Rise (23 Craigend St, Darlinghurst) is a boutique sized japanese restaurant tucked away on a small street and once you step inside past the solid wooden doors, the atmosphere is both cosy and intimate and all the waiters and chefs will greet you a warm welcome.


its me and noods’ 5th time at Rise and we still love coming here to celebrate a special event or to take the rellies out for dinner. Rise has a 30% discount for their Omakase 7 Course Degustation Menu on tues, wed and sun so gogogo!


Appetizer. Prawn and grapefruit salad on cauliflower mousse with sweet chilli sauce. i didnt read the menu when i tried this and i hadnt thought what this combo wouldve tasted like so i was pleasantly surprised and i loved loved LOVED the cauliflower mousse! it was so smooth like creamy mash potato but not the least bit grainy and the juicy grapefruit segments were sweet and refreshing pairing well with the chopped prawns and spanish onion


Soup. Clear soup with lemongrass, oyster tempura and crispy tofu. clear soup always makes me feel as if my insides are slowly being cleansed and washing away all the toxins polluting my SOUL! good stuff this soup and its been blessed with a huge oyster tempura floating around like an island and hiding [or is it protecting] the silky soft on the inside and crispy on the outside tofu


Sashimi. Kingfish, salmon and oyster. the sashimi course is always my favourite course i lurve my raw fish! perfect cuts of fishy accompanied by a tiny amount of dressing or a dab of wasabi, nothing more which brings out the fresh sea salty tasty goodness of the sashimi


Seasonal plate


Spicy tuna tartare in wonton cup. the oil the wonton cup was fried in mustve been brand spanking new because it was perfectly crispy and no trace of any oil aftertaste. the tuna was soft and delicious with a good kick of chilli


Soft shell crab sushi roll. i loooved the soft shell crab salty and super crispy on the outside but soft and creamy crab flesh with a dab of mayo in the centre. the crab is sitting on a miniature sushi roll which had ginger and i think sprinkled with paprika. i would have liked the roll more if it had more tasty crab in it mmm tasty


Cured salmon with spiced mayo. this was less spicy than our previous visit which was good for me because im not too good with spicy hehe but it meant i could taste everything without the sensation of burrrrning! the salmon was tasty and we loved whatever it was resting on… we think it was coconut?


Pasta dish. Grilled scallop and bucatini pasta with coconut cream sauce. hee i really liked the presentation for this. coiled strands of al dente bucatini pasta holding the coconut cream sauce and a plump juicy scallop… the flavours of the coconut cream and the mint leaf remind me of laksa but minus the chilli


Main course. Chicken confit, sauteed potatoes, mushroom and bacon with soy red wine jus. the skin! look at the crispy skin! glorious skin! mmm the skin is the best part of all animals…


everyone got served one glass of pannacotta except me and while im sitting there thinking hmm did they forget me out came this giant platter with sparklers! sparklers are so pretty!


and then i take a closer look at the chocolate caligraphy hmm how do they know my blogger nick… hehe it appears i have been outed again lol hihi! the blueish, green and white slice at the front is icecream and the flavours were black sesame, green tea and i think vanilla bean the black sesame was awesome! the left glass is the same as everyones, pannacotta with persimmon compote and granita but the right glass was my favourite it had diced lychees and strawberries and im pretty sure there was liquer in it mmm liquer


my mums sister and her sons from malayisa came to celebrate with me harlo! poor jess had been feeling sick the whole day so we cancelled her courses but the staff were super nice (hi yoshi!) and gave her clean plates and cutlery for every course for jess to try a bit of our food and even offered a glass of pannacotta for dessert too so thanks heaps to the staff we had a lovely time and im sure we’ll be back for a sixth time!

Rise (23 Craigend St, Darlinghurst) is a boutique sized japanese restaurant tucked away on a small street and once you step inside past the solid wooden doors, the atmosphere is both cosy and intimate and all the waiters and chefs will greet you a warm welcome.


its me and noods’ 5th time at Rise and we still love coming here to celebrate a special event or to take the rellies out for dinner. Rise has a 30% discount for their Omakase 7 Course Degustation Menu on tues, wed and sun so gogogo!


Appetizer. Prawn and grapefruit salad on cauliflower mousse with sweet chilli sauce. i didnt read the menu when i tried this and i hadnt thought what this combo wouldve tasted like so i was pleasantly surprised and i loved loved LOVED the cauliflower mousse! it was so smooth like creamy mash potato but not the least bit grainy and the juicy grapefruit segments were sweet and refreshing pairing well with the chopped prawns and spanish onion


Soup. Clear soup with lemongrass, oyster tempura and crispy tofu. clear soup always makes me feel as if my insides are slowly being cleansed and washing away all the toxins polluting my SOUL! good stuff this soup and its been blessed with a huge oyster tempura floating around like an island and hiding [or is it protecting] the silky soft on the inside and crispy on the outside tofu


Sashimi. Kingfish, salmon and oyster. the sashimi course is always my favourite course i lurve my raw fish! perfect cuts of fishy accompanied by a tiny amount of dressing or a dab of wasabi, nothing more which brings out the fresh sea salty tasty goodness of the sashimi


Seasonal plate


Spicy tuna tartare in wonton cup. the oil the wonton cup was fried in mustve been brand spanking new because it was perfectly crispy and no trace of any oil aftertaste. the tuna was soft and delicious with a good kick of chilli


Soft shell crab sushi roll. i loooved the soft shell crab salty and super crispy on the outside but soft and creamy crab flesh with a dab of mayo in the centre. the crab is sitting on a miniature sushi roll which had ginger and i think sprinkled with paprika. i would have liked the roll more if it had more tasty crab in it mmm tasty


Cured salmon with spiced mayo. this was less spicy than our previous visit which was good for me because im not too good with spicy hehe but it meant i could taste everything without the sensation of burrrrning! the salmon was tasty and we loved whatever it was resting on… we think it was coconut?


Pasta dish. Grilled scallop and bucatini pasta with coconut cream sauce. hee i really liked the presentation for this. coiled strands of al dente bucatini pasta holding the coconut cream sauce and a plump juicy scallop… the flavours of the coconut cream and the mint leaf remind me of laksa but minus the chilli


Main course. Chicken confit, sauteed potatoes, mushroom and bacon with soy red wine jus. the skin! look at the crispy skin! glorious skin! mmm the skin is the best part of all animals…


everyone got served one glass of pannacotta except me and while im sitting there thinking hmm did they forget me out came this giant platter with sparklers! sparklers are so pretty!


and then i take a closer look at the chocolate caligraphy hmm how do they know my blogger nick… hehe it appears i have been outed again lol hihi! the blueish, green and white slice at the front is icecream and the flavours were black sesame, green tea and i think vanilla bean the black sesame was awesome! the left glass is the same as everyones, pannacotta with persimmon compote and granita but the right glass was my favourite it had diced lychees and strawberries and im pretty sure there was liquer in it mmm liquer


my mums sister and her sons from malayisa came to celebrate with me harlo! poor jess had been feeling sick the whole day so we cancelled her courses but the staff were super nice (hi yoshi!) and gave her clean plates and cutlery for every course for jess to try a bit of our food and even offered a glass of pannacotta for dessert too so thanks heaps to the staff we had a lovely time and im sure we’ll be back for a sixth time!

obsessed with the gingerbread man from shrek you say? why yes… yes i am… lookit my new gingerbread man! hee hes waving at youuuu (lol jenny i got this one at target carlingford gogogo its in your area!)


hes bigger than the midget one i got last week but heaps smaller than mongo

want to see my family?

big mongos legs are a bit wrinkly because i keep making him walk and dance around my room and the stuffing is moving away from his important body parts…


edit: lol just for marj’s perspective this is how big mongo is in real life
more gingys here, here, here and here

my friends know me well. when they go away on holidays i dont get the corny souvenirs but fabulous hard to find in australia candy!


mmm thanks heaps nat! i looove hersheys!