Adelaide Food Central and other guests were invited to attend the launch of the new Japanese fusion menu at Ginza Miyako. All food and beverages were provided on behalf of Ginza Miyako.

The first cocktail to start off the night was the Miyako Metropolitan. This consisted of Japanese Rice Shochu shaken with plum wine, lime juice and cranberry juice. Subtly sweet in flavour and very approachable. For me, it was almost like drinking cordial.

The Fried Oyster was served with a black rice risotto, sauteed red cabbage and tartare sauce. Inside the crunchy exterior was a delicate silky oyster centre. The risotto was well flavoured, soft and creamy, and the cabbage added a nice crunchy texture. Not the usual way I have oysters, but I’ll take it!

The Ginza Dream is a creamy sweet martini flavoured with Yuzu liquor and Galliano. This is simply an amazing cocktail and I could have had this all night. It was like drinking a liquid custard.

The Ocean Trout Confit was an orange cured trout that came with a fennel seaweed salad, carrot puree and wasabi sour cream. The trout was firm and slightly raw in the centre. The contrasting flavours complemented each other well as you had the crunchy texture from the salad, the natural sweetness from the puree and the subtle pungence from the wasabi sour cream.

The Ocean Paradise contained Ocean Shochu, Malibu Coconut Rum, Blue Curacao and lime juice. A very light and refreshing cocktail that is distinguished by its tropical ocean blue colour.

The Smoked Eel and Cream Cheese Sushi was very good. The cream cheese was soft and delicate, and it worked perfectly with the smokey flavours of the eel. The only problem was that I could have had a lot more.

The Bloody Geisha contained tomato juice, rice wine, lime juice, a dash of soy sauce and a pinch of wasabi. This drink has more of an acquired taste with a strong tomato flavour.

The Blue Fin Tuna, King Fish and Salmon Mix sushi brings together three commonly used maritime species. The silky smooth texture of the fish work perfectly with the firm individual grains of the sushi rice.

The Japanese Slipper contains Midori and Cointreau shaken with lemon juice. The drink was was subtly sweet and melony distinguished by its beautiful green colour.

The Slow Cooked Duck consisted of South Australian duck breast with mashed potato, lentil, beetroot puree and a citrus teriyaki sauce. Two words. Simply amazing! The duck was tender and succulent, and every bite was like I had died and gone to heaven. The beetroot puree had a lovely natural sweetness which was balanced by the subtly tart citrus teriyaki sauce.

The Maccha Margarita was made of Green Tea Plum Wine shaken with Tequila, Yuzu Liquor and lime juice. Surrounding the cocktail glass was the earthy bitter taste of Maccha green tea powder. Certainly not your conventional Margarita, but very drinkable none the less.

The Wagyu Scotch Fillet was chargrilled and served a mushroom mashed potato, seasonal vegetables, carrot puree and red wine Yuzu chilli sauce.

The beef was tender, succulent and cooked to perfection. It had a nice pinkish centre and you could taste the smokey flavours from the surface of the meat. The red wine chilli sauce wasn’t spicy at all but it complemented the beef well. The mashed potato was soft and creamy, while the vegetables were firm but well cooked.

For dessert, we had the Strawberry Mille Feuille. The Mille Feuille was filled with Marscapone cheese cream and served with a rhubarb ice cream and Japanese plum wine sauce.

The Marscapone was silky and smooth, and was complemented by the natural sweetness of the strawberries and the light flaky texture of the French pastry. The rhubarb ice cream was very tart and was well balanced by the sweetness of the plum wine sauce.

I’ve been to Ginza Miyako on many occasions and have been impressed every single time. Just when I thought they couldn’t get any better, I was blown away by the signature dishes from their new menu. Each dish was well thought out and perfectly executed. Combined with their Japanese inspired cocktails, you’re set for a real treat with every visit.

WHERE: Level 1, 150 North Tce, Adelaide