Beside the pond was a pretty little pavillion. It was nice to see more autumn colour too. I think it would be a perfect place for a garden wedding.
Tag Archives: japanese
A Rural Japanese Garden – Part 3
The garden had a water course running through the middle, with lilies, and small spring, and of course, a lovely red bridge. It’s lovely to watch and listen to the running water.
A Rural Japanese Garden – Part 2
The first thing that grabbed me when I stepped into the garden was the beautiful little Japanese maple in the foreground. The second was the uniqueness of the setting. Here was a Japanese garden, with meandering paths and gravel, bridge and water course, mounds and pavillions, right next to a typically Aussie paddock with grazing sheep.
It’s definitely something you don’t see everyday.
A Rural Japanese Garden – Part 1
We stayed at Wellington Caves. Not in the caves, but at the caravan park that was on site. Next to the caravan park was a little bit of an oddity – a Japanese Garden.
Wellington is twinned with the city of Osawano, in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. After googling, I found that the city is west of Nagano, near the west coast of Honshu.
Apart from Cowra, I didn’t know any other NSW country towns with a Japanese garden, so it will be interesting to explore this little place.
Favourite Feeds – Sushi
Another Japanese favourite. Sushi is actually just any little morsel that uses sushi rice – steamed Japanese short grain rice dressed with mirin. It’s the toppings that vary. Traditionally, the Japanese use raw seafood, vegetables (pickled or fresh), egg, or tofu. Now that sushi has gone completely global, anything goes.
Here is some homemade sushi, ‘California’ style: crabstick, omelette, cucumber, carrot. There is also an inari (tofu pouch filled with sushi rice).
A sushi platter I had in Tokyo – for breakfast, no less.
But best of all was the ginormous sushi and sashimi platter I shared at Masuya, Sydney.
Favourite Feeds – Takoyaki
And now for something a little more unusual. Takoyaki is a little Japanese snack of little balls made up of little octopus pieces with ginger and spring onions in a white sauce, fried in a purpose-built cast iron pan. They are actually very yummy, especially when served with salty dried bonito flakes, and Japanese barbecue sauce and mayonnaise. Really.
Favourite Feeds – Sushi and Sashimi
Remember the time when sushi wasn’t sold at every corner, when eating raw fish was out of the question for the average Aussie? I remember tasting my first sushi and sashimi in the early Nineties while in Japan on a short exchange program. While I liked my first taste of sushi, I didn’t really think sashimi was anything to write home about at the time. It was just simply texture with not much taste, I thought.
How times have changed. I wouldn’t say that I’m a sushi/sashimi fanatic, but I do appreciate the good stuff. I don’t eat it often either, because to be honest good sushi and sashimi is a rarity in Sydney. A good sushi should be freshly made, with the freshest fish, and served at room temperature. A good sashimi is even rarer because it requires not only the freshest fish, but also the skill of the chef to slice it so that the flesh melts in your mouth. Add a little wasabi/soy sauce and pickled ginger, and it instantly becomes a feast.
The bottom line is, good sushi/sashimi doesn’t come cheap, but it’s worth every penny when you’re presented with a platter like this.
Favourite Feeds – Teriyaki Salmon
It’s a wonder that I haven’t posted a Japanese dish yet because Japanese is one of my favourite cuisines. And it’s not all about raw fish or zany chefs throwing food at you. Remember that Japanese food is one of the most refined cuisines in the world. That said, Teriyaki Salmon isn’t refined. More… homely to me. Forget about the store-bought sauces. They’re not the real deal. You’ll get a more fresher, authentic sauce if you make it yourself. Strangely enough, this dish has a shorter ingredients list than a stir-fry. It consists of:
– soy sauce
– sugar
– rice wine vinegar
– mirin (a Japanese sweet rice wine available at most supermarkets)
Here’s a good recipe to follow.
Served with steamed rice and a few greens, you’ve got a super quick mid-week meal.
Masuya – Dessert
After that epic meal, it’s a wonder that we had room for dessert – but who doesn’t enjoy jelly and ice cream? This is a rather adult, decadent version of sake ice cream and plum wine jelly. Very different and refreshing.
Masuya – Beef
This was a rather interesting dish – Angus beef fillet topped with egg. Tasted pretty good though.
Static and Silence 