Shira Nui

247 Springvale Rd
Glen Waverley 3150 VIC Phone: (03) 9886 7755

A few weeks ago Chloe had asked everyone in our group if we wanted to dine at Shira Nui together. Out of the 10+ people in our circle of friends, it ended up that only 4 of us went. Too bad for the others really, it really was worth the 35 minute drive down to Glen Waverly! (Yeah I know I shouldn't complain, country restaurants are even further away!)

So I picked up Kaelyn on the way and we made our way down to The Glen. So what did we learn tonight... we learnt that we should never trust Chloes directions. We walked a block around The Glen looking for Shira Nui according to what Chloe had told us, only to find the restaurant a few steps from where we had initially parked. Thanks Chloe!


This was my first visit to Shira Nui and my first impression was that the place is tiny - seating no more than 40 people (at least it says 40 according to The Age Good Food Guide, seemed more like 30 max though). The whole night, there were people coming in and out of the door hopeful to grab a seat without a reservation, only to hear that the place was fully booked. Just a heads up, if you want to go to Shira Nui, be sure to make a reservation. They ran 2 shifts last night and both were full!


On the night we decided to order the Omakase which is only available to customers seated along the counter. The menu is left up to the chef who provides you 2 servings of each type. If you have any food allergies (like myself) they are able to tailor your menu towards that. The minimum charge is $30 per person, but you can pretty much eat till you're satisfied or until your time is up. So another warning, if you plan to eat a lot. Make sure all your friends arrive on time, because you're limited to the shift hours.

APPETIZER

Deep Fried Fish with pickled onions, carrots, red and green peppers

OMAKASE

King Dory with Lemon and Salt (no soy needed)

Pan-Fried Salmon medium rare (no soy needed)

Unagi Hako Zushi (no soy needed)
Sadly we didn't get to try this dish, Unagi is one of my favourites though. Next time I'll definitely request it.

Battera marinated fresh mackeral and sweet clear seaweed (with soy)

I thought this was probably one of the more unique pieces that they offered, it was a combination that I hadn't tried before. The sweetness of the seaweed really helped reduce the saltiness of the marinated fresh mackarel and the extra soy sauce. I'd give it 2 thumbs up!

Yaki Niku rare special barbeque beef sushi (no soy needed)
I think the photo pretty much says it all, it made me salivate.

Red Clam (with soy)

I was actually pleasantly surprised by the Red Clam nigiri. The texture of the red clam in your mouth was not only silky smooth but also had a nice crispiness when you bit into it.

Maguro Steak rare pan-fried tuna (no soy needed)

Tuna tartare with flying fish roe (with soy)
I told Chloe I'd give her a special mention. Speedy had asked Chloe what this was, and Chloe had described it as "some fish with crab eggs on the top". At least she tried I guess?
King fish belly marinated (no soy needed)

Grilled Oyster in mayonnaise (no soy needed)


COMPLIMENTARY DESSERT

Aoshiso SorbetThis sorbet, has to be one of the best I've ever had. It was just something new, fresh and was really cleansing for the palette. There were also a few bits of fruit in there which really gave it that extra punch!
Some random facts: Aoshiso (Perilla) is from the mint family, it's actually really good for you. The green leaf that you see very often laid on your sushi plate, yep that's Aoshiso.

All in all, it was an enjoyable meal, next time I know which ones I'm definitely requesting over others, if that is even possible.

Stand outs:

• Battera
• Yaki Niku
• Red Clam

Others worth mentioning but were not as awesome as the others would be, the Pan-Fried Salmon and the Tuna tartare.

Pricing: Our meal came up to a total of $80 each
Overall Score - Fine Dining: 15/20

• Food: 8/10
• Service: 4/5
• Venue: 3/5

Other Useful Information

• Your Restaurants
• The Age Epicure (May 22, 2007)
• The Age Good Food Guide 2009 - Score: 14.5/20
• Blog Reviews: Tummy Rumbles (May 17, 2007)