For a project in Sydney, I was put in the hotel just next door to this Monster Sushi and Bar... and as luck would have it, on the first night it was just POURING down rain! So, when I stuck my head out to have dinner... well, this was the obvious choice if I didn't want to get drenched!
I was hoping to wander further afield to my favourite Japanese place, but I was even more keen to stay dry... and when I mean raining and pouring, it was seriously unbelievably heavy. As in, I would just get drenched from walking five steps in the downpour!
So, Monster Sushi and Bar it was...
The Space
So, the thing that had put me off from trying this place at other times was the horrible neon setting of he lights all around... it is best described as garish! I prefer a place that has more intimate lighting... I don't really like places that feel like you are in a spotlight whilst eating!
But apart from that, there were some nice high stool bar areas for sushi trains and that sort of thing... and quite a number of smaller tables for 3 to 4 people. Or just one nerd who likes to watch lockpicking videos whilst eating...
The Menu
Okay, I forget that this was also a bar... and there is a well stocked (and garishly lit up...) bar near the cooking area. Some of the cocktails and specials did look pretty interesting... You can see from the specials that this is a bit of a new take on the traditional Japanese dishes... but some of the things do sound pretty interesting... soft shelled crab burger looks especially enticing!
But then, we get back into the more familiar sorts of things... I'm really not a fan of the cheesy variants that seem to have infected Japanese restaurants in Australia. I don't know if that is a traditional thing either... but I know it doesn't agree well with me!
The Food
... and for this particular evening (I did come back multiple times, and also a few more for takeaway!), I settled on the Japanese fried chicken (Kaarage) meal set. This was the perfect size serving for me... not too much of the fried stuff to send my stomach into overdrive, and with nice clean tastes of sashimi, fresh salad, seaweed salad and sushi. Really, this was quite an amazing meal deal... if a touch on the expensive side!
Since returning back to Australia, I have been trying out some of the Asian beer brews as well. I have landed on a few favourites, and this time was my first time trying the Kirin Ichiban label... very nice stuff! I think I will have a few more beer orders to make soon in preparing for winter!
The Experience
Friendly staff, nice food... offset by horrible lighting and slightly more expensive prices. However, the price of not getting drenched... and the close proximity to the hotels that I was staying during this and following projects meant that I was coming back quite often. A few times to sit down and eat... and more often to do the takeaway... to get away from the lighting!
Opening Times
Monday 11:30 am–9 pm
Tuesday 11:30 am–9 pm
Wednesday 11:30 am–9 pm
Thursday 11:30 am–9 pm
Friday 12–9 pm
Saturday 12–9 pm
Sunday 12–9 pm
Contact Details
Address: Shop 1/234 Sussex St, Sydney NSW 2000
Website: https://www.monstersushinbar.com/
Phone: 0420 802 348
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