My Zakaya - Surry Hills

Had a quick bit to eat here the other night. I am a bit of an eggplant connoisseur and their baked half eggplant with miso was pretty good. Edamame was also very fresh and tasty. If I could fault them though, they served a long grain Chinese rice instead of Japanese variety rice. There is a big different and if you have had the Japanese rice before, you know instantly when you're not getting the real deal.

Don't let the humble, somewhat cramped setting fool you, this spot was the goods! One of the "top 10 Japanese spots in Sydney" I've been meaning to hit up. The tuna nigiri was fresh, perfect texture. Karage was also damn near perfect. Quite large, just the right amount of ginger, super moist chunks of chicken, none a that tiny, overly battered crispy ****. Mainly white flesh. The first 'new' sake on the menus first page was smooth, dry, and hot, just how I like it. Popcorn prawn (see photo) wasn't done the crispy way but the cheesy way. I'm not a fan but my restaurant buddy said it was his favourite dish. What reeeeally made me loose my **** was the Grilled Kingfish Cheeks. You couldn't get a word out of me as I scraped every little delightful morsel out of the fishes head with my chopsticks. Simply amazing. So fresh, and so soft, being the best meat of almost fish and very under rated. You MUST order this dish if you make the right decision and try My Zakaya!

Best Japanese restaurant in Sydney. The quality of food/cost is unbeatable. The food is just amazing, a mix between traditional cuisine and modern dishes. The Camembert fried tempura is definitely of the signatures dishes. The eggplant is amazing, the fish is fresh and melty. You can close your eyes and order everything on the menu, it will be excellent. The service is excellent, the chef is unique, the atmosphere is great. The prices are really affordable. The food is consistently good. I tried many Japanese restaurants as Japanese food is my favourite cuisine and this is the best authentic/unique restaurant I have found in Sydney and Paris. A big thank you to My Zakaya team, I couldn't do without you!

Great little Izakaya tucked away from the hustle of Oxford Street. We had the karaage, wagyu sushi, barramundi and assorted sashimi. Would recommend all of these. My husband, who's a sashimi fiend, says the sashimi is perhaps a notch below those of Rosan and Fujiyama but I really couldn't tell! Also, having major karaage cravings after our visit here. Need to go back soon!

A small and popular place. Not a large selection of items but very traditional and very good. Service and ambiance great. Thoroughly recommended.