friends ordered the Strawberry Daquiri and Sakura (homemade strawberry jam and liqeur mixed with gin, shochu and lemon juice). The drinks were quite weak and there was a clear jam taste in both strawberry cocktails. There seemed like a lot of lemons were used across all the drinks which made them untastefully sour. 

Sakura $11, Strawberry Daquiri $13 and Mojito $15.30: Everyone loves a girly drink

The Toblerone was also ordered but wasn't finished. It was quite rich and was not as chocolately as the the name made us hope for.

Toblerone $12.50: Chocolate fixes everything, don't the bar tenders know that?

The Mizuya Test tubes are a little of a fun novelty drink. You will definitely not be making the scrunched up 'this-is-a-strong-drink' face after downing one of these. Each one was probably not even a shot but still they seemed to be a popular order. I would recommend you to try them once with friends but unless you're willing to fork out a disappointing $3 for each of these, it's something you only need to try once.

Mizuya Test Tubes $18: Oh if our high school Chemistry teachers saw us now

 We had the Takoyaki ie Octopus Balls which were nothing special but a popular dish to order when eating Japanese. There were chunks of octopus within the hot smooth centre which were enjoyable.The mayonnaise gets a little lost when you eat these because the inside is already such a soft texture.

Takoyaki $5.80: Soft octopus balls that melt in your mouth

 The Seared Salmon Sushi was one of the dishes I enjoyed the most. The smoky flavour was strong and the salmon was well cooked and clearly fresh. The fish eggs, which I suspect to be salty pearls, happily popped in your mouth and it was also good to see fresh wasabi come out with every sushi dish.

Seared Salmon Belly Roll $14.80: Just one example of their delicious sushi

 The Soft Shell Crab Salad was one of the last dishes we ordered and I really enjoyed this. The soft shell crab wasn't too crispy but it still tasted good with the sauce that was drizzled over it. The lotus root chips were also a great component of the dish that provided a needed crunch.The sauce was a sweet, salty and sour mayonnaise that one of my friends positively alluded to be "scraped off a Hungry Jacks burger" which I agree with. 

Soft Shell Crab Salad $9.80: What a dish! You'll love to sink your teeth into this one... oh and the salad too

The last dish we ordered was the Wagyu Beef Steak. We wanted to finish our dinner with a bang and the photo on the menu made it look like huge succulent pieces of Wagyu beef. When it came to the table we stared at it and just laughed. The photo with the phone shows how small the pieces were. Although we were very disappointed the overall taste of it almost made up for the size. It had perfect seasoning and was tender and soft so in this case quality is better than quantity.

Wagyu Beef Steak $14.80: Sometimes size does matter

Overall, I feel like Mizuya is a great place for friends to have a relaxed dinner. The money you pay is less about the food but more about the atmosphere. It's a unique restaurant and I would return here once in a while with good friends or family. The best of good company is brought out in here and that's why it is a little hard to rate Mizuya based purely on just the food.

Rating: 7/10