Musashi Dining Bar, Sydney

The problem with good budget eats is that everyone else seems to know about them. And so Musashi is no longer a place you can casually drop into for a bite to eat. Packed with people both at lunch and dinner-time, you must either plan ahead and book, or otherwise arrive extra early.

On a Friday night before Billy Crystal's 700 Sundays (a fantastic show that was both heartfelt and entertaining) we arrive at Musashi at 6.15pm. By 6.45pm the place is full, and the entrance to the corner restaurant is flanked by a hovering hungry crowd.


Wagyu yakiniku beef $16.80

We start off by sharing a serving of the wagyu yakiniku beef. Tender in parts, it's not as mouthwateringly juicy as we'd initially hoped. A sweet ponzu sauce adds an element of citrus. It's accompanied by a sticky onigiri rice ball--shaped into a triangle and flavoured with pickled radish--and vegetables that include crunchy bean sprouts, a floret of broccoli, slices of cooked carrot and a small mound of mashed potato.


Karaage chicken $7.80

Karaage chicken is a golden crunch on the outside, juicy and moist within. Mayonnaise is piped onto the plate like icing, and the raw crunch of cabbage and lettuce provides a little oil-free relief.


Musashi dinner bento box $15.00

Three of us end up ordering the dinner bento box, a treasure trove of delights that is yours for an outrageously modest fifteen dollars.

The dinner bento is packed to the rafters with so many options, deciding where to start is the biggest dilemma. A silver patty pan holds slices of teriyaki chicken, all sticky and sweet. Nigiri sushi is topped with sashimi tuna, salmon and cooked prawn. A pocket of tofu-wrapped inarizushi is sweet and salty.


Teriyaki chicken


Nigiri sushi

Two rounds of makizushi (see top photo) contain cucumber, seafood stick and tamago egg omelette. The battleship-style gunkan makizushi hold ribbons of salmon with pickles, and a glistening heap of salmon roe (disappointingly deflated and sorry-looking).

The deep-fried compartment is surpisingly tasty though. A potato croquette is soft, the prawn is sweet and flavoursome, and a skewer of beef is tender.


Crumbed and deep-fried beef, potato and prawn

The little square in the middle of our obento box holds three grapes for dessert, but if there's one thing I've come to Musashi here for, it's their previously discovered green tea creme brulee.


Green tea creme brulee $4.80

It arrives within moments, a ramekin of green-tea flavoured custard topped with a thin crackle of toffee, a fanned strawberry and a splodge of aerosol cream. It's a perfect end to the meal.

I'm not waiting another 700 Sundays until my next one.



Musashi Dining Bar
447 Pitt Street, Sydney
(corner of Campbell Street, next to the Capitol Theatre)
Tel: +61 (02) 9280 0377

Lunch: Monday to Friday 11.45am-2.30pm
Dinner: Monday to Sunday 5.30pm-10.00pm

Musashi is part of the Masuya group that includes:
Makoto City Sushi Bar
119 Liverpool Street, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9283 6767

Makoto Chatswood Sushi Bar
336 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9411 1838

Masuya Seafood Japanese Restaurant
12-14 O'Connell Street, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9235 2717 or +61 (02) 9231 0038

Related GrabYourFork posts:
Musashi, October 2005