Vanessa:  Double Bay is generally not high on my radar for places to dine out but the more I go there, the more I discover that the dining scene is one worth exploring.  Case in point, myself, Bianca and Alex were recently invited to sample the winter menu at Niji Restaurant & Bar in the heart of Double Bay and to say we were impressed is an understatement.

FOOD TYPE
Japanese

FOOD QUALITY
My wife and I dined here on a cold July evening. We ordered a goma spinach salad ($12), teriyaki salmon ($28), karaage chicken ($18), a bowl of white rice ($6) and a bottle of Asahi beer ($9). It was all fresh, wholesome and tasty and we enjoyed our meals. Dishes are carefully prepared with skill and attention to detail, using clearly premium grade ingredients. The spinach salad was neatly presented as a round mound of the nutritious green stuff, laced with onions and sprinkled with sesame seeds in a tangy soy dressing. The salmon was melt-in-your-mouth tender and came accompanied by crunchy vegetables and smothered in a tart teriyaki sauce. But the winning dish on the night was the karaage chicken, the best I’ve tasted in Sydney. A decent serving it was too, and the chicken was plump, juicy and tender. It was coated in a crispy batter, marinated in soy, ginger and garlic sauce and served with a slice of lemon and bowl of Japanese-style “yuzu” mayonnaise, a smoother and creamier version of the standard Aussie mayo. There wasn’t much else on the plate, but in this case, the simplicity worked well, to allow you to savour, without distraction, the flavours and aroma of this excellent dish. The salmon, at $28 was quite stingy though, just a few mouthfuls really. We complained about it and were given an extra slice of salmon without any cost, so that helped to fill us up and we left feeling full and satisfied.

ATMOSPHERE
The décor is modern and stylish, with oriental lamps, attractive wooden latticework, wooden floors and furniture and low, mood lighting in a spacious and comfortable environment. When we arrived at 7pm, however, there were only two other occupied tables with two diners each, so it had a slightly dreary ambience. It did fill up somewhat as the evening wore on, but it was never more than half full at its peak. Oddly, though, despite the size of the place, tables are placed almost right on top of each other, which I always find a bit disconcerting, being forced to listen to our neighbours’ conversation. There’s a sushi bar at the far end, although it was empty the night we dined I also noticed a disused upstairs section as well, which you’ll see when you visit the conveniences.

SERVICE
We could not have asked for better service. Wait staff are neatly turned out in black uniforms and they’re attentive, efficient and polite. Ordering was done promptly and dishes came out quickly.

COMFORT
This isn’t an ideal venue for a chilly winter’s eve. There are no heaters or carpets, so there’s nothing really to keep you warm, and my wife especially was uncomfortably cold. But given its airiness and generally cool vibe, this could be a perfect venue for spring or summer dining. The upholstered chairs are firm and comfy and the table just the right size to fit everything on it with ease.

MENU
The small menu is well laid out and easy to follow, except the rather dim lighting made reading it a bit of a struggle.

TOILETS
Toilets are on the upper level. They have a 1980s style hand dryer but no hand towels, which I would have preferred, rather than waiting an hour for my hands to dry. Apart from that, they’re clean and adequate but freezing cold with the open windows.

ACOUSTICS
Given that it was fairly quiet, we had no trouble conversing even though the interior is all wood, with not a carpet or noise absorber in sight. I assume, though, that if it got full, acoustics could be a problem.

COST
We had a modest meal as mentioned, just a salad, two mains, rice and single Asahi beer. We also had our Ent Book card, which gave us a 25% discount up to a generous max of $40, and that kept our bill down to a manageable $55. Can’t complain about that. But generally, prices are a bit on the high side e.g. $6 for a bowl of rice which most neighbourhood Thai or Chinese restaurants will only charge you $3 for. The karaage chicken at $18 was solid value for money but $28 for a very small piece of salmon was a tad pricey in my book.

BOOKING
We took the precaution of booking ahead for a Friday night but it really wasn’t necessary.

PARKING/ACCESS
You’ll find Niji at the top of Bay Street, not far from new South Head Rd. We found easy parking about 0.5km away in Cross Street, where it bisects Bay Street and where restrictions end at 6.00pm. We generally find, that when dining in D.B., that’s the easiest place to find a parking.

SUMMARY
We had a pleasant and relaxed, if brief, evening at Niji and everything went off smoothly. The food is of the highest quality although serving sizes could be bigger. We did find it a tad chilly, so it’s not ideal for winter dining. Still, I’m prepared to give it another go next year if they’re still in the Ent Book, but we’ll go in spring or summer rather than mid-winter.

RECOMMENDATION
The karaage chicken is well worth trying. Even though it’s deep fried, it’s so carefully prepared you won’t suffer any ill effects afterwards.

MEMO
Don’t confuse Niji Restaurant and Bar, with Niji Sushi Bar of Kingsford. Perhaps they have the same owner or there’s some other proprietary connection or maybe they just share the same name, but they’re quite different. The Kingsford Niji is a cheap and cheerful joint that’s always packed with students and workers, whereas Niji D.B. is more exclusive and seems to cater to a higher end clientele.