Sydney Social 101 was invited to visit the newly opened Smokkim Modern Kitchen in Ryde last night, and as an avid lover of Asian Fusion to say I was excited would be quite an understatement. Upon arrival we were greeted by warm surroundings and friendly wait staff to be seated for 13 courses of Korean Barbeque Cuisine.
The menu included traditional Korean flavours such as; pickled vegetables, chili, soy and sesame fused with thyme, rosemary and aged Wagyu to add a modern Western twist. After ordering the Grill Bar Degustation we were seated on the bench over the grill where we could salivate with delight as our personal chef for the evening, Jay, prepared dishes before us.
The Head Chef – James Son, and Jay are Korean but their gastronomic expertise range from Japanese, to French, Italian, German and of course, Australian. Though Smokkim doesn’t stop there, the Modern Kitchen plans to change their menu with the seasons ensuring not only the freshest of ingredients but also a higher level of sustainability. This was reflected in the sweet and thick pumpkin soup that was promptly followed by grilled Barramundi, then beef tare tare with pear salad.
Pickled vegetables and Kimchi soon followed in preparation of four different cuts of Wagyu (40 day aged sirloin, 28 day aged oyster blade, tongue and short rib), all grilled right in front of our plates. After growing up on a Wagyu farm I can safely say that this is some of the best Beef I have ever had. The degustation finished with Bibimbab and two desserts; Green Tea panna cotta and rice wine sorbet, which were perfectly refreshing after such a feast.
Overall, the evening was a great experience full of fresh ingredients and five star hospitality. This is somewhere I will be taking my friends and family when they visit Sydney and I’ll highly recommend to anyone that they do the same.
http://www.smokkim.com.au/dining
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