Driving back from Phillip Island on Australia Day Sunday was a hot and bothering affair. Whilst Rafa Nadal was losing to the coolest bandwagon player in town, Wawrinka, a late night dinner was happening at Cocoro (why they decided not to spell it Kokoro I'll never know). I'd long been wanting to go here. Since Anada on Gertrude St replaced one of my favourite small Japanese restaurants, Wabi Sabi Salon had been a reasonable local replacement. But Cocoro had it's own brand of followers and even though I'd walked past dozens of times, I'd never ventured in. Perhaps it was because I don't tend to try places which are cafes attached to shops as such.
Cocoro is definitely more a restaurant first and a place for displaying and showcasing Japanese pottery second. Shelves on the walls are lined with pottery product you can buy and each dish comes out handmade wares that attract its own fair amount of attention.
Besides food and pottery, Cocoro is also proud of its organic green tea. On a hot evening, iced green tea seemed like a good idea but I wouldn't recommend it. A lot of the flavour is lost in the coldness. Organic Black Honey Green Tea Latte on the other hand was smooth and quite sweet, and was served in an inspiring shaped mug.
- Grilled Sake & Soy Sauce Oysters - the oysters were quite small and heavily cooked. They had some strong soy saltiness that was fine, but also reminded me why I only really eat oysters raw;
- Takoyaki - nicely cooked with a more distinct soft nut-like texture different to the usual smooth paste inside. There was a tiny single sucker of octopus inside and a nice heaving of bonito for flavour. The wasabi in the mayonnaise wasn't detectable;
- Crab Sushi - excellent sushi rice wrapped in nori and topped with a smooth blend of mild crab meat. I actually liked the rice and nori more than the crab topping;
- Japanese-style Deep Fried Atlantic Salmon in garlic/ginger/soy/sake marinade - thin slices of smoothly crumbed salmon topped with mayonnaise. A healthier version of kara age I'm thinking.
Overall the food was good and satisfying but nothing I'd say that was outstanding or great. There is a lot of items on the menu, so everyone's Japanese taste can be covered here.
Next time I would order Natural Ponzu Oysters, Aburi Sashimi (although I rarely get sushi/sashimi from restaurants these days), and probably try something staple like Agedashi Tofu or the Beef & Tofu Stew. I'd also leave room for the dessert Green Tea Parfait, which I have high hopes for given their green tea tendencies and the quality of the green tea latte.
