MASA Japanese Restaurant, Sylvania

Dinner at MASA Japanese Restaurant on 17/11/2010.

We booked for a table for two at 6.30 pm. We arrived on time, and Mrs Shinji said we could have the table by the window (near the main door) or we could be seated at a table inside. We chose the one inside.

There were already three tables occupied, and phone was busy with calls for more bookings for that evening. They also had a new helper, a middle age Japanese woman. From the looks of it, she's new as Mrs Shinji would inconspiciously showed her what needs to be done, from giving us the menu to taking drink orders. Mrs Shinji is still the one taking the meal orders.

We ordered from the special menu of the day as well as from the standard menu. We had seared salmon sashimi with crusted black sesame and tuna sashimi. We also ordered deep fried calamari, soft shell crab, prawn tempura, salmon and tuna sushi, miso soup and some rice.

Kevin had a beer and we both had some green tea as well. As for dessert, we shared a Green tea ice cream.

We felt really special when Chef Shinji came out to serve the meal himself. He would chat with his customers and shared a joke or two. At one point, he was showing us how the tuna sashimi should be eaten by wrapping it with a kind of mint leave that was served on the side of the dish. He is always making sure that we enjoyed the cuisine.

Total cost = $109.

Verdict: As usual, outstanding!