When my friend suggested going to this restaurant for our group dinner I was intrigued. I had particularly craved Japanese BBQ which I used to really enjoy at Suminoya (Sydney) but I hadn’t been there in two years whilst in London. After hearing such high praise from my friend (who lives in the area), I had high expectations for the night. And it actually exceeded my expectations!

The Food

For a fairly decent price you are able to really indulge in fine food. Mokoji has a large menu so there should be something there to please all tastes. You don’t have to have bbq, there are heaps of already cooked options, but where’s the fun in that?

We were a group of twelve so we ordered three lots of the Mokoji Family BBQ (feeds four) with an extra side of cheesy scallops. With the complimentary sides of garden salad and pickles, it was just the right amount of food. When you go to their website, you’ll see that they pride themselves in being one of the rare Yakiniku restaurants which serve full blood Wagyu beef marble scored 9+ on their menu. It really was the standout, the various cuts of beef just melted in your mouth. When you have beautiful cuts of meat like this, you really don’t need any seasoning or marination.

Not to discount everything else on the platter, while the waygu was the star, everything else was also fantastic. The prawns were already half peeled and so fresh. Scallops in the shell with cheese was such a great marriage and the pork belly was superbly tender and juicy.

For a bit of fun, and I think this is the reason why Mokoji might have a heads up on the rest of other Yakiniku restaurants, is the giant marshmallows. It is only served after having a BBQ (since you need to coals to roast them) and only when you give the waiters a big smile. This is actually on the menu! The marshmallows were a real treat. I’ve seen nothing like it. Because of its size it cooked a lot more evenly and we could savor the novelty for longer.

The Service

I couldn’t fault the service at all. The waiters were prompt and friendly. They took care when handling the hot stove, was always someone around when we needed something and the dishes were staggered at the right pace which was a nice touch. The sides of pickles and salad can also be topped up which they kept offering anyway.

All in all, I can say that was the most economic and delicious meal I’ve had since coming back to Sydney. Better to book as it does get busy on the weekends. Ask to be seated in the alfresco area if possible as there is less smoke in the air from the coals and on a nice night, it’s extremely pleasant. Great food and good variety of beverages as well as fantastic service. What more can you ask for? If only it was a little closer to Alexandria I’d be there every week (could be dangerous!).

Mokoji 

2F, 2 Ave Of Europe, Newington NSW 2127
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