Bay Nine Omakase (Sydney)

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Before reading ❗️

The details 📝

We wanted to wrap up our June 2022 Sydney trip with dinner at an omakase restaurant (we travelled with some close friends which we met while working at Nobu). Compared to Perth, there's a plethora of omakase options in Sydney, most likely because of the larger population of Japanese residing in Sydney. Having said that, and despite discovering a bunch of omakase restaurants in Sydney via Instagram, it was still a little hard to decide on where to go. Sydneysiders are sure spoilt for choice!

A big thank you to Michael from @imstillhungry for giving us a list of omakase recommendations (we have many more places we want to check out next time we're in town)! Check out his full-time eating his Instagram, or detailed reviews on his website.

As you probably figured out, we ended up deciding on Bay Nine - a newer contender in Sydney's omakase scene that offers a more contemporary approach to omakase.

As we wanted something a little bit more contemporary, rather than something more traditional like edomae style omakase, Bay Nine was a no brainer.

Bay Nine exclusively serves an 11 course omakase curated by Bay Nine's head chefs, as well as a 8 course set menu served table-side on the main floor.

We love anything with simple, wooden tones (we wouldn't be lying if this is our aesthetic for our house), so naturally, we loved the interior.

Course 1 to 3 - Negitoro tartare, yellowtail tataki & Tasmanian sea urchin

Chef Yul Kim (ex-Sushi E) was in charge for the night. Fun-fact: in Japanese restaurants, the most senior chef typically stands / works closest to the door. Produce was fresh. As expected for the $215pp price tag (not uncommon for Sydney's omakase scene, while nearly unheard of in Perth - with Nobu's $200+ omakase coming closest).

From the trio, or santenmori (serve of three appetisers) the favourites were the negitoro tartare and the Tasmanian sea urchin. The negitori paired with ikura and the classic uni black caviar combo, can't be beat for decadence.

Course 4 - Aburi scampi

We loved the jalapeno and spicy miso, both giving a bit of heat (almost reminiscent of Chef Nobu Matsuhisa and his use of jalapeno).

Course 5 - Paradise prawn salad

Again, fresh produce. Sweet prawns. A bit of crunch from the deep fried quinoa.

Course 6 - Akoya oyster tempura

Beautiful iridescence on the oyster shell.

Course 7 - Toothfish with three miso paste

We like to do our due diligence before checking out any restaurants. The toothfish was probably the one we were least looking forward to - due to it's resemblance to Chef Nobu Matsuhisa's famous black cod miso (something we've been fortunate enough to eat, many times, for obvious reasons).

Needless to say, although flavours were reminiscent, we enjoyed this more than expected. We appreciated the tartness of the sauce which cut through the otherwise rich miso.

Course 8 - MBS7 wagyu

Our least favourite course was the MBS7 wagyu. Higher on the marbling scale, yes, but we felt the room temperature way it was served didn't do justice to the fatty, marbled meat.

Fun fact: These wagyu cows were given a diet which consisted of 30% dark chocolate.

Course 9 - Nigiri

The final, "main" course before dessert was a nine piece extravaganza of nigiri. Each piece is served with a hint of wasabi - just enough for you to know it's there.

The wasabi is freshly grated and is sourced from Tasmania. Real wasabi has a less spicy type of flavour compared to your typical wasabi at most Japanese restaurants (freshly grated wasabi is a rare sight even at higher end Japanese restaurants).

To start, the leanest cut of tuna known as akami.

Next up, chutoro. Although otoro (the fattiest cut of tuna)  is many times more expensive than its leaner counterpart, we've found it a little sinewy at times. For that reason, the chutoro ranked as one of our favourite pieces of nigiri for the evening.

We enjoy the less sinewy nature of chutoro over otoro, making it out our preferred slice of tuna.

The most expensive cut of tuna - the tuna belly, known as otoro.

In-house made ginger is served on the side. Be sure to cleanse your palate with it, between each course of nigiri.

Gloriously glossy sand whiting.

The Hokkaido hotate - another one of our favourites.

Course 10 - fish bone miso soup

Towards the end of the nigiri the fish bone miso soup was served. On the side came a delicately laced yuba tuille, which doubled as a stirring implement.

Palate cleanser - lychee sakura dragonfruit

A refreshing way to cleanse our palate before the final course.

Course 11 - tofu marshmallow cheesecake

11 courses later and we were at the end.

To finish up, a very delicately made marshmallow cheesecake. We loved the crunchy, textural contrast from the kinako crumble.

The only drawbacks we'll comment on is around serving sizes and service. Serving sizes I felt ran a little petite - so you may need to top up with Makku or Makkudo (Japanese for Macca's, depending on if you live in Kansai or near Tokyo 😉). At the price point of $215pp, another niggling nitpick would be service related things regarding attentiveness (e.g. plates not being cleared within minutes of finishing the course).

Overall we enjoyed our experience and the modern and contemporary take on omakase.

Before visiting 🚙