PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAWasavie enjoys something like cult status in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. Those in the know talk of it reverently in hushed tones, simultaneously proud to behold such treasured knowledge and at the same time loathe to share it. The subject of all this whispering is a cosy room located in Paddington’s Five Ways which is filled with a large communal table seating approximately 24. With BYO and a bottle shop next door, the table holds nifty sunken ice buckets to keep cold your drop of liquid gold. The space is elegantly decorated and the polite and friendly service is just what you expect of a Japanese restaurant.
Despite its trendy vibe, it is really the food that people come for. The sushi and sashimi is sliced and diced from premium quality fish and the freshness is palpable. There’s also edamame beans to start, a delicious salad made with teriyaki-marinated chicken pieces, crispy tempura, beef tataki, gorgeous gyoza and melt-in-your-mouth pork belly. The glass dessert (a parfait of sliced strawberries, wasabi-flavoured custard, a layer of ginger-infused jelly, a scoop of black sesame ice-cream and a black sesame-studded tuile) is creative and delicious. Wasavie doesn’t take bookings so be prepared to have a drink down the road at the Royal while waiting for a table on Friday and Saturday nights.
Shelley Hepworth