A birthday banquet : Lunch at Newcastle's Nagisa

I don't know why I asked Matt what he wanted to do for his birthday lunch because I really knew what the answer would be.  And I was pretty sure what his menu choices would be too.  
Lunch at Nagisa was indeed his choice.  It's our go to destination in Newcastle for every special occasion - and it's in walking distance of home.

As we arrived the staff apologised in advance as there would be a bit of a wait for meals - but we weren't in a hurry, it was a lovely sunny afternoon, and there was plenty to see.  People watching, watching cargo ships coming in empty and others leaving full, and of course checking out what other people were eating.  So Matt ordered a Yebisu Dark and I ordered a Veuve Ambal Brut Rose Cremant and we started our meal with some chilli edamame.  Someone once told me that soy beans were awfully good for you so I felt very virtuous!


Rarely can we skip the prawn tempura but this time we were quite restrained and only ordered four.  
Steaming hot with perfectly cooked traditional crisp batter and served with a lovely, gingery tentsuyu dipping sauce they make a perfect start to a meal eaten in sight of the river.  I think we've had the scallops with yuzu butter every time we've eaten here.  Served on the half shell today (on previous visit's they've been naked) with a little bit of honeydew melon, wasabi cream, and topped with a puree  of pear and radish, these succulent delights are matched with a dry sake that perfectly picks up the scent of the honeydew.  Luckily there's an option to upsize from the standard serving of three to four - and two cups of sake instead of one!  


Our second course was also based around seafood, but this time not cooked.  The sashimi selection was made up with the standard Aussie favourites of tuna, kingfish and salmon and we added fresh Tasmanian wasabi to the plate for a small additional charge.  The final course was smoked salmon and a real production.  I don't think I've had salmon this freshly smoked since last time we ordered this dish!

Presented under a cloche to
smoke the salmon while you watch

And watch you do as the smoke slowly clears

after just a few minutes you can almost see the delights ahead

Finally the big reveal!  Incredibly delicious.

It's described in the menu as Maple smoked sushi salmon slices, Yarra Valley salmon caviar, yuzu gel, chives, micro greens and a soy, ginger vinaigrette.  It's lovely, the smokey flavour is especially pronounced in the caviar.

With our second course we decided to have sake and the lovely waitress allowed us to try several before we made up our mind.  We selected the delightfully dry Jozen Mizunogotoshi and loved the jug and cups which were used to serve it - a very generous pour as the waitress kept pouring until the jug filled the first of the cups.  And we didn't spill a drop!

I also have to give the staff at Nagisa a shout out for how well stocked the ladies are - the emergency sanitary supplies discreetly placed next to the loos are something that more places should consider.

We decided to complete the afternoon with a stroll along the river and stopped to watch a game of waterpolo.  We may have speculated about how many dirty tricks a swimmer could get away with in water this murky (answer, a lot). 

A wonderful indulgent afternoon and a happy birthday to my beloved. 
(PS honey I was only joking, you're not REALLY older than Uncle Bulgaria).