12:40p.m. 27th August 2007

| By Suzanne Keen

A mouth-watering sashimi platter at Sunshine Beach's Wasabi Japanese restaurant.

Wasabi restaurant at Sunshine Beach is such a sublime dining experience it could turn even the most true-blue meat-and-three-veg eater into a Japanese food aficionado.

Tokyo-trained chef Shinichi Maeda has created a menu featuring traditional Japanese dishes and some of Australia’s finest ingredients in a fusion of flavours that will appeal to a range of palates.

Wasabi’s owners, Danielle and Ptor Gjestland, opened the restaurant in 2003 and describe it as a balance of “traditional Japanese and elegant Western dining”.

To the left as you enter through the shoji screen door is the tatami room, where diners sit on mats, while to the right is the modern dining room fronting a sushi counter (my group opted for the latter, to accommodate a communal lack of flexibility).

We chose to begin the evening with a Margaret River sauv blanc from the good, reasonably priced wine list, but if you want the complete Japanese experience, Wasabi also offers a choice of 11 different sakes, Japanese beers and shochu (a traditional distilled spirit).

Everything on the extensive menu – including daily specials and a tasting menu – sounds so good it’s difficult deciding what to choose, but the helpful wait staff are happy to offer guidance.

Having visited the restaurant several times before, my partner and I couldn’t resist ordering the sashimi again, opting for the Mooloolaba yellowfin tuna, ocean trout and snapper. Chef Maeda boasts strong relationships with members of our local fishing industry, and his sashimi is so fresh it melts in your mouth and leaves you craving more.

For something extra special, I highly recommend the Hiramasa Ponzu (sashimi-style hiramasa kingfish with toasted sesame, ginger chips and ponzu), which has a delicate balance of flavours that is simply delicious.

If you’ve never tried raw fish before, this is the place to give it a go, but diners who prefer their food cooked can rest assured there’s plenty of options for them, too.

Our foursome also sampled the gyoza, crispy pan-fried pork dumplings which are packed full of flavour, and other choices include chicken yakitori and vegetable tempura.

For mains, two of us opted for the Sake Chan – New Zealand king salmon, with rosé miso sauce (a blend of red and white miso), braised daikon and bamboo shitake zou sui rice.

The subtly flavoured rice perfectly complemented the fish and was of such a creamy texture it was almost like a mini risotto in a cup.

One of my fellow diners tried the Shichimi Niku – Japanese seven-spice grass-fed Hereford tenderloin with wasabi sweet potato mash, enoki and shimeji mushroom sauce. Her eyes widened as our waitress approached with the plate piled high, but she had no difficulty devouring almost all the meal.

The seafood tempura main sampled by the fourth member of our group was somewhat more delicate but no less delicious.

While I’m not ordinarily a fan of Asian-style desserts, Wasabi’s offerings combine Japanese and Western flavours in dishes that will leave sweet-toothed diners feeling like they’ve dined and gone to heaven. It would be a crime not to leave room for them.

My girlfriends and I ordered four different dishes to share: the Japanese plum wine brulee with green-tea sugar and black sesame ice-cream; the “serious chocolate plate” consisting of four choccie morsels; a pear and mint sorbet; and the “amai mono” (a selection of several different desserts).

The latter dish is a perfect way to enjoy a selection of tastes, but for me, the brulee was the crème de la crème – deliciously smooth and sweet and perfectly completed by the unusual housemade ice-cream.

Ah, I can’t wait to go back and savour it all again!

The bill please

Wasabi is on the corner of Duke and Bryan Streets, Sunshine Beach; phone 5449 2443 or visit www.wasabisb.com

Hours: Tues-Sat: dinner from 6pm Fri: lunch from 12 Sun: izakaya (informal dining) from 4.30pm- 8.30pm.