Have you guys noticed Smith Street has quite the repertoire of Japanese restaurants? There's Wabi Sabi Salon, Cocoro, Peko Peko and Tokushima....just to name a few.
Wood Spoon Kitchen had been on my "want to visit" list for a while, with it's online menu tempting me with onigiri sets and other interesting sounding dishes.
When Brad and I finally got there one night, to my dismay there was not an onigiri in sight on the menu! They must have completely taken it off the menu and have not gotten around to updating their website. Sad Ashley.
We were seated on the high table near the front of the restaurant, which gives you a nice view of everything that's going on and the absolutely gorgeous flower arrangement in the middle of the table. Combined with all the very earthy green walls and brick walls, it felt very 'natural' and organic. Well, as natural as you can get with light bulbs being precariously dangled by bright red wires over tables.
It was very cosy, slightly stuffy, although it didn't help that it was a hot muggy night outside. I also wish to complain about the seats on the high table, as a woman wearing heels, I like it when my very tall chairs have a foot perch at a reasonable height, where I can actually rest the bridge of my foot or ball of my foot on. I do not appreciate it when that little wooden bar is up so high, that it looks like Brad's taken a hermit out to dinner.
But that's just me nitpicking.
As we usually do in Japanese restaurants, we got sake. This time it was the Kizakura Pura, served chilled, I went to a sake seminar-esque thing once where I was told that it's best to have sake cold to fully appreciate the flavours. Of a good sake at least anyway!
On the menu this sake was described as dry and smooth, which it certainly was, quite light and went down with no problems...fortunately I was not driving!
I couldn't resist trying the Japanese style curry, since I had tried it at 3 other places already. I opted to have mine with tofu, to try and feel like I was being healthy. Kind of. The curry was presented in a long shallow plate, which I thought was quite cute, there was a good proportion of curry to rice, although I felt the curry was a little too much gravy and not much else...filler fodder in there. I definitely could have gone for more vegetables in there! To be fair though, the gravy was delicious, especially with all that soft fluffy white rice....
I sort of egged Brad on into getting the dengaku don, since that would have been my other option if I did not get the curry. Whilst I loved the punch of bright colours from the veggies, making it look very fresh and a nice juxtaposition to the dark eggplant, I do recall being a bit surprised at the size of it. It was much smaller than I was expecting!
It didn't taste too bad though and the eggplant was quite nice, although Brad was picking away at my leftover rice afterwards.
Normally it doesn't take a lot for me to like and enjoy a Japanese place, but there was just something about Wood Spoon Kitchen that didn't fully click with me. It has a great look, but the food portions are a little bit on the tight side and I felt like the staff gave a slightly chilly reception.
If there weren't many other Japanese options? Wood Spoon Kitchen would be great. But really, this is Smith Street spoilt brat you're talking to. Probably don't see myself returning in a great flourish to soon...
88 Smith St
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