Den Sushi Dining

4 Reviews on “Den Sushi Dining”

• Artforartssake

  FOOD TYPEJapaneseFOOD QUALITYMy wife and I dined on a chilly Sun eve in late June. We started off with a refreshing glass (290ml) of my fav Asahi Super Dry ($8) and a bottle of sparkling white ($9). For entrees, a bowl of spicy edamame ($6), a spinach salad with sesame dressing ($6) and a serve of steamed vegetable dumplings (four for $9). We followed that up with the chicken schnitzel ($16) with miso soup and rice (an extra $5 for the soup and rice, even though the menu said $3) and the teriyaki chicken balls (six balls for $10). Serving sizes were small, but food quality was first class. Every dish was a winner. The salad was fresh and nutritious, and the beans were warm and crunchy with a spicy flavour. They were nicely complemented by the soft, melt-in-your mouth dumplings with the veg filling. The chicken schnitzel was beautifully prepared with thin, layered slices of tasty, succulent chicken in a crispy batter, accompanied by a small salad with lettuce leaves, shredded cabbage and carrots and a sprinkling of corn. The teriyaki chicken balls were flavoursome and slightly chewy, and served with a dollop of creamy mayonnaise, a slice of lemon and a piece of lettuce. All the dishes are brought to the table piping hot, straight from the kitchen,on colourful serving bowls. We enjoyed it all, but could have done with a bit more.ATMOSPHEREThis is fairly utilitarian place, with white walls, tiled floors, wooden tables and upholstered chairs inside and rattan chairs outside. It has a rather grubby and tired look about it, especially the walls and doorways, and a coat of paint, to freshen it up, wouldnt go astray. In a nod to its location across the road from the water at Rose Bay, one wall, has been decorated with boat oars. You can sit inside or outside, but being winter we choose to sit inside, even though I noticed quite a number of people sitting outdoors, where the gas heaters and plastic faux walls seemed to keep them reasonably warm. When we arrived, just after 6pm, most tables were already occupied, so it had a lively and energetic atmosphere. Its not a huge place, but its nice to see a restaurant with a decent turnout for a change. although it has to be said that this area suffers from a dearth of acceptable eating places, this one, and the Indian next door, are probably the stand-out ones. SERVICEAbsolutely perfect and just the way I like it. Our booked table was ready and waiting for us, and our pretty, smiling waitress was polite, friendly and efficient. Orders were quickly taken and drinks, entrees and mains came out quickly and in the correct order. There are quite a number of staff on duty, all professional in their demeanour, conscientious and neatly turned out in white uniforms. They didnt miss a beat, so, despite the crowds, the place hummed like a well-oiled machine.COMFORTThe inside section, where we sat, is quite cramped with tables arranged almost right on top of each other. However, once settled in, we were quite comfy and warm. The upholstered chairs are firm and the table was easily able to accommodate all our dishes, although it should be said that we were only two and the table is designed for four. With four, it could be squash.MENUThe colourful menu is enclosed in plastic laminate, to keep it clean and hygienic and its easy to read in the bright lighting. However, the arrangement of the menu is a bit confusing with sections for a la carte, main, side dishes, salads, tempura etc. I cant quite see the difference between a la carte and main, for example, but here a la carte seems to indicate entrees, while some of the side dishes, such as the small salad (everything is small, so how small would small be?) could well be in the salads section.TOILETSThere is no signage within the restaurant, so I had to ask for directions. Once Id exited the back doorway, I did see a small sign on the wall pointing me in the right direction (but I was already on my way). Theres a single single unisex toilet with dirty walls, and a dirty door, but, the cubicle itself is quite large, clean and well provisioned. There are no hand towels, just an aging hand dryer that looks like its come straight out of the 1980s and is completely useless for drying hands, unless youre prepared to wait half an hour for the weak stream of lukewarm air to do the job. Like the rest of this place, the toilets could also do with a lick of paint and a new modern hand dryer.ACOUSTICSBeing quite full, and with tables packed fairly close to one another, this isnt the quietest venue. But fortunately for us, most other diners were well behaved, so we didnt have too much trouble conversing, although we could quite clearly hear the conversation from the tables next to us.COSTUnfortunately, we couldnt track down any discount deals for this place, its not in the Ent Book and doesn’t feature on sights like Dimmi, First Table or Eat Club, so we had to pay full price, which in this case was $67 for the two of us and that included two drinks, the edamame, dumplings, seaweed salad, chicken balls and chicken schnitzel. A tad expensive I thought given the small helpings. BOOKINGThis place is clearly popular with the locals, so booking is recommended especially for weekends.PARKINGD.S.D. is in a little cluster of three eateries and a laundry, on the corner of OSullivan and New South Head Roads, in that most beautiful of Sydney precincts, just across the road from the marina at Rose Bay. We found an easy park on OSullivan Rd, a few metres from the restaurant, where you can stay for two hours until 8pm after that, its unrestricted. Given the fast and efficient service, two hours is more than enough.SUMMARYWe had a pleasant meal here and it all went off smoothly. Service is efficient and polite, and the place has an air of professionalism about it, which youll notice the minute you walk in. Food is outstanding: Its fresh and tasty and with those subtle, understated Japanese flavours which weve come to love so much. Serving sizes are smallish, so you may need to order a few dishes unless you want to leave hungry. The ambience is casual and laid-back, although I did feel that the place could do with some renewal to modernise and brighten it up a bit. But despite that, and even the lack of discounts, well be back.MEMODont confuse this place with another very similar Japanese place, with a similar name called Sushi Dining Den, which is further up towards Watsons Bay at 97 New South Head Rd, Vaucluse.

  October 6, 2020, 12:51 pm

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• Coffeebrunchanddinner

  Sushi Den is a small little Japanese restaurant located on New South Head Road in Rose Bay overlooking the Harbour. While it doesnt look large from the outside there is plenty of seating once you enter the restaurant. All the dishes are reasonably priced and you can expect your standard Japanese fare from this restaurant, our suggestion is the schnitzel or teriyaki chicken udon. This and the fact that it is BYO and located overlooking an awesome view of the harbour (provided you are seated outside) means that this is a great place for quick and easy Japanese bites.

  December 7, 2016, 5:33 pm

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• Butternut Muncher

  Some really good sushi here, it’s just a shame about the prices climbing. I came here last night and whilst my sushi was delicious, I waited about 45 minutes for it to arrive. It came out the very last of all the dishes we ordered… Which was a disappointment. Other than that, it was great quality sushi and I really enjoyed it. I would recommend outdoor seating. Restaurant has a lovely Asian vibe about it.

  May 10, 2016, 2:13 pm

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• Nourishment Bowl

  Use to come here all the time then it got a tad too expensive. It’s very fresh sushi and the service is great but it’s not your average sushi place but more of a casual dining experience.

  February 2, 2016, 11:20 am

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