Kosho Exhibition is a Japanese fusion restaurant, which combines global cuisines to take you on a journey through some of the most beautiful flavours and textures. The dim lit, comfortable and spacious restaurant located on O’Connell Street is a must try for any food lover.

Kosho Exhibition treated us to a feast of incredible dishes. Here’s what we had:

Miso Eggplant, Blue Cheese Gratin, Tomato Marmalade
I have always been a huge fan of baked eggplant with a sauce, usually hoisin. The miso worked just as well, as it was light and did not over bear any other flavours. The addition of the blue cheese is one of the best combinations ever, and it magically works with the subtle eggplant. The tomato marmalade was not too over bearing and gave the dish a sweet addition.

Kingfish Sashimi, Miso Cured, Yuzu, Soy and Wasabi
Kingfish is known to be quite a subtle fish, especially when served raw. It melted in your mouth and swished around aimlsy with the soy and wasabi. The spicy sauce was a hit option as it gave the fish an extra layer of flavour. This is a fantastic appetiser to have after an entrée, as it will cleanse your taste buds ready for your main.

Crispy Prawns, Bonito
To me this dish tasted like a take on sweet and sour pork, but using prawns instead. The prawns had an incredibly crispy outside and a soft and subtle fishy inside. Every bite you took was crunchy and delicious and highly addictive. The bonito on top added a salty element and worked well with the drizzle of lemon.

Chicken Yakitori
You can’t go wrong with chicken yakitori. I loved the thick teriyaki sauce slathered over the juicy chicken. The teriyaki helped to keep the chicken moist, pulling off the skewers effortlessly. In this type of dish it is important not to char grill the chicken too much and over cook it.

Duck Gyoza, Sichimi, Ponzu
These gyoza were very simple, but tasty and nourishing. The crunchy outside of the dumpling were cooked well, and the duck on the inside was very flavoursome. The tart ponzu sauce helped to give the dish another dimension of flavour, with the sichimi giving the dish some spice.

Charred Squid, Lime, Cheese
This dish is incredibly simple, but produces a lot of bold flavours. The slightly spicy relish sauce paired well with the light char of the squid. Sometimes char can be incredibly over bearing, but this was cooked perfectly. The sauce complimented the cook of the squid and the drizzle of lemon gave the dish a citrus twist.

Confit Mushroom Medley, Truffle Sukiyaki, Sous Vide Egg
Runny egg yolk is one of my favourite things to eat. I especially love it when it is stirred through noodles or any other variety of food. This mushroom medley produced a combination of Asian style mushrooms, with a range of textures and consistencies. The runny sous vide egg drizzled beautifully over the mushroom and I thoroughly enjoyed the flavours and consistencies in this dish.

Chargrilled King Prawn, Garlic and Pink Peppercorn Butter Sauce, Nori
What I enjoy so much about this restaurant is the simplicity of the dishes, but with maximum flavour. The chargrilled king prawns is an example of a simple plate that has been executed well. The yellow butter sauce complimented the fishy prawn with its subtle garlic flavour. The nori crunch gave the dish a little bit of texture.

Teriyaki Salmon, Wakame Mash Potato, Pickled Sichimi Red Cabbage
This was some of the most well-cooked salmon I have come across. The fish had been seared ever so slightly on both sides with an incredibly light pink middle. The mash was subtle but worked well with the pink fish. The tangy pickles were what gave the dish a bold intensity. A well thought out and perfectly executed dish.

Chargrilled Chicken Thigh, Pearl Cous Cous, Edamame, Pomegranate
The chicken, was charred ever so slightly and the light chook radiated through the dish. I absolutely loved the edamame and pearl combination and I think this could be served singularly as a vegetarian option. I enjoy the texture of both the grains and vegetable, paired with the sauce, and the sweet pomegranate element.

Chargrilled Sirloin Steak, Miso, Garlic and Chive Butter Sauce
This was my favourite dish of the night. I could not stop eating each and every piece as it was so flavoursome. It was incredibly salty and garlicy but in the best way possible. The beautiful crunchy greens worked well with bold flavours, and it became addicted as the flavour was unlike anything else.

Lemon and Yuzu Souffle, Vanilla Ice-Cream
We couldn’t end our feast without trying two of their signature desserts. This souffle was light, fluffy and everything you could ever want. The vanilla ice-cream paired well with the light lemon and yuzu combination. A great dessert to end the meal with, as not to heavy and sickly.

Chocolate Bomb: Hazelnut Ice-Cream and Chocolate Sauce
A super cool and fun dessert. As you pour the chocolate sauce over the ball, it melts the perfectly shaped sphere. Inside you find a creamy hazelnut ice-cream. The chocolate, chocolate sauce and ice-cream created a flavour explosion in your mouth.

Thank you to the team at Kosho Exhibition for having us along. We thoroughly enjoy the time we had at your restaurant. We recommend it to anyone who enjoys Japanese food with a twist.

Words by Tomika Salerno

WHERE: 26 O’Connell St, North Adelaide