I had a serious case of Monday-itis and needed something to brighten up my night, so I headed off with two friends to find dinner and some entertainment in Manuka. With the warmer weather finally here, Manuka was all hustle and bustle with many people like us, looking for somewhere interesting and different to eat. We found exactly that in Wasabi.
Wasabi in Manuka is the sister restaurant of Japanese favourite Wasabi in Dickson, and is located on Flinders Street in Manuka. We arrived just before sunset and the large glass windows at the front of the restaurant gave us a beautiful view of the pink and purple Canberra sky. The windows also allow for people walking by to peer in and be mesmerised by the theatrical teppanyaki cooking skills at the teppan.
We were shown to our seats at the large teppanyaki bar by efficient, welcoming Manager, Sam Wood. We joined an enthusiastic family celebrating a 30th wedding anniversary, a happy young couple and a few colleagues grabbing a bite over work papers. Even though it was a Monday night, Wasabi was busy and buzzing in atmosphere.
The menu at Wasabi is varied with a range of a la carte items, with a particular focus on the freshest seafood – but the star of this show really is the teppanyaki. For those who aren’t familiar with the performance that is teppanyaki, basically the chef cooks and prepares your food on a hot, flat plate (teppan) in front of you, usually with lots of skill, fanfare and fire. This is where the entertainment portion of our night comes into play.
To start, we were brought a beautiful, brightly coloured platter of sashimi and sushi. The sashimi was so fresh and tender it practically melted in my mouth and my friend couldn’t get enough of the exquisitely crafted sushi, which tasted as good as it looked. Following this, the three of us shared a tempura platter. Lovely fresh prawns and vegetables coated in a light crunchy batter, golden in colour.
Both platters were full of colour and flavour and could be considered art as well as food. We complimented these dishes with a couple of Japanese beers, including Asahi and Yebisu.
Wood was very knowledgeable and helpful when it came to the drinks menu, helping us to match drinks that went well with our meals. The drinks list at Wasabi is comprehensive with a range of soft drinks (including a few interesting Japanese ones), wines and beers and of course, a fabulous range of Sake.
Wasabi offers a variety of different priced banquets, we chose the Kaisen Set. First, came an exceptional Miso soup, the perfect mix of salty and earthy flavours and one of the best I have had in Canberra. Next came the Seafood Chawan Mushi; a wonderful egg custard cup with a jumble of fresh scallops, prawn, salmon, gingo nut and fish. This was a delight, the seafood was fresh and tender and combined with a perfectly set egg custard it was a real treat, and I would definitely recommend this dish.
Now, the real show started; Chef Ken knocked our socks off with an interactive cooking display while making Wasabi’s ‘Entertainment Fried Rice.’ This did not disappoint. Diners become part of the cooking process with lots of bowl throwing and egg catching. Guests are encouraged to open wide and catch pieces of egg flying fast and furiously across the table. Some were better than others, and I am ashamed to say, most of the food thrown my way ended up on the floor- hilariously entertaining for everyone else in the restaurant.
The entertainment did not stop there; Chef Ken set the table in front of us on fire, literally, while cooking an amazing dish of eye fillet steak with red wine, garlic butter and a sake and soya sauce. Watching Ken prepare this dish was incredible, his knife work was fast and furious and he continued to put the pressure on the audience by throwing bowls and food in their direction. Next on the hot teppan went some amazingly tender and plump scallops; cooked in a fragrant ginger sauce – absolutely delectable.
By this stage I didn’t think I could eat another bite, but I couldn’t say no to the teriyaki salmon that came next. Cooked in a home-style teriyaki sauce, Ken cooked the salmon to perfection, a gorgeous pink colour, it was tender, moist and was a real pleasure to eat. Still more food was thrown at me, this time in the form of huge Moreton Bay bugs. Cooked on the teppan with sake and fire, they were dressed in a Japanese style sweet chilli sauce. Creamy, rich and simply amazing.
My friend is a vegetarian, so we were excited to see what kind of vego-friendly options were on the menu. She opted for the vegetarian banquet, starting with a miso soup, followed by an entrée of Agedashi Tofu, a crispy fried tofu in a miso broth. My friend tells me that this dish was fantastic, the tofu had a perfect crunchy texture and the broth was just the right mix of exotic flavours. Following this, she was given a serving of grilled eggplant with sushi and tempura vegetables. The eggplant was large and ripe with a sweet flavour and the tempura vegetables – fresh pieces of sweet potato, eggplant, carrot and zucchini – all lightly battered and full of crunch and flavour.
By this stage, I was so full I thought I may never eat again. However, I am not one to resist a good dessert. We finished the evening by sharing three different Japanese desserts. The first, vanilla ice cream with fresh fruits and Japanese beans, the contrast of the ice cream flavour and texture with the beans was unusual and delicious. We then shared a serving of green tea and black sesame ice cream and finally, tempura banana, which was sweet, salty and crunchy.
We ended the night full, happy and still laughing at our questionable reflex skills. If you are looking for something fun and different for your next dining experience I would definitely recommend Wasabi Manuka. Not only is the food fresh, artful and simply mouth watering, but the atmosphere and entertainment is exceptional. And who says you have to wait for a special occasion? It’s the perfect way to brighten up a generally mundane Monday.
