restaurant review

Terra Australis: Australian wine and food and chill vibes in Sendagaya

2 Comments
By Maki Yasuda

Terra Australis is a new restaurant-bar complex that just opened in January this year in the quietly hip neighborhood of Sendagaya down the road from Harajuku. Sendagaya has historically been an interesting area with a laid back vibe - writer Haruki Murakami had his jazz bar here back in the days - and particularly 3-chome where Terra Australis is located, is now home to dozens of workshops and studios for clothing and accessory brands like the superbrand Bape.

Set in a new 4-story building on a quasi-residential backstreet two minutes by foot from Kitasando metro station, Terra Australis consists of a restaurant on the second floor, bar on third, private room for events on fourth, and a rooftop terrace (the whole ground floor is actually a small coin-parking area). While you can get burgers and such hearty plates in the bar upstairs, the restaurant specializes in refined natural cuisine made with local and Australian ingredients, and the wine menu highlights some of the premium wines of Aussie-wine importer Winetree, which is the parent company of this establishment. The restaurant space is intimate, fitting eight or so tables, with a semi-open kitchen and big glass-walled wine cellar. The natural woodsy interior still exudes the lovely aroma of fresh wood, and the lighting is soft and warm, flattering both food and people.

The chef of Terra Australis is Koji Fukuda, who previously headed Salt Tokyo in Marunouchi, the Japan branch of the famous Sydney restaurant by celebrity chef Luke Mangan. Chef Fukuda - who by the way seems right at home in this neighborhood with his cool ponytail hairstyle and easy-going manner - is an officially designated “Lambassador” by the Australian government, whose cooking is a fusion style that reflects the multiculturalism of Australia, mixing elements of Asian, British and French cuisine.

For now, dinner time is Prix Fixe only (they are contemplating adding a la carte in the future), but you get to choose your dishes from a quite extensive menu, and the 5-course dinner that includes both fish and meat course offers good value at 5,800 yen. As I perused the wine list at my table, they brought over the amuse; a trio of lamb pie, fried fish cake and crab-filled roll, creatively presented on a box of warm stones, which I think must be a reference to Pebble Beach in Australia. Although not too keen on deep fried at the very beginning of dinner, these savory bites won me over with their energetic blend of Middle Eastern and Asian flavors, going nicely with a glass of dry sparkling wine by Sirromet Winery (which Winetree imports). It was fun finger food, which I imagine would also be great for the Australian craft beer they have.

The selections of entree on the menu could be described quite literally as "multicultural." The one that I had was "Smoked silver bream," a sophisticated Japanese-French dish of smoked fish, eggplant and slices of pink grapefruit, presented under a smoke-filled glass dome that was lifted off the dish at the table to dramatic effect. In contrast, the "Trio of NSW Lamb" that I also got to sample had the unassuming looks of a mezze platter from a real Moroccan restaurant. Other selections for entree were salad, Tasmanian trout gravalax, roasted quail, steak tartar…a very eclectic lineup. For the fish course, there were only two choices, which were prawn fettucine or roasted sea perch with spring vegetable risotto. Again, the dishes were very different, the pasta simple and rustic while the sea perch was French style with sauce poured at the table. Portions were quite substantial too, so that these dishes actually seemed like a la carte selections than part of a course.

The meat course was quite consistent in theme however, with all selections prepared by simple charcoal grill, and served with six kinds of sauces including homemade barbecue sauce, grain mustard, and chimichurri. The beef steaks are a nice and manageable 100g size; you can choose from a selection of different cuts of grain-fed Black Angus, Australian wagyu, and pasture-fed Angus x Hereford sirloin. There is also a 400g Porterhouse steak (+1,000 yen), and pork, bay lobster (or "Moreton bay bugs" as they are called in Australia), and fish selections. I, of course, went for the lamb chops that Chef Fukuda is known for, and although very rare, the tender meat had a wonderfully gentle and pure taste and was delicious. Good for the Lambassador!

After a palate cleanser of lemon myrtle sherbet came dessert. I had the ice cream and sorbet parfait and also got to sample the Pavlova (if you want the souffle, it takes 20 minutes to prepare, so order in advance, which I unfortunately did not get around to doing). Both desserts used plenty of fresh fruit and had a pleasing homemade feel. With coffee came petit fours, bites of carrot cake and chocolate truffle, which the chef made himself. Apparently Chef Fukuda is quite the sweets baker- on my way out, he reached out from the kitchen and handed me a small wrapped slice of wattleseed cake, which he also said he baked.

Such a satisfying course at a great price, and with glass wines starting at 780 yen, Terra Australis is just the kind of casual gourmet place that’s useful to know for an everyday occasion needing something a little special. Ohanami season is coming up, so you might be smart to book Terra Australis for a relaxing post-hanami dinner after hitting Yoyogi Park or Shinjuku Gyoen. Or make a fashion stop at Ron Herman and stroll over to the Terra Australis bar for a glass of Shiraz or craft beer and some good Australian grub. Whether it’s dinner with a date or drinks with a mate, it sounds like a pretty good plan for a mellow evening in the coming warmer season.

Terra Australis 3-29-2 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-6455-4827 (restaurant), 03-6455-4828 (‘Bar 329’) Hours: Restaurant 11:30-14:30 (LO 14:00) / 17:30-22:00 (LO 21:00) Bar 11:30-23:30 (LO 23:00)

Closed on Mondays.

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2 Comments
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I love grilled lamb chops and am glad to see more restaurants in Tokyo putting it on their menus.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

fried fish cake and crab-filled roll, creatively presented on a box of warm stones

Did I see some food on a slate as well?

Don't import this ghastly, superficial triumph of frivolity over function. Plates, please!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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