In case you ever get Dumpling Burnout in Ashfield, it’s good to know that there’s an alternative to jiaozi and wontons on Liverpool Road. A new Japanese place has opened and I sure hope it has a longer survival rate than the previous sushi and udon eatery that sprung up (and just as quickly vanished).
Called L & J Japanese restaurant, it doesn’t depart wildly from the suburban Japanese template, but I did enjoy the ice-chilled soba, ready for dipping into a shallot and wasabi-spiked broth. It’s incredibly simple, with zero trickery, but that’s what I like about it. Something that stripped-back still contains a little punch.
And if you’re really struck by painful Dumpling Withdrawal, I suppose you could always ask for some gyoza.
L & J Japanese Restaurant, 222 Liverpool Road, Ashfield NSW (02) 9716 0021
Tags: Ashfield, Japanese, L and J Japanese Restaurant
Oh good to know! My husband will be pleased. Shall check it out very soon.
Did you go last night? We went up to Croydon’s ‘The Strand’, to the Japanese resto there: Tokyo Syokudo. It’s really good!
Thanks for the comments!
Deborah, hope it passes the test! I’d be hugely curious to know what your hub thinks & what the rest of the menu’s like. I mainly had the soba (there’s not a huge amount of vego) but really liked it. Someone just tweeted to say the ikat tempura is a ace!
Angie, yes, I went last night! Thanks for the Croydon tip. I used to live right near The Strand. Time to revisit! Apparently one of Tokyo Syokudo chefs used to be at Jimmy Lik’s?
Oh, wow, that’s interesting! It’s a tiny place, often full on Fri/Sat nights, we went on one of their very first days and thought it was decent, but we really thoroughly enjoyed it this time around (some six months or more, later).
There’s something so satisfying about cold soba and dipping sauce, I always feel healthier afterwards… definitely tagging this place 🙂
We went to L&J a few days after I posted my earlier comment. We ordered to go; kobe beef, two sushi rolls, agadashi tofu (decent) and the salmon salad (decent), but it left me slightly dissapointed. I suppose we have such good options out there that the average spots just end up not so great.
It seems like they may be sorting things out, so will try it again to be sure.
On the flip side we still have love for Tokyo Syokudo (love the tokyo shock roll!) and there is a new Japanese resto opening up in Ashfield called Sakura, opposite The Ashfield Hotel.
Hey Deborah, sorry to hear you were disappointed by L&J. As I said, it doesn’t depart too radically from the suburban Japanese template; my favourite is actually the cold soba dish (as long as you don’t tip in too much of the chilli/wasabi, ouch!).
I definitely have to check out Tokyo Syokudo and yes, I saw that Sakura is open. The menu looks interesting, it even has a legit vegie ramen. Yes!