Fujiya, Haymarket

Having seen before that perhaps some of the best restaurant finds are hidden upstairs, we thought we'd test the theory again.

We walked up a set of carpeted stairs to Fujiya, a few doors down from bustling George Street and the always-busy Delifrance cafe.

From ordinary boring carpet entrance to modern, warm and wooden decor, again I was amazed by exactly what hidden treasures lie on the first floors of many buildings in Sydney's Chinatown.



The restaurant was huge with plenty of window booth seating with unusual L-shaped benches (it must be for maximum seating efficiency--or date intimacy!). Plenty of light streamed in through the windows enhancing the warm ambience of the wood. There were open tables for larger groups as well as booth seating for families in the centre of the room.

We perused the menu and wondered why noone was coming to take our order until we noticed the little buzzer on the partition in front of us...



Aha... ring for service. We like it! Just like an aeroplane!


Kaki fried $6.80
Fried crumbed oysters


Tori karaage $6.80
Japanese-style fried chicken


Tempura udon $8.80


Unaju $8.00
Grilled eel on rice

Overall the food here was fairly reasonable. The oysters were not quite as briney as I normally like but the coating was crunchy and crisp. I found the karaage a little greasy but the tempura was light and fluffy, and the eel was tender and tasty.

We couldn't have closure without dessert so I elected for the matcha ice cream which arrived with a dollop of adzuki red bean paste. Perfect closure!


Matcha green tea icecream $3.80

The restaurant was busy with students, families and a couple of work gatherings. Some of the dishes weren't out of this world, but there are probably some hidden gems which we are yet to uncover. I appreciated the light and airy atmosphere most, and could envision this as an easy choice for good-value group meals.

Fujiya Japanese Tavern Restaurant
Level 1, 605 George St (entrance on Goulburn St), Haymarket
Tel: 02 9283 2268