suzuya

this is one of our favourite restaurants. we have been coming here for years. we followed the owners ryochi and susan over from sushi suma.
in fact, when i heard he was opening this restaurant in devonshire street, i drove by for weeks in anicipation of its opening. this restautant is a bargain gem serving up simple fresh and generous japanese meals for a reasonable price. our go to is thesashimisalad and believe me salad is usually the last thing i would consider ordering. this salad is sure to cause some food envy, i have witnessed it on many an occasion. this is a salad for 2, it is literally a mountain of fresh salad including seaweed, carrot, cabbage, lettuce, cucumber topped with a generous varity ofsashimiincluding salmon, tuna and king fish. the salad comes with a sweet tangy dressing and on the side the salad is accompanied with fresh wasabi and a thick creamy japanese mayo. you can choose to mix the mayo in to the salad to turn it into a deicious japanese slaw or if you are on a heath kick, the salad tastes great just as it is. suzuya also serves great katsu(japanese schnitzel) pork and chicken, the lunch special comes with a tasty curry sauce which is a great flavour combination. the teriyaki is also nice, with a choice of salmon, chicken or beef. for a heathy option the sushi and sasimi combination is great value. other recommendations include gyoza, miso nasu(eggplant served with a sweet miso sauce) chicken karage(japanese fried chicken). the restraunt also has a variety of japanese beverages available including beer, sake and umeshu(a sweet plum wine). the restaurant has a modern setting with hospitable and friendly staff. for a quirky side note: check out the bathroom at the back of the restaurant. it is decorated with pictures of mt fuji, japanese actors and there is also a table and 2 chairs. i still haven't quite figured out why the table and chairs are in there, maybe it is for the ladies who go to the bathroom for a chat.
anyway back to the review. i can honestly say i have never had a bad meal at this restaurant and as you can see would definitely recommend a visit. be sure to book as it can get busy.

the food was amazing. loved the chicken kara-age,sashimisalad and fish teriyaki. will definitely come back.

the customer service is really bad. the waiter/waitress attitude was very aggressive and bully when i providing them with negative feedback on their teriyaki chicken, the 50+ yrs old lady showing very impolite attitude to me.  

i was not very happy about the taste of their teriyaki chicken which was not cooked well because the chicken was not cut into smaller pieces, if they can at least apologise or re-cook it, i would be fine.
but the lady said no one else ever complained about this and i was not supposed to complain on it. she said there was nothing wrong with the way of their cooking food and refused to consider my feedback.

also i said i would only pay for the soup andsashimii had, but she forced me to pay in full amount. when i asked whether i could speak to the manager, she refused to give me the phone number. 

really bad experience. do not complain on their food guys, otherwise they would be really rude and you would not want to fight like that. they do not accept any negative feedbacks.

one of surry hills finest japanese restaurants. my ultimate go to for japanese. dishes are packed full of flavour, mains are large enough to share between two, could easily share between 4 but would suggest ordering another main dish. sushisashimicombo good option, karaage yum yum must have kewpie and mustard to dip in. i love the complimentary starter of glass noodle salad and single serve panacotta per customer. good casual dining, quality food, and accept byo wine.

it was a quite nice dining environment, small but cosy. the food was good, especially thesashimiwas quite fresh. but overpriced, and also very small portion.

one of the best japanese restaurants in surry hills and most certainly the best value. the restaurant has a great vibe and the owners are very accommodating - be sure to book on weekends as it can get busy. highly recommended is thesashimisalad - i could not believe the size of this dish and it is definitely meant to share!! popular starters are gyoza, chicken karage and edamame. the chicken katsu and pork katsu are delicious mains as well as the teriyaki salmon. my partner ordered the udon with tempura and like everything else the serving is generous. i also hear they have great lunch specials. highly recommend this place and cannot wait to come back.

maybe i ordered the wrong dishes but my experience wasn't as spectacular as most have rated here.

i came on a friday just before the peak lunch period and was the second table occupied. i ordered the agedashi tofu and the salmon salad as i had seen the photos on zomato and they looked good.

agedashi tofu - the tofu was fried well with outer layer thin and crisp while the tofu centre was silky smooth. the dashi (broth) was a little too strong but excused given the blan flavour of the tofu. the bonito flakes offered finished the dish providing flavour and texture. it was a good dish but nothing too special.

sashimi salad - this thing was enormous and when it came with a big serving spoon, i knew it was meant to be shared but i took the challenge and ate from this monstrous bowl. the salad was predominantly lifted by shredded cabbage but there was also carrots, rocket and some seaweed. thesashimiconsisted of salmon, tuna, kingfish and mackeral. the mackeral imparted a very pungant flavour while the other fish were fresh but i could not tell because the citrus ginger dressing was far too overpowering and there was too much of it to the point. the salad would have been good as a side salad as there is only so much you can have of the dressing but as for a salad as large as this, the fish flavour was totally lost. neither the mayo or wasabe made a difference to the acidity.

the service was poor as i had to get the attention of the waitress to order despite only being the second customer in and the dishes were not cleared nor any polite hospitality synoymous with good japanese custom or a good japenese eating institution.

go here for lunch almost once a week. best value for money and food tastes amazing. portions are huge so be ready to share! recently they have been very busy so the service is slow. thesashimiis always fresh, place is clean and service is nice. we always get thesashimisalad of kaiso salad. delicious!

love this place! delicious food, lovely service and well worth the money.

the banquet andsashimisalad is what i usually order and it does not disappoint. even though it is a bit of a drive for me, i never regret the trip.

went for lunch, the package for lunch is worthy for the food offered. portion is huge and thesashimiis uber fresh. had quite a bit for 3 pax and the bill came under $60 mark.. they also give complimentary miso soup

why hello there ! what a gem to find in surry hills. first time here. went on a sunday night and the seats filled in quickly. complimentary condiments like glass noodles side, edamame beans and pannacotta for dessert so yum, very thoughtful indeed. we ordered 10 dishes amongst the four of us - soft shell crab, wagyu pot, miso eggplant, tuna nigiri (ordered this after oursashimiplatter because it was really good quality but $2.50 a piece), agedashi tofu, tempura prawns,sashimiand sushi platter, california roll, tuna and avocado roll andsashimisalad (with real seaweed and not dyed ones yay and bowl is super big portion like triple a normal salad you would order at japanese restuarant). first four/five dishes sit on my favourites list and the rest of the list isnt ordered they are all worthy to try, you cannot go wrong and will go back for more. the menu has many choices but somewhat limited. i wanted to eat unagi rice which would be really great for this restuarant, but maybe thats my own fault for craving it. they make everything from scratch, so very simple and fresh. for some reason the sushi rolls werent my favourite but nigiri's was good with slight vinegar taste. each dish was well portioned. chef was very friendly as we were sitting right next to the kitchen. include everything and looking at the bill and eating way more than we can... i think we found another favourite restuarant to go to.

the japanese you've been looking for .... what a lovely little asian oasis this place is. from the moment you enter you are greeted by a lovely simple decor, friendly staff and an atmosphere of friendly and sociable guests. we were greeted by a lovely lady (owner? manager?) who sat us down and made sure we had what we wanted. you feel like you're at someone's house rather than a restaurant. which is just charming. she was happy to make recommendations if needed just as much as leave us to ponder the menu. i personally don't think you can go wrong with the menu. all the food is lovely. from traditional sushi &sashimi(freshly prepared and beautifully presented) through to tempura, katsu and terriaki. a surprise for me was the panna cotta. i rarely like asian desserts ... they often miss the mark. but here, it was really a delight.

now i'll warn you ... this place is busy. it's surry hills worst kept secret. so remember to book, particularly on the weekend. but it's well worth it.


-----20 apr, 2014-----

great food, great value. this place is a hidden gem in the back streets of surry hills. a warm and welcoming atmosphere is balanced with friendly staff and great food. i had the 5 course special for $29 which provide me about 3 choices per a course. i was never disappointed with my choices. to me, the mark of a good japanese restaurant is how well they do tempura and sashimi. the chefs at suzaya are more than capable here and i enjoyed every mouthful. make the effort and pop into this place the next time you have a hankering for japanese.

want a good deal for lunch? suzuya is the place to be... for $15 i could not ask for more! -- the food -- small glass noodle appetiser --  sesame soy dressed glass noodles simple yet tasty  agedashi tofu -- deep fried tofu in a soy bases sauce fried nicely as the oil was not reused too many times. sauce was simple but japanese food is all about simplicity miso soup -- nothing out of ordinary sashimi!! generous serve of sashimi. fish was very fresh. sushi -- if you choosesashimiyou don't get sushi and vice versa of course the sushi is not comparable to some other japanese restaurants as the rice andsashimiratio is slightly off ... but i can't complain for a $15 meal!  main was teriyaki salmon -- although overcooked but quite nice served with rice what more could i ask for? glass noodle, miso soup, sashimi/sushi, teriyaki salmon or teriyaki chicken, agedashi  tofu and rice for only $15!!! bargain!!! come here to enjoy such a good deal and walk around this neighbourhood for a nice c

excellent service, delicious food. nice cosy little place with cheerfully friendly staffs. orderedsashimisalad... very generous portion for the price, definitely a share dish. qualitysashimislices with fresh julienne veg, yums. followed by deep fried eggplant, served with a very umamied sauce.

their tempura udon noodles are cooked perfectly el dente with a clear flavourful soup, my only gripe is that the egg is overcooked. lastly, the beef teriyaki, portion is once again generous, beef slices are very juicy and served with lots of julienne veg as sides.

when we asked for the bill, they gave us a complimentary pannacotta each as dessert which is really light but tastes great. this is a restaurant that i would not hesitate to come back again and again.

third time a wonder!. each time we try something a bit more adventurous and leave just as pleased. the gyoza is some of the best i've had while the katsu chicken is unbeatable. the pieces are big and juicy you'll be satisfied on your first bite.

we always order the wagyu pot and edamame. last night we tried thesashimiand we were all very satisfied. but i'm not sure if you can take my word for it because it was the first time i had eaten sashimi.

when it comes to pricing, i find it a great place to go with a group of 4-6. more and you would be overcrowding this quaint little restaurant and less and you will struggle to finish such large portions.

great place! make a booking or come early otherwise you'll struggle to grab a table.