Izakaya Fujiyama — Restaurant in Sydney

When I heard that a former chef from Bodega had decided to open a traditional Japanese izakaya, I thought for a moment that heaven had somehow crept into the everyday. It was within an Osakan izakaya that I fell in love with everything Japanese (especially the chindogu) and Bodega remains one of my favourite Sydney restaurants. Izakaya Fujiyama sounded about as far up my alley as anyone could go* and I’m still surprised it took me so long to visit, especially given how much I enjoyed the place.

The standout dish on the menu was Kenji’s Fried Chicken: the chef’s take on the stalwart of the Japanese beer snack, chicken karaage. The morsels were crispy on the outside, succulent in the middle, delicately spiced and utterly moreish with Kewpie mayonnaise the perfect accompaniment. I could safely dine on this alone as long as the Sapporo draft and Hop Yebisu kept flowing. Is there anything better than a dry, crisp beer and well-cooked fried chicken on a Friday night after a tough week at work? The life of a salaryman has its benefits, it seems.

Off the specials list, which was extensive, we indulged in teriyaki beef ribs that were richly flavoured although the meat didn’t fall off the bone quite like you would hope. It wasn’t a bad dish though. The fried Queensland calamari picked up where the karaage left off, lightly battered and bite-sized, and snacked upon between banter and beverages in the comfortable and bustling atmosphere of this unassuming Surry Hills eatery.

To counter the fried offerings, we ordered the sashimi plate and all fish were of the highest quality in particular the tuna, so tender you didn’t even need to use your teeth to break it apart. In a similar vein, the peppered crispy pork belly was so ridiculously tender that you were almost forced to smile in ecstasy as the fatty goodness invaded your taste buds. We weren’t dieting here folks, we were dining, and it was delightful.

A visit to an izakaya isn’t complete without edamame, which we were reluctantly gifted due to a waitress forgetting to immediately provide our order to the kitchen. Our gripe wasn’t with the mistake but the passive aggressive response when it was pointed out. But this speed bump on the evening’s generally excellent service was the exception rather than the rule and even if we had been served by the Gallagher brothers themselves, the meal and the atmosphere were so amazing it wouldn’t have mattered. We paid $180 for three and we’ll all be back next Friday, when the working week ends and the salaryman again...

What a fabulous place! Housed on a quiet street with dim lighting, it feels warm & inviting and as soon as you walk in you are greeted warmly. The decor & sake lined walls gives it a Japanese Izakaya feel and of course there's the food. The menu has such a huge selection of dishes to please all tastes. Start with a selection of refreshing sashimi, which is beautifully presented, fresh and sweet. Move on to one of the many selections of nigiri be it fresh or lightly grilled. Then there is the wagyu beef tataki, beautifully seared, thinly sliced, melting in your mouth with a lovely contrast from a lightly vinagary ponzu dressing. The wagyu cheek buns & tsukune skewers are both a must here. Both are full of flavour, the wagyu cheek melting in your mouth with the perfect balance of meat to fat, encased in a warm, fluffy, ever so slightly sweetened bun. The tsukune is delicious with a nice subtle hint of ginger. Its so flavoursome that the accompanying sauce & egg is not even necessary. Nasu dengaku is ubiquitous on Izakaya menus but here it has been dealt justice. Beautifully charred skin houses a almost creamy centre muddled with miso & topped with crunchy sweet potato chips. Who knew a vegetarian/vegan dish can be this good? And don't forget the hot stone tuna belly which comes sizzling on a hot rock, the fat dripping down & giving the exterior a beautiful crust and flavour. There is a good drinks list to accompany the range of food & the recommendations were all great. Dessert is lovely but the main stars are any of the...

We had been wanting to go here for years, and not sure why it’s taken so long. We were strolling through Surry Hills and spontaneously made a visit.

Izakaya Fujiyama is well designed and upon entry you can see it is definitely also a good drinking spot, the bar lines with sake containers and whisky bottles. Makes sense, for in Japan, l an izakaya is a pub-style bar. Think drinks matched with small plates of food. But here, those small plates are actually decent on size. We struggled to order, for everything sounded amazing. Trying to be healthy after a busy holiday period of eating, we opted for the Wagyu beef tataki, with namban onion, chilli, shio kombu ponzu paired well with another dish, the pickled cauliflower. Both perfectly flavoured and a really good starter. After this, we had the Tsukune chicken skewers (essentially a teriyaki chicken mince ball) served with an organic 68℃ egg (2 skewers) and these are probably some of the best we’ve tried and we also got some steamed veg. Honestly we were so full from this, but so much more was appealing

Staff were absolutely delightful and made us feel welcome. The food also came out so fast and we love this! Makes for an easy dining experience. Thank you! We understand why they’ve...