I often take Military Road whenever I head towards Balmoral or the Northern beaches and I usually notice the huge Maccas at Neutral Bay, but there are a cluster of shops right after it which get overshadowed by the golden arches. One of them is Sushi Train, the original sushi train chain of restaurants which have been around since the 90’s.
Unlike most sushi train restaurants I’ve been to, the Neutral Bay Sushi Train is quite modern with dark furnishings creating a classier look. There’s a choice of both counter and booth seats, and for a Sunday this place is packed by midday, with families queuing up for the few booth seats available.
Spider Roll – $5 | Tuna (Maguro) – $4.50
Salmon Belly – $5.50 | Grilled Salmon – $5.50
To start off, we grab some of the usual sushi suspects including the spider roll (soft shell crab), tuna, salmon and grilled salmon. I’m always a sucker for grilled salmon as the searing brings out the fragrant oils. But if you like fatty salmon, the salmon belly is a must pick as the belly is a fattier cut, resulting in a juicer and more tender piece of sashimi.
Miso Garlic Salmon & Scallop – $5.50
Miso Garlic Prawn Roll – $4.50
Salmon Volcano Ship – $5.50
I normally get bored quite quickly from grabbing stuff off the train as after a few rounds, I feel like I’ve exhausted everything there. So onto menu service it is! I’m quite impressed by the menu here which features more innovative flavour combinations that I’ve never seen before. The miso garlic salmon and scallop combines two of my favourite seafood, searing them both slightly and added fried garlic with a miso sauce, yum! Then there’s an aburi duck, which is lightly seared with a sweet sauce. I find it a bit chewy but applaud them for trying duck with sushi. Another unique dish is the salmon volcano ship, featuring seared salmon topped with a spicy cream cheese, salmon roe and finished off with a sweet soy glaze, a beautiful combination of flavours.
Mixed Tempura – $9.80
For something a bit more substantial, there’s also an a la carte menu, featuring a selection of salads, hand rolls and hot food. We tried the mix tempura which is like a sampling plate with a prawn, eggplant, sweet potato, pumpkin, zucchini and asparagus. The tempura is light, fluffy and crispy, going well with the dipping sauce on the side.
To round off the meal, we’re treated to some complimentary sake which we slowly sip. Free sake is actually offered to anyone who has a Washoku Lovers card and brings it along. It’s free to sign up, so it’s a no brainer – who wouldn’t want some free sake?
Overall the Neutral Bay branch of Sushi Train is a refreshing step up from your typical sushi train chain restaurants. They offer new interesting flavour combinations that I haven’t seen before and it’s a great casual restaurant that I’ll definitely return to in the future.
Excuse Me Waiter dined as guests of Sushi Train
Sushi Train Neutral Bay
308 Military Rd, Cremorne NSW 2090
Phone:(02) 9908 8891
