Sushi Tengoku - Kensington, Sydney.

My blogging hiatus has come abruptly short as I had initially promised myself to endure until the end of this week when assessments had been all submitted; oh well, I needed a break anyway! :)


Think big - words which will come in handy when dining at this local eatery in the East of Sydney that stands out from its furnishing: an overarching blue painted exterior, which is desperately in need of a fresh coat of paint. But who really is fussed about what it looks like on the outside (or the inside for the matter) when the size of the sushi is two..if not three times the size of the standard acceptable size found in recognised sushi places in Sydney such as Makoto and Masuya. If a recognised sushi-eating challenge existed in Sydney that was equivalent to the likes of Menya's Ramen Challenge, then this place would certainly have the right attitude to start one.

If you are more of a sushi roll eater - don't bother coming here to be honest; the size is standard and does not echo the size of the sushi. Come here for the (ridiculous) size and freshness of fish which is offered on an insignificantly portioned sized handful of rice.

Enough preaching - Here Comes The Food

Tempura Roll ($14) - I'm a hypocrite for telling our readers to avoid ordering the rolls - but I was in a peckish mood (sorry) so we ordered some rolls to accompany the sushi which came after surprisingly. The tempura roll has shrimp tempura, fish roe, vegetables and mayonnaise. So think California Roll substituting crab stick; it's a nice way to start our meal, but I would avoid ordering this as the only one shrimp tempura was used in the whole thus resulting in a third of the pieces haven't virtually no shrimp.

Maguro (Tuna) Sushi ($3.50 each): if only I had remembered from my previous visit (prior to starting the blog) that the sushi was this big my partner and I would have reduced our order (and subsequent ones) to half. Realistically when you order one piece, you will get two in one at least. Fresh and overly overpowering - ginger was an essential in between each piece!


Obligatory side-view - there's so much it curls around the rice :)

Salmon Sushi ($3 each): Arguably my favorite type of fish when it comes to sushi. This place does it extremely well and I would highly recommend to my fellow salmon-lovers.

Unagi (Eel) Sushi ($3 each): What happened? I got a little one :( There is a definite lacking of kabayaki (eel sauce) as seen by the dry texture and almost saddening appearance of the dish. Personally the next time I return, it would be hard for me to order this again, even though it's a staple order when eating sushi for me.

Tamago (Egg) Sushi $3): Can you see it yet? There has got to be some sign or something in the preparation area which says "the less rice the better" or to that effect. The egg is fluffy and light with a pleasant aroma. It easily falls apart in the mouth and I would happily order this again.

Scampi Sushi with Miso Soup ($6) If you can recall from very first entry on Wagaya, my scampi-love resurfaces once more as I spot this offered on the menu. I would have to say that it's not as good as Wagaya in terms of the way it was served - the lemon is overpowering and detrimentally distorts the freshness and sweet natural taste that should be experienced when eating Scampi. Perhaps next time I'll ask them to put the lemons on the side. The Miso Soup is heavily aromatic as well as deeply flavoured with the head of our scampi sushi.


Soft Crab Roll ($14): Deep Fried Soft Crab, Fish Foe, Vegetables and Mayonnaise. I have a habit of over-ordering and after two pieces of this roll I'm absolutely full. Though it's possible I could have enjoyed it more if I didn't order as much, the soft shell crab is slightly disappointing in terms of taste and size - it seems like it isn't even there.


Sushi Chef busy at work - look at those huge slices of Maguro !


The open-kitchen.

Sushi Tengoku
121 Anzac Parade
Kensington NSW 2033
Ph: (02) 9663 3388
Opening Days/Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday: 5pm - 10pm (closed Monday!)
Cash only (which is a slight inconvenience)

D