Wasabi Noosa

Last night, Miss M and myself finally got to Wasabi at Noosa Sound. We had been planning this date for months on end, but illness, conflicting engagements among other things had stopped us. But this Wednesday night, we made it.

I had wanted to eat at this restaurant for quite a while now, it's accolades alone start my salivary glands off.

BRISBANE TIMES GOOD FOOD GUIDE
Awarded Two Hats and Regional Restaurant of the Year – 2013
(One of only five restaurants in the state to hold a two hat ranking)
 
GOURMET TRAVELLER
Restaurant Guide 2013 – One Star
Queensland (Regional) – Top 10 list
Australia (Japanese) – #2
Australia (Top 100) – #95

So along we went.

The interior of the restaurant is faultless and pure class the whole way. Clean off white walls with tasteful artwork, crisp linen tablecloths, and Sinatra softly on the speakers.

http://www.au.timeout.com/brisbane/restaurants/venues/835/wasabi

We announce our arrival and are shown to our table.

I start with a Shio Martini, and Miss M a Sav Blanc.

Cocktail Menu

We took time to study the menu, but both had it in mind that we would be having the chef selction.

http://www.wasabisb.com/menus/

I think the thing that separates a good restaurant from an amazing restaurant, is the 'nothing is to much trouble' ethic. And our incredible waitress, as well as the kitchen staff certainly made us feel as if nothing was too much trouble at all.

Miss M announced her dietary requirements, and the staff were more than happy to make sure these were addressed.

We decide on the 5 course option, and happily accept some edamame while we wait to begin.

Our amuse bouche is a ginger and daicon soup. It is warm, savoury and tangy. And certainly excites the taste buds.

Our next step on our culinary journey is for myself Eel, and for Miss M mushroom with a sticky glase served with refreshing cucumber on a base of the most unusually textured glass-type noodle I have ever tried. This was an exceptional course. I love eel at the best of times, but this eel was outstanding. Miss M commented that she thought it was lovely, that even though she had an altered menu, the 2 plates still looked identical.

Following this we have a tuna tartare served on sticky rice. Apart from being presented beautifully in earthern pots, the drama comes as our gorgeous waitress grates fresh wasabi root at the table.

The tuna itself is divine, as fresh, natural and exquisite as any I have tried, and pared with the sticky fragrant rice is delicious, but we discover the dish only comes alive with the addition of the heady wasabi.

Course three is the aesthetically pleasing tempura shoot stuffed with whitefish served with salad of candied and fresh radish.

At first bite, this dish seemed okay, the tempura was light and crisp, the flavours balanced. But as I went back for my second bite I was blown away by the subtle complexity of the harmony of the flavours within. And then I got sad, because it was all gone.

For my second drink of the night I choose the other Martini from the menu, the Umetini. (You may be noticing a pattern here. I really enjoy Martinis at the moment).

For out second to last course is the most interesting of the courses, however did the least for me. The highlight of course is the 2 hour slow cooked egg which forms the sauce that binds the dish togther, however, it was all just a little too breakfasty for me.

Don't get me wrong, I most certainly did get excited breaking through the egg revealing the beautiful runny yolk inside, and the textures together were stunning. But not my favourite.


But the moment we had been waiting for... the Wagyu.

Presented rare and only slightly seasoned to keep it's most natural form, it not only lived up to, but surpassed that thing that every red-meat lover craves. I don't know what the word for it is, but when you get the most beautiful piece of perfectly cooked steak and your eyes kind of roll back into your head a little... it's that thing.

We finish up with a palate cleansing mandarine sorbet with berry jelly on crumble, which is refreshing and beautfully tangy.

The high quality of service, beautiful locally sought produce, the sheer class has certainly placed Wasabi in the top shelf of restaurants I have dined in.

I must mention that I foolishly did not take notes from the nightly chefs menu, so some of the descriptions may seem a little vague, and I apologise.

I would also like to state that I hope these photos are slightly better than the last post. I dispise using flash inside restaurants and really apprecite when my co-diners have the patience for me to take my time with my photos, it's still really hard in a dark restaurant though.

Thank you again, Wasabi for a spectacular evening, and Miss M, for dining with me, and driving.

RESERVATIONS

DINING ROOM
Wednesday – Sunday
Dinner from 5pm

Friday & Sunday
Lunch from 12 noon

BAR
Wednesday – Sunday
5pm – Close

Holiday season trading times may differ.  Please contact us for additional operating hours.

FOR BOOKINGS PLEASE CALL
07 5449 2443