LOCATIONMalvern East.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAWaverly Road is home to some of Malvern East’s best restaurants, their standards comparative to any the city has to offer and Asakusa is a fine example. This Japanese eatery may not boast the most chic or modern interior, but if Maneki Neko cats that continually wave don’t bother you then you’re sure to enjoy the experience.
The menu is brimming with authentic Japanese favourites that chef Steven Yu cooks to perfection. Start with a bowl of clear fish soup, Japanese seaweed salad, or deep-fried squid tentacles. From the sushi bar menu try the spicy tuna rolls (thickly rolled with hot and spicy tuna, avocado, cucumber and mayonnaise topped with sesame seed and Tobika), or the jo sushi (a special selection of raw fish on sushi rice). From the noodle selection try the kaisen-yakisoba (Japanese fried noodles with seafood), or a hot-pot to share like the ton nabe (pork, vegetable, tofu and salmon cooked in a miso soup base). For main try the tori teriyaki (grilled chicken basted in teriyaki sauce), or the wagyu steak (Kobe beef steak Japanese-style on a sizzling hot plate served with a special sauce). Finish with the Japanese sweet red bean pancake with ice-cream. The concise wine list is fairly basic so if you fancy something with a little more zing, BYO for $2 corkage per bottle.
Veda Wickens, November 2006
