Who doesn’t love the sound of sizzling meat at your table? I know some might think that it’s a bit silly to go to a restaurant to cook your own food but for me, there is some novelty in being given a plate of raw meat and a hot rock for you to cook it on.
Sushi chefs at work (left) and Seaweed salad - $16 (right)
Tonight we’re at Kabuki Shoroku, a little Japanese restaurant hidden away on Clarence St behind the QVB. If a friend hadn’t recommended it, I probably wouldn’t have even know it existed. Even finding the entrance to the restaurant proves a little difficult, but soon we’re seated in the restaurant which has a tranquil and relaxed feel, and is a stark contrast to the busy city streets.
Sushi and sashimi combination - $58
The menu is quite extensive so it takes a while for us to decide what to eat. We begin with a seaweed salad which is a variety of seaweeds tossed together with a green salad mix, and flavoured lightly with a citrus salad dressing. Watching the sushi chefs behind the counter compels us to also order the sushi and sashimi combination which is an impressive spread of cooked salmon rolls, assorted nigiri and fresh sashimi.
BBQ eel oshi sushi - $26
The eel sushi arrives in little rectangles. The eel is marinated in a sweet soy sauce and barbecued before being placed atop some vinegared rice. It has a sweet, smoky flavour which goes well with the rice.
Grilled toothfish - $16
I can’t go past fish marinated in Saikyo (white) miso so the grilled toothfish is ordered. The fish is cooked to perfection and flakes away easily, and is sweetly flavoured with the miso.
Scampi Grill - $24
The scampi grill comes with 3 different flavoured scampi – garlic and anchovy, miso and curry. The scampi have a sweet but subtle flavour, and I’m pleasantly surprised to find that this flavour is is accented rather than smothered by the additional flavourings.
Wagyu beef and vegetables on a hot rock - $32
Check out the marbling baby! The wagyu beef slices are marbled with fat and sitting in a light soy marinade.
Cooking the beef and vegetables
The waitress brings us a very hot stone and we place the beef on it. The sound of the beef sizzling on the rock is music to my ears. It’s only a short time before the meat is done and it’s tender, juicy and absolutely delicious. We fight over the last few pieces of beef and before we know it, it’s all gone.
Kabuki Shoroku
Ground Floor
202 Clarence St
Sydney NSW 2000
Ph: +61 2 9267 4552
Opening hours
Lunch: Monday to Friday, noon – 2.30pm
Dinner: Monday to Saturday, 6pm – 9.30pm
Dinner: Public Holidays, 6pm – 9pm
Welcome to Penguin says Feed Me!, a blog that documents the gastronomic adventures of one small penguin as she explores the culinary world in Sydney and beyond. 
Love cooking yakiniku on stone! Have one at home for that very purpose.
Looks like it was a nice meal all round.
The hot rock is fun (except for the oil splatters) – great little restaurant.
Love cooking on the hot rock here! So much fun, and the marbling of the meat is droolworthy. It’s one of Sydney’s hidden gems methinks :)
Friend introduced me to this place a few years ago – lovely service by female staff in traditional attire plus the sukiyaki was quite nice too!
the wagyu and vegetables on a hot rock looks so delicious! the marbles on the beef is making my mouth water
Grilled toothfish. Yes please!
ooh I’ve been wanting to come here for so long but it always slips my mind when I’m in the area >< mm sizzling meat on a rock seems so comforting
Drooling, I have to go!
hot rocks are the perfect way to cook meat i think, it’s always so soft and just right.
The meat looks amazing. Shall add this to my list of places to eat at XD
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