I'm always keen on trying out different Japanese restaurants... I love the cleanliness of the food and flavours, and I'm always a huge fan of ramen and other cooked foods... I mean sushi is nice, but more as a side dish rather than the main event!
On one of many work trips to Sydney, I was being put up in the trendy inner city Surry Hills area where there were quite a few restaurants on the main drag... but when I was walking to the supermarket to pick up some stuff to cook in my serviced apartment, I stumbled across this nice looking Japanese place, Suishin, on one of the smaller cross roads.
So, instead of cooking that night... I ended up dropping by, taking a seat and eating out!
I have to say that this is a nice name for a restaurant after reading the meaning and story!
The Space
As you can see it is a relatively small shopfront on the street side... however, the restaurant does go a long way back... so a thin but long layout that is reminiscent of Dutch places! There is just a single restaurant next door, a burger place which I had meant to try out at a different time, but ended up not having another free evening in this area. Ah well... next time!
On the inside, there is the small front area with seating and a bar area... and if you progress further down a corridor, there is additional seating down the back. The whole place is very cosy in style and ambience... sort of like eating in someone's house! Very nice, and on this particular night not very busy at all...
The Menu
Lots of familiar Japanese staples in the menu. Ramen, bento boxes, and various other cooked delicacies. I'm always tossing up between a bento box or a ramen dish... on this particular occasion, I had already had a ramen dish the evening before at a different place, and so I was more keen for something a bit more rice based. Rice also settles my tummy when I'm travelling as well!
... but I do have to get used to Sydney pricing... phew, how do people manage to live in this city?
The Food
I ended up settling on this Chicken Katsu bento box.... a great way to try out a bit of everything! Actually, I was really quite impressed by the quality of it all... and it was quite a large serving. You can't see it, but there a second layer of chicken under the one that you can see!
Something that I've noticed and that I'm less keen on is the fresh salads that come with many bento boxes though... they do tend to be overdressed by my taste. However, I do tend to eat salad with no dressing... so, pretty much anything is going to be overdressed for me!
The Experience
Great ambience, top food, friendly staff that would just leave you alone to eat... I loved this place! If I am staying in the area again, I would definitely be seeking this place out to try out more of their bento boxes... or may a ramen or two!
Can definitely recommend Suishin!
Opening Times
Monday 11:30 am–3 pm, 5–10 pm
Tuesday 11:30 am–3 pm, 5–10 pm
Wednesday 11:30 am–3 pm, 5–10 pm
Thursday 11:30 am–3 pm, 5–10 pm
Friday 11:30 am–3 pm, 5–10 pm
Saturday 11:30 am–3 pm, 5–10 pm
Sunday Closed
Contact Details
Address: 61 Fitzroy St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Phone: (02) 8021 8860