ORIBU オリーブ — Restaurant in Sydney

Not sure what to say. It was a memorable experience, but for all the wrong reasons. I was expecting a little more from a fine dining restaurant with an ex-Nobu staff at the helm. Having ate at both Nobu’s in Melbourne and Sydney, I can say that it doesn’t really compare.

Firstly, you have to walk up stairs to the bar area which was a bit loud and contrasted quite differently with what I had in mind for “fine dining”. The restaurant was located out the back in what seemed like a patio area. It had an open roof and was littered with gas heaters which reminded me more of the rooftop of a sports bar. Fair enough it was a cold night, but even the staff were wearing jackets. This wasn’t helped by the fact that the walls were adorned with shelves with bottles of whisky (not even Japanese) that you might have found at your mates place back when he became legal to drink.

As we were seated, we were advised of our 2hr time limit which wasn’t really an issue, but once again, doesn’t scream “fine dining” by any means. They asked if we’d like any water, to which I answered tap. However, they later came out with sparkling, which I decided not to say anything about as we were celebrating a special occasion. We opted for the tasting menu and the food came out quite quickly considering we were a party of 5.

The first dish was oysters and unfortunately, there were shell fragments in mine and another guests’. The second dish, carpaccio was something you’d expect from a fine dining Japanese restaurant and the taste was delicious as expected. Next, the mini sashimi selection was something you’d expect from a sushi train especially as it was paired with soy sauce and wasabi (paste from the bottle and not the actual root). It was met with some dry ice theatrics, but there was nothing special about the dish besides that. I don’t mind simple sashimi except it probably should have been the first dish instead of the 3rd as it derailed the flavour journey. Also, my sashimi pieces were still attached and showed the preparation of it was rushed and a bit careless.

Next was the yuzu guacamole with lotus chips, or should I say lotus chips WITH guacamole. The portion size was excessive for a tasting menu and seemed like the dish you’d have at the end of a tasting menu to fill you up. Never thought I’d ever complain about getting too much food. Also, guacamole didn’t really fit the Japanese theme especially since the yuzu flavour was almost nonexistent and was overpowered by the yukari salt. The popcorn prawn with creamy spicy sauce and yuzu juice felt like the sweet chili chicken you’d get in a Chinese restaurant. Once again the yuzu flavour was no where to be found. We had to improvise the wasabi from the sashimi to add more flavour to the prawns.

The mains were miso toothfish OR tenderloin. The toothfish was reminiscent of something you’d find in Nobu and tasted just as nice. The crispy skin didn’t have much flavour to it but I guess it added texture. The tenderloin was cooked nicely and had a sweet glaze which was just okay. It sat on a baby cos lettuce with some egg-like sauce which they could’ve done more to. I elected to have chipotle Brussel sprouts as the side and once again, the Mexican cameo peered its unfitting head again.

Finally came the dessert of either yuzu sorbet OR basil and lime tart. The fairy floss and stacked up sorbet felt like it was Olaf from Frozen with a bad wig. The tart was alright.

At the end of it, the staff came to remind us that we were overstaying our welcome as our time limit was almost up and the next guests had arrived. This would have been fine, except for the fact that us choosing the tasting menu, meant that they had complete control on the speed of our dining experience. Which wasn’t the best to say the least. Also, they charged $15 a bottle for sparking water and we had 2 bottles…overpriced for what you get.

I can’t speak for all the other positive reviews of this restaurant. Probably give it a miss if you’re wanting a proper Japanese fine...

The worst "fine dining" I've ever experienced, also managing to give me and my partner food poisoning, for $361.

Overpriced, bland, off food, poor customer service, and tacky environment.

Waited at the front counter for over 10 minutes before the front receptionist ipad lady even acknowledged us, awkwardly standing next to a couple who were leaving and trying to pay. We were then acknowledged and asked to continue waiting as they started preparing our table.

The actual restaurant felt like a mix of someone's darkly lit garage and sports pub with all the heaters going off. Annoying, loud, repetitive music made everything feel tacky.

We had the chef's 7 course tasting menu at $150pp and 2 cocktails. Each course took forever in between the next course, with 2 hours passing by before our mains were being prepared. Pages of the drinks menu were sticky.

For the food: Oysters with soy sauce - no real taste or flavour. Kingfish carpaccio - again, with soy sauce poured on top and ginger, 2 ingredients that we already had on our table. Couldn't taste the fish at all because of the strong Ginger and soy sauce. Sashimi - the cuts of fish were all different thickness (ex-nobu chef btw), with my partners tuna having a very strong odour and tasting like it had gone off. This is what gave us both food poisoning as from this moment onward, we both felt nauseas. Yuzu guacamole and lotus chips - guacamole was just mashed avocado, no other ingredients. Lotus chips were OK, oil looked like it hadn't been changed in a while. Popcorn prawn - tasted like a wedding reception canape, and are actually nicer than these.

By this point me and my partner were both feeling sick, and our waitress had told us the main would be coming next. We told her we were both ready to leave, and if we could have the bill please. Our waitress then disappeared to ask someone.

The woman receptionist with the ipad then came to our table to talk to us. We repeated that we were full, and didn't want to have any more of the food, just asking for the bill so we could leave. She offered for them to package our food away, but we said it was okay, we'd just like to pay and leave. This went on a couple of times of me repeating myself, before she disappeared.

A few moments later, the who I assume was the owner, came to our table to ask how everything was. We again, repeated what we said to our waitress and ipad lady. After him continuing to press and ask, I told him we both felt ill from the tuna, which smelt and tasted like it was past its date.

He sarcastically said he was surprised and that he had served this to hundreds of people with no problem. Poor attitude. We had even left a piece of it when the waitress took our dish. He again asked us if we wanted the mains for takeaway, to which I told him we'd like to pay and leave (lost track of how many times I had made it super clear we didn't want to be here anymore).

Miraculously, they finally gave us the bill, with the tip screen showing (lol) to which we paid and began to leave.

To top it off, one of the waitstaff or bartenders from the bar, sarcastically said to us, "oh no you're leaving so soon?" as we were walking out.

Later went home to vomit everything out.

For this to be a hatted restaurant with an ex nobu chef is crazy. Nothing fine dining about this place, I'm shocked it is even running based on the experience we both had.

Without a doubt one of the worst restaurant...

Oribu, Parramatta’s first Japanese Fine Dining experience 🥢

Id like to begin by congratulating appreciation to Chef Harry Cho for his phenomenal menu and extraordinary culinary creations. His passion and decades of culinary experience is evident in every dish, which has made this dining experience truly remarkable and unforgettable.

I was invited to enjoy the Chef’s Tasting Menu, which is $150 per person (minimum 2 people). This is everything that was included and my thoughts:

Royal Miyagi (Boomer Bay) Oysters with Citrus Dark Tosazu and Sea Blite: my sister said these were the freshest oysters she’s ever had.

Hiramasa Kingfish Carpaccio: delicious! The crunchy kale is a great addition.

Mini Sashimi: very fresh and generous portions. I loved that these were individual servings.

Yuzu Guacamole with Lotus Chips and Yukari Salt: simple yet flavoursome. I could eat an entire bowl of these chips.

Popcorn Prawn with Creamy Spicy Sauce and Yuzu Juice: my sister loved this. She said it was the standout dish of the night. Alternatively I had the Chicken Karaage, which I found crispy and delicious.

For the mains you can pick between the Grain-Fed Tenderloin Brochettes or the Toothfish with Cured Sweet Miso. We picked one of each and shared. I absolutely loved the Toothfish. This is a dish I actively seek out and was not disappointed.

There is also a choice of a side dish from the menu, to which we chose the crispy eggplant and pan-fried broccolini. Both were excellent however I preferred the eggplant.

For dessert we had the Yuzu Sorbet with Coconut Cream, Fresh Berries and Vanilla Fairy Floss and the Basil and Lime Tart.

Note: as I am anaphylactic to shellfish I was unable to enjoy the oysters and prawn dishes, however I’d like to extend my gratitude to the staff for ensuring that I could still enjoy this 🤍

I’d like to thank Oribu & Heritage Lounge for inviting me to experience this. I cannot remember the last time I left a venue in absolute awe of how great...