ATTENTION, lovers of Japanese cuisine! Adelaide’s beloved Japanese restaurant Ginza Unley has introduced a selection of brand new authentic dishes to tantalise your tastebuds, including the likes of roasted duck, beef tataki, tenderloin steak and more.
The Adelaidian visited recently to sample the new menu, which just so happened to be the same day Co-Editor Mel was celebrating her 22nd birthday. Turns out Ginza Unley was the perfect location for an indulgent birthday dinner.
While the interior and setting at Ginza Unley may not be set out as grand as its counterpart Ginza Miyako in Stamford Plaza Adelaide, the food’s authenticity and complex flavour construct holds a level of greatness over most other Japanese restaurants in Adelaide; some might even say its better than its city sister! In addition, we always find the service to be polite and efficient, amounting to an overall delightful dining experience at Ginza.
Plum Wine tasting flights and Sashimi plate
Aburi Sushi
Our new menu tasting consisted of four deceptively filling courses, each of which brought something different to the table. We started the night with three kinds of Assorted Sashimi: kingfish, tuna and salmon. While not a new option, Sashimi is one of the traditional dishes that Ginza executes oh-so-well, achieving a delicious texture and fresh flavour to the raw fish each time. We were also given a selection of Aburi Sushi with eel, octopus, tuna and two salmon: another dish which is not new, but definitely a classic must-try.
We ordered two tasting flights of Plum Wine to drink alongside our meals, both of which came served with three options: Green Tea, Original and Brown Sugar. The Green Tea was pleasantly sweet with a slight bitter finish, while the Original came out very sweet on the palate alluding to a strong maraschino cherry taste – a flavour which people really either love or hate. The Brown Sugar was served alongside milk on the side, which you could add to it if you wished. It hinted at a whiskey flavour and tasted a little like Baileys when combined with milk.
Roasted Duck Breast
Our two delectable entrees were the Aburi Mackarel and Beef Tataki. The Aburi Mackarel was Ginza’s Season Special dish, and the fish meat offered a distinctly seafoody/salty flavour profile. The Beef Tataki was complete with spring onion and fried onion under a citrusy yuzu sauce. A little chewy but ever so tasty, the Beef Tataki won our hearts with its immaculate balance of sweet and savoury, topped off with a hint of spicy chilli.
Proficient service saw we were never left too long without a plate of food in front of us, so our waiter brought out a bowl of warm Miso Soup to sip on while we waited for our mains to arrive. If that doesn’t scream service excellency, we don’t know what does!
The two mains were Roasted Duck Breast served with kochi yuzu sauce and potato mash and SA Tenderloin steak, both of which came sliced into pieces in traditional Japanese manner. Ginza’s steak came out sizzling, making popping noises on a hot plate and exuding an appealing smell of roasting meat when placed upon the table, yum!
A sweet Happy Birthday surprise!
To finish, we indulged in a couple of sweets: Matcha Ice Cream and Shiratama and Yuza Parfait. Mel was also surprised with a sweet little happy birthday plate, constructed using fruit and fruit peels to create a little paradise scene with butterflies carved out of apple and a mini umbrella to top it off; what a cute, simple surprise for a loved one’s birthday.
Ginza is certainly our go-to for Japanese and, whether we are feeling fancy for a special occasion or just want a delicious meal to end the night, Ginza can cater to both with Ginza Miyako in the city and Ginza Unley. If you’re a huge Japanese fan and haven’t been here yet, you need to.
