I’m a huge Dragon Ball Z fan. It might not be the greatest anime of all time but it is easily my favourite. I watched it religiously growing up. It taught me so many lessons that I still carry with me to this day; the power of hard work, how your will can push you to the next limit and how exactly not to be a father.
Seriously, Goku might be the worst father figure in the history of fiction (I could write 15,000 words on how Goku is the most overrated hero of all time but I don’t think anyone would want to read that).
It also taught me the power of teamwork. During the Buu saga, Goku introduced a new technique to all the Z warriors: Fusion. Two heroes of equal power levels could fuse and become more powerful than the sum of its parts.
All of this was going through my head as I dined at one of Sydney’s finest fusion restaurants: Sokyo at the Star in Pyrmont.
According to multiple sources (ketchup, bbq and aioli), Sokyo has quickly established itself as one of Sydney’s premier fusion restaurants. I’ve been here once before but this was pre-iFat so it doesn’t count.
I actually did my homework prior to my second visit as opposed to leaving it up to the fates. Shout outs to my homies Philsosophy and I’m Still Hungry for providing cheat sheets.
Here’s my first answer to my self imposed exam:
This dish was quite majestic. I would definitely have served it up to any heads of state who happened to be attending a dinner party held at my palace aka my home aka the bachelor pad aka the place that’s only ever visited by one female named my mother.
…what was I talking about again?
Right, kingfish! The kingfish was had a regal quality to it. Ok, I’ll stop.
It was a really light way to start our meal, I loved the tangy citrus kick that it provided. The crispy potato fragments were also a major plus. Every bite was just a great mix of textures and awesome flavours.
The yuzu honey that bathed the fat & tender scallops was extremely subtle. I’ve had my fair share of honeys, I mean honey, in my life and this was definitely on the lower end of the sweet spectrum. This actually worked in conjunction with the natural sweetness of the scallops. I gobbled one up with the tomato as well and that took it to another level like rare candies.
Fat pork belly is my kryptonite along with cute Asian girls who like cricket. The star of this dish was the wasabi mayo with a dash of black pepper. It’s creaminess accentuated the fat of the pork and the daikon. Individual bites of pork and daikon were awesome but simultaneous bites of both at once reminded you why Goten & Trunks were way better together than they were apart.
Good tempura is pretty commonplace. It’s hard to screw up deep frying unless you’re a young, impressionable Chinese kid that believed his sister and thought deep frying involved sitting on something for an extended period of time.
However, superlative tempura is extremely rare and hard to find. Fortunately for me, I found some at Sokyo. The red snapper tempura was out of this world. The tempura batter was immaculate and remained crispy even after I marinated a piece in the vinegar (which was also ridiculous). The snapper within the batter was also flaky and delicious.
This would’ve easily been my favourite dish of the night if not for the next two offerings (yes, there’s more).
Amazing. Absolutely amazing.
This dish was the opposite of a natural disaster. Every piece of miso cod was the cool side of the pillow. Flaking pieces away and popping them into my mouth was the culinary equivalent of hitting a game winning shot in the NBA finals and going home to celebrate with Anna Kendrick and Emma Watson.
Describe the dish? What do you think I just did?
The caramelised nature of the dish actually balanced out miso’s usually dominant flavour. The way the fish flaked away reminded me of how I used to repel girls away before I discovered deodorant. Oh, it also had the melt in your mouth attribute usually reserved for wagyu beef.
How does this happen? Did anyone take a close look at the menu of the chefs I posted earlier? Was that just a Mensa class of 2014 photo?
This is the one dish I decided to order a second time. You know what’s crazier than the amount of rhetorical questions I’ve posted in this blog? This dish was actually better than I remember.
That’s an incredibly rare phenomenon. Nostalgia is the greatest condiment ever invented. My memories tend to build something up to levels that are impossible to match. It’s almost Gatsby-esque.
And yet, this tuna served to be my Daisy. The fatty tuna based in hot sauce was sublime. I didn’t even get mad as the crispy rice stuck to my teeth because I didn’t want it to leave my body.
Yeah, I’m clingy.
***
Here’s the TL;DR for everyone else who wanted to dye their hair purple cause of Trunks
– I could also write 15,000 words on how Ash Ketchum was an awful Pokemon trainer
– Who knew doing your homework had tangible benefits?
– If you go to Sokyo and don’t order the miso cod and crispy tuna, I volunteer myself as tribute to go back with you.
Sokyo at the Star, Pyrmont
Level G, the Darling, the Star.
80 Pyrmont Street
Opening Hours:
Monday – Wednesday
5:30pm-9:30pm
Thursday
5:30pm-10:30pm
Friday
12:00pm-2:30pm, 5:30pm-10:30pm
Saturday
5:30pm-10:30pm
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please write the 15000 words on Ash being the worst trainer, I’d actually read it! xD
That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me.
I must admit I clicked on because you mentioned DBZ lol. Pork belly looks delicious. And agreed ash will never be a master XD
Hahaha I’ll keep in mind to include more anime references in my future posts. Cheers!
one of my favourite japanese joints, the pork sashimi and wagyu steak is delicious
Duly noted for Sokyo Part (II)!
Ooft, now those are some strong, true words. I love this place, can’t wait to be back. It’s time for exam round 2.
I would also like to retake the exam!
I’ve been wanting to go there for so long!!! It’s now gone up on my ‘Eat’ List.
It’s amazing! I’m surprised you haven’t been there already!
Sokyo is always a winner. I love miso cod and that tuna looks incredible!
It really is! I’d have it daily if I could.
Hahaha Love Goku but he is indeed the worst father in Anime/Manga history! Also, DBZ has also thought me that you could reach super saiyajin level if you do heaps of push ups. I can’t believe I haven’t been to Sokyo as it’s so next level like that Kurobuta pork belly.
Easily, he’s the anti father of the year.
Excuse me whilst I do some push ups.