Sozai Japanese Restaurant
Friday, May 7, 2010
Sozai Japanese Restaurant
1221 High Street, Armadale, VIC 3143
Australia
(61) 03 98248200
1221 High Street, Armadale, VIC 3143
Australia
(61) 03 98248200
I am not biased towards this place just because I work there. However, this place seriously does serve really fresh sushi and sashimi, plus delicious hot food. Everything is served simply, but the taste is much more than you can see with your naked eye.
Sozai, which means 'ingredients' in Japanese, has a pretty concise menu, which to some people, there are not many options to choose from. However, the advantage of a concise menu is that it displays all the things available at one glance, and it is easier to make a decision as the restaurant has what are the most popular and the most recommended dishes. The only setback I have found is the lack of choices for noodle dishes. Sozai serves only udon. Too bad for ramen/soba eaters.
At Sozai, you can try their genmaicha, which is Japanese green tea, combined with roasted brown rice. Very fragrant. Of course, there is also a wine list for you to choose from if you are after alcohol. Japanese beers include Asahi, Sapporo and Yebisu all Malt (*Note: No Kirin). Sakes include their house sake (ozeki), Iwanoi (dry sake with a clean finish) and Kikusui (between dry and sweet - a well-rounded taste).
Some popular dishes that I have photos of:
Gyu Tataki
Sliced raw tender beef with a tangy citrus sauce
Gyoza
Pan-fried home-made dumplings filled with pork and vegetables.
Agedashi Tofu
Crispy fried tofu bathed in a soy-based light soup.
Ebi Tempura Udon Soup
Prawn tempura on undon noodles with a soy-based soup.
Kaki No Sachi
Fresh oysters topped with salmon roe (ikura)
Sashimi (Main - 24 slices; Entree - 12 slices)
Fresh raw slices of tuna and salmon (white fish is also available upon request).
Spicy maki (available in tuna, salmon, prawn, vegetables)
Nigiri sushi - selection of raw fish and seafood laid over a mound of sushi rice
Sozai's most ordered nigiri sushi - Nasu nigiri (eggplant sushi)
Also my personal favorite. This sushi makes my mouth water.
You can either order a fixed set of sushi and sashimi platter, or you can design your own like that - Spicy maki, nasu nigiri, unagi (eel) nigiri and sashimi entree size.
Of course you pay for each individual item as it is, but it will be served on one plate, and it seems more 'personalized' this way.
Sozai's website is still under construction, therefore I will post the link up when it is completed. Hopefully I can make another post about Sozai with other food pictures!
Opening hours:
Lunch: 12PM - 2 or 2.30PM (depending on the crowd)
Dinner: 5.30PM - 10PM (last order at 9.30PM)
Overall (out of 5 stars per category):
Food: Taste: ***** Fragrance: **** Appearance: ****
Simple, yet fresh and delicious.
Service: ***1/2
Service can be better, but staffs are usually attentive and friendly. Service is quick, however, the speed may be affected during really busy hours.
Price: *** 1/2
Average-high. Location wise, it is located on rich and lavish High Street in Armadale, and thus the price.
Ambience: ****
Always a busy place, but it is a good place to catch up with friends.
Accessibility: ***
Sozai is located in the middle of Armadale and Malvern. However, it is not near either train stations. You can take a train to either stations and take a 10-15minutes walk down. OR, you can travel by tram from the city (or from the stations). Tram 6 runs on High Street, passing Armadale Station, whereas tram 16 runs on Glenferrie Road, passing Malvern Station.
