Mr. Ryu
294 Carlisle St, Balaclava
03 9527 6972
Japanese
$$
Food
- Spicy Tuna Taco
- Prawn Nori Taco
- Pork Katsu Sando
- Teishoku set
The Good
We were off to an amazing start with the Spicy Tuna Taco and Prawn Nori Taco. The Spicy Tuna was absolutely sensational, the finely diced tuna sashimi was well coated in an creamy spicy mayo with a slight kick. The soft tender fish was nicely contrasted by the crunchy of the crisp taco. Finished off with caviar, every mouthful was just as appetising as the next.
The Prawn Nori Taco didn’t disappoint either. The giant prawn sat atop a handful of warm and fluffy rice, decorated with fresh fish roe. The prawn was exceptionally fresh and offered an amazing crunchy sensation, and the taco as all held together by a spicy thousand island mayo. A light yet delicious starter.
We then sampled the Pork Katsu Sando. Sandwiched between two very soft and fluffy slices of bread, the generously sized pork katsu was fried to perfection. The golden brown, crumbed outer offered up a satisfying crunch, enclosing a tender and succulent inner that was full of porky flavours and juicy goodness. The sandwich was accompanied by fresh leaves of greens and held together by a sweet barbecue sauce, which we felt was perhaps overpowering and distracted away from the lovely pork flavours itself. A simple dollop of mayo would’ve sufficed.
We rounded off our meal with the signature Teishoku set. Served on a giant tray, this traditional Japanese set was stunningly presented and consisted of seven components. We sampled two variants of the chef’s main, featuring Seared Salmon with Sesame and Pinenut, which carried a beautiful aroma and held together by a sweet yuzu sauce, as well as the simple yet elegant Salmon Sashimi with Soy, Chilli and Garlic dressing. The mains were accompanied by either a chunky potato salad, or a side of fresh stir-fried greens. Japanese favourites like 63degree Egg, Miso Soup, Pickles and Rice were also featured on the tray. Rounding it all off was a light yet delicious dessert of Vanilla Mousse with a sweet berry sauce.
The Mediocre
Nothing.
The Bad
Nothing.
The Verdict
As a newly opened cafe, Mr. Ryu has done well to differentiate itself by offering a traditional, authentic Japanese with a modern twist.
Paying respect to the fresh, quality ingredients coupled with careful, thoughtful execution, this is a casual yet refined Japanese experience that’s hard to forget!
Would Penguin Eat Again?
Most definitely!
Penguineats would like to thank owner Seung for inviting us to Mr. Ryu.