FRIDAY 13TH FEBRUARY 2015
HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY JAR-FED !!
Exactly one year ago Elaine and Myself started on the culinary journey of Melbourne that is Jar-Fed! We thought it would be great to celebrate at the restaurant where the idea begun. One hot summers day in January 2014 we went to the beach after work, followed by dinner, which was our usual approach to coping with 35 plus degrees! This night we went to Mr. Miyagi on Chapel Street.
We discussed the diversity of Melbourne’s food scene and the idea grew into what we now call Jar Fed! We purposely left Mr. Miyagi out of the jar so we could celebrate our first anniversary there, with some friends who had been supportive along the way!
Mr. Miyagi is at the Windsor end of Chapel Street, they offer a walk in table service or for groups of 1-5 who like a nanna dinner you can book from 5.30PM-6.30PM. There are also some really cool booths which can be booked for 6 people or more if you want a secure table! The place has a really cool vibe, the colour scheme is quite dark with some bright neon features, which really grabs your attention as you walk past on Chapel Street.
ROUND 1
#MRMSAYS MAN WITH ONE CHOPSTICK GO HUNGRY
Edamame – blow-torched soy beans with shiso salt
Classic Japanese starter.
#12 – Green Tea Soba Noodle Salad – green tea soba noodles, sesame dressing, edamame, crisp vegetables
Nobody was sure about this dish when it was rolled. It wasn’t something any of us would usually order but it was a nice surprise, the flavour combination was amazing, it was fresh and crisp and absolutely something we would all order again! A great share plate to have with a combination of other dishes!
Usually Score Order
Order? /10 Again?
E No 8 Yes
B No 9 Yes
K No 7 Yes
Sc No 8 Yes
O No 7 Yes
D No 8 Yes
Sa No 7 Yes
#15 – Wagyu Beef Tataki – seared 7+ wagyu, shredded carrot, garlic crisps, ponzu macerated cucumber
The Wagyu Tataki was a dish more of us were familiar with, I for one would certainly order it at Japanese. However this was a bit of a flavour let down, there was no wow factor, no explosion on our taste buds, it was to put simply, bland. Unfortunately its just missing something to take it to the next level and with plenty of other amazing taste sensations on the menu, we feel that this is a dish you could easily skip.
Usually Score Order
Order? /10 Again?
E No 7 No
B Yes 5 No
K No 5 No
Sc Yes 6 No
O Yes 5 No
D Yes 7 No
Sa No 6 No
#4 Tonkatsu Pork – crumbed pork goodness, chardonnay pickled pear, celeriac and apple salad
Our guests each rolled a choice of dish for the night, so when this was chosen, I marked it off without actually paying too much attention to what it actually was! So when it arrived at our table I was pleasantly surprised. They looked amazing as described crumbed pork goodness.
The pork inside was very tasty and tender and would have been delicious on its own, however having the picked pear, celeraic and apple salad on top just took them to the next level of YUM! It was a fantastic combination of flavours.
Usually Score Order
Order? /10 Again?
E Yes 9 Yes
B No 8 Yes
K Yes 8 Yes
Sc Yes 7 Yes
O Yes 9 Yes
D No 7 No
Sa Yes 8 Yes
#7 – Hickory Smoked Quail – charred miso glaze, Japanese potato salad, quail egg, crispy bacon
This was a fantastic roll, quail is not something any of us would usually order and it is also not something found on every menu, as Jar Fed is about being open to new experiences it was great to get something so different. The challenge here was to share 1 quail between 7 people!
We divided it out and all had a small taste! The quail had an amazing smokey flavour and I’m not usually the biggest fan of smokey, but the combination of the meat and the glaze and the potato salad was delicious! We will of course have to go back and have more! For future reference probably a dish that would be best shared between 2, maybe 3 people max. Quails aren’t very big!
Usually Score Order
Order? /10 Again?
E No 7 Yes
B No 9 Yes
K No 7 Yes
Sc No 7 No*
O No 8 Yes
D No 8 Yes
Sa No 6 Yes
*Dish was too small, they don’t breed jumbo quails, sorry scotty!
#6 – Miyagi Fried Chicken – shichimi pepper
Fried chicken is generally always going to be a winner! We didn’t actually roll for this dish, we had previously tasted it at the night noodle market festival and it was a hit! So we put this down as a must have.
What makes this chicken so delicious is not only the shichimi pepper coating but the dipping sauce! They compliment each other so well. The way it is presented in a little takeaway box is also really quirky and cool, just adds to the ambiance of the night.
Usually Score Order
Order? /10 Again?
E Yes 8.5 Yes
B Yes 8 Yes
K Yes 9 Yes
Sc Yes 8 Yes
O Yes 7 Yes
D Yes 6 No
Sa Yes 5 No
Ikuman Steamed Pork Bao – bao bun, pulled pork of 12 hours, pickled green mango, cucumber, ginger, korean BBQ sauce
After getting through all our rolled menu choices, some people at the table were still a little peckish, so we asked our waiter for some recommendations. The consensus was to try the pork bao!
It was a massive hit, with some people suggesting we had left the best until last! It was a great end to the meal with smiles all around the table. Elaine thought it was the best bao she had ever eaten! The pork was amazingly tender and had a great little kick to it, Scotty commented on how tender it was and then he looked at the menu and saw it was cooked for 12 hours, which explains it! It melted in your mouth! my bun was a tad dry, but everyone else’s seemed to be light and fluffy.
Usually Score Order
Order? /10 Again?
E Yes 10 Yes
B Yes 8 Yes
K Yes 9 Yes
Sc Yes 9.5 Yes
O Yes 9 Yes
D Yes 10 Yes
Sa Yes 9 Yes
ROUND 2
SHARE OR DON’T
#1 – Nigiri & Sashimi Combo
They have a Nigiri platter and a Sashimi platter but I think it worked out nicely that we rolled number 1 and got the combination, so we could try both! This is the large platter which is 21 pieces, although there were a few sneaky extra pieces on there, which of course we didn’t mind!
This is a great dish for a group of people because there is such a variety, there should be at least something everybody would like (seafood eaters obviously!) The fish was fresh and excellently presented.
Usually Score Order
Order? /10 Again?
E No 7.5 Yes
B Yes 8 Yes
K Yes 7 Yes
Sc Yes 7 Yes
O No 7 Yes
D No 6 No
Sa Yes 8 Yes
FINISH HIM
THIS STORY HAS A SWEET ENDING
Mr. Miyagi has 3 desserts on offer, abocha pumpkin toast, cheesecake and doughnuts two ways. By the time we reached dessert and with only 3 options we decided to trust our waiters opinion and let him help us choose from the most popular.
Abocha Pumpkin Toast – white chocolate and pumpkin ganache, honeycomb, yoghurt sorbet and pumpkin ice-cream
The abocha pumpkin toast has apparently been on the menu since Mr. Miyagi opened its doors 16 months ago and like our waiter said, with good reason! It was unique and delicious, all the components worked together, it reminded me a little of a sticky date pudding. I think we would have all been scared off by the pumpkin in the title as it was a dish that none of us would normally order but after trying it would absolutely get it again!
Usually Score Order
Order? /10 Again?
E No 10 Yes
B No 8 Yes
K No 7 Yes
Sc No 8 Yes
O No 8 Yes
Sa No 10 Yes
Doughnuts – classic apple cinnamon jam with pistachio and ginger bread ice creams
Mr. Miyagi offers two types of doughnuts classic apple cinnamon and chocolate. We decided to try the apple cinnamon, even though in hindsight most of us would usually order the chocolate doughnuts! They were a lot larger than I expected, which did make them great for a share dessert. I personally loved the ginger bread ice cream, I would absolutely have that again, it was so different! The doughnuts themselves were yum but not more exciting than a regular cinnamon doughnut.
Usually Score Order
Order? /10 Again?
E Yes 5.5 No
B Yes 7 Yes
K Yes 7 Yes
Sc No 6 Yes
O No 5 No
Sa No 6 No
We booked a booth for our Jar-Fed anniversary which is perfect for 6-8 people situated at the back of the restaurant they are private and away from the hustle and bustle. It was a busy friday night so having a booking helped us beat the crowds!
Mr. Miyagi’s menu is suited to groups, you want to be able to go and try a variety of dishes and with 6-8 people it is very affordable, We went with 7 people and had a feast and were shocked when the bill came and it was $34 each !! Our jaws dropped and someone joked that we should up our scores to 9.5/10 ! They do offer a banquet for 2-5 people which is $55 which would be a fantastic way to sample the menu for smaller groups.
The staff were amazing, on both occassions I have been they have known the menu inside and out! The menu can be overwhelming for people unfamiliar with Japanese so it is a good idea to let the staff choose some favourites and take the stress out of your hands!
If you are out and about on Chapel Street, Elaine and Myself and our 5 guests (Sarah, Dean, Oisin, Scott & Kaz) would definitely recommend a stop at Mr. Miyagi for a delicious meal!
Overall Back
Score /10 Soon?
Elaine 9 Absolutely!
Bez 9 Absolutely!
Kaz 9 Absolutely!
Scott 9 Absolutely!
Oisin 8.8 Absolutely!
Dean 9 Absolutely!
Sarah 9 Absolutely!
Price: Seven Share Plates, One Nigiri & Sashimi Plate, Two Desserts
Total – $236 (Seven People) – $34 per person
Edamame- $5.00
Soba Noodle Salad- $18.00
Wagyu Beef Tataki- $26.00
Tonkatsu Pork- $15 for 3, $5 per extra
Quail- $18.00
MFC – $20.00
Pork Bao – $22.00 per serve
Nigiri & Sashimi Combo – $45.00
Pumpkin Toast – $15.00
Doughnuts – $15.00
Banquet is $55PP – min of 2 max of 5 people
We would like to thank our guests, Sarah, Dean, Scott, Kaz and Oisin for joining us in Jar-Feds one year anniversary! We had a fabulous night and look forward to the year ahead!
E & B xx
