Three of my most memorable dishes from
when I was a kid were tempura, sukiyaki and kamameshi crab rice. From the early
age of 8 years old, I've already fallen in love with Japanese cuisine. Just as
wine tastes better with age, so is my obsession with Japanese food. We are so
lucky that we have an abundance of Japanese restaurants in Sydney that offers
both traditional and modern takes of this cuisine.
Ume Japanese Restaurant in Surry Hills is a one hat (awarded by
Sydney Morning Herald) Japanese restaurant that does contemporary take on the
classics with a seasonal approach. It is a gem tucked away in the quiet part of
Bourke Street. The space is a mixture of contemporary Izakaya and semi-fine
dining. When someone like an ex-Tetsuya's chef like Kerby Craig owns and runs a joint like this, you can expect slam dunkin'
dishes. So within a week, I visited them twice for two reasons: 1. To try their
a la carte dishes; 2. To try out their burger pop-up that's happening for the
first time ever (more on that later).
The
restaurant
 |
| Yuzu soda |
For starters, I ordered a yuzu soda ($5.50). It
was so refreshing with its sweet and citrusy flavours.
 |
| Shio koji kara-age |
The shio koji kara-age ($16) is not the
most attractive out there but definitely one of the tastiest! It had light
crisped coating with meat that's flavoursome that had hints of sweetness and
ginger. I also loved the housemade wasabi mayo that came with them!
 |
| Seared hokkaido scallops |
One of the best dishes I've had in any
restaurant is their seared Hokkaido scallops ($20). The perfectly seared
scallops together with koikuchi shoyu, konbu brown butter and blood limes was
sensational. I enjoyed the tangy, buttery and notes of citrus flavours.
 |
| Yaki nasu |
If you like smoky eggplant dishes, then
the yaki nasu ($19) is for you! Besides its bold smokiness it had a nice
delicate texture. The wari shoyu combined with the grated ginger compliments
the charcoal grilled eggplant well and it helps cut through the bold smoky
flavour of the dish.
 |
| Kakuni |
I was in awe of their kakuni at first
sight and bite! It was beautifully constructed braised pork belly dish and the
taste was smack bang full of umami! It had depth with flavours containing the
perfect marriage of sweet and salty. It was also so tender that it melts in
your mouth.
 |
| Pork dumplings |
The pork dumplings ($16) were like a
crossover of siumai and gyoza (minus the seared part). It had a nice delicate
dumpling wrap and the actual meat filling was flavoursome with silky texture.
The rice vinegar dressing was a nice touch to cut through the rich meaty
flavour of the pork filling.
 |
| Mango dessert |
The dainty mango dessert ($16) was an
awesome way to end our meal. It was refreshing and I especially loved the
combination of mango tofu, frozen green tea and mochi!
The
Ume burger pop-up
Everyone knows my obsession with
burgers! My radar tries its best to not miss upcoming burger joints and pop-ups.
Chef Kerby adds his take on burgers into Sydney's #BurgerTown scene! Burgers
inspired by the likes of renowned MOS burger and Freshness burger of Japan. At
1pm on a Sunday afternoon, a long queue formed outside Ume restaurant. The
place was packed with burger lovers!
The menu was small and not complicated,
which makes choosing what to order very easy.
 |
| Chips with kombu salt |
The chips with kombu salt ($4) were flawless.
The outside of the chips was crisped whilst the inside was fluffy. The konbu
salt was the perfect seasoning to go with this.
 |
| Ume burger |
The Ume burger (which is his take on a
cheeseburger - $14) straight away made the burger nerd in me throw fist pumps in the
air! It was absolutely delicious and yes, it was full of umami (take note that
I hardly use this flavour term in my posts). It was a cheeseburger on a league
of its own. It had wagyu patty (the actual wagyu beef patty is covered under that mince sauce), wagyu mince sauce, melted cheese, mayo, tomato,
onion and mustard in a soft sweet milk bun (sourced from a Japanese bakery).
The wagyu patty was juicy and packed with flavour. The wagyu mince sauce was
like a Bolognese sauce but more sweet, which gave the burger extra character.
The melted cheese, creamy sweet mayo, zingy mustard and crisp bite from the
onions gave the burger familiar classic cheeseburger flavours. The tomato gave a
nice balance to the whole burger.
 |
| Tonkatsu burger |
The tonkatsu burger ($14) was also a
winner! The menchi kurobuta pork katsu patty was sensational with its crunchy coating and soft silky flavoursome filling. The sweet bbq-like sweet tonkatsu sauce and cabbage complimented the katsu patty
well. This is one pork burger that I’ve come to love!
Kerby Craig and his team’s approach to
modern Japanese cuisine is best described as innovative and sophisticated. The
flavours are not complicated but the combination works well. The burgers on the
other hand are definitely amongst the best in Sydney and I hope that the Ume
burgers Sunday service continues. The service is great and the food is
outstanding!
Ume
Restaurant
478 Bourke Street
Surry Hills NSW
Opening hours:
Dinner Tuesday to Saturday 6pm to
10pm
Lunch Friday to Saturday 12pm to
3pm
Ume
Burger (located at Ume Restaurant)
Check Ume Restaurant and Ume
Burger’s Instagram account for updates and pop-ups.
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