Sakana-Ya

336 Pacific Hwy
Crows Nest, 2065

Whilst not hidden away in Crows Nest since it is on the rather busy Pacific Highway, Sakana-Ya is almost anonymous along a very busy strip restaurants competing for dining dollars. On looks alone, the exterior and interior could be described as "plain as an arrowroot biscuit" which may be harsh but accurate.

However, like many things in life, appearances can be deceptive and in the case of Sakana-Ya very deceptive.


Kingfish Sashimi

The menu of Sakana-Ya would lean towards Izakaya style dining and as soon as the small plates come out one could almost be convinced they were in Tokyo. The first plate of Sashimi Kingfish was brilliantly plated almost looking like a mini Opera house. The fish was ultra fresh and high grade, definitely top class and certainly not arrowroot biscuit plain!


Yakitori - Chicken Balls & Chicken

Chicken yakitori is also another favourite of mine, one of my enduring memories of Japan is yakitori in Ginza and while not overly complex to cook, I am often disappointed by local yakitori. Sakana-Ya nails it, in fact I could have stuck with the sashimi and yakitori all night and left a very happy man.


L: Kingfish in Soy & Mirin
R: Tempura Crab

Fortunately for me though my fellow diners wanted to try the Kingfish in soy and mirin, another smash, the subtle sweet/salt of the sauce matched the fish and delivered perfect balance. The crab tempura was a treat with the lightly battered and perfectly cooked claws delighting all.

Sakana-Ya - An excellent Japanese dining experience and given the number of ex-pats in the room, I suspect the owners are quite happy flying under the radar and sticking with near flawless Japanese cooking at a reasonable price.

Sakana-Ya - 13.5/20