Ju Ge Mu/Shimbashi - Neutral Bay, Sydney

I was suggested this place by my friend and I thank him dearly for his recommendation. When I first came to this restaurant I immediately fell in love with it's decor and the atmosphere it created. The beautiful interior design was complimented by good, friendly service and food to match! The presentation of the food is very typical of the Japanese as they always strive for perfection which is one of the many reasons why I love Japanese food so much. Not long after, I decided that it was time to come visit this dear little place again.

This restaurant actually consists of 2 sections - Ju Ge Mu is the Okonomi-yaki & Teppanyaki side while Shimbashi is the Buckwheat Noodle House but they are connected so you can order food from both sides. Another fascinating feature about this place is the interior design is different on the 2 sides so if you want a change in scenery you can try the other side next time.

I thought the plate had a cool design so took a photo :P. The menu is full of authentic Japanese goodies with some set menus for lunch but only A la carte menu dinner. Soon after we had pondered and placed our order, the food arrives in a speedy fashion typical of Japanese restaurants again. Here comes the food.

The beef tongue tataki arrived first and was quickly devoured. It had a nice fatty texture which was matched perfectly with the slighly sour dashi and soy sauce.


The next to arrive was the asparagus rolled in pork belly. The asparagus and pork belly combination was really good already but the wasabi mayonnaise just made it even better. Too bad there was only 8 pieces per serve hee hee.

The Kurobuta Tonkatsu brings back many many wonderful memories of Japan trips as it is not easy to find in restaurants here in Sydney which serve the breed of pig. Kurobuta means 'black pig' and the meat of the black pig is highly prized by the Japanese and I absolutely concur with them. The nice bits of fat is balanced by the tender lean meat to create an eruption of flavour in your mouth. If there is only one dish you order at this place, this is want I would recommend.

The Nasu Dengaku is grilled eggplant smothered in this rich, sweet miso paste and is another dish I always tend to get at Japanese restaurants. I just love miso paste soo much ^^.

The fish is also another highly recommended dish at this place as it is very soft and just sorta melts in your mouth. I actually forget what it is called haha (me and my goldfish memory) but it was something like 'saiyuki' or something close to it.

Okonomiyaki is like a Japanese savoury pancake and is also another dish which is hard to find in Sydney. The ones made here are not as good as the ones in Japan but still worth ordering. The one we ordered this time was the Kimuchi Okonomiyaki but it was disappointingly mild for kimuchi but I guess this allows the anti-chilli people to try out this dish as well.

The green tea ice cream, red bean paste and moji combination was just delightful. The sweetness of the red bean paste, along with the chewy moji is like a match made in heaven and the green tea ice cream is like the icing on top.

Ju Ge Mu/Shimbashi is a must try in my opinion as it serves very authentic Japanese food complete with handmade soba. It is not exactly cheap but it is not too expensive either so it is really worth trying it out.

Ju Ge Mu/Shimbashi
246-248 Military Rd, Neutral Bay
Ph: 02 9904 3188


FFichiban