As a modern style izakaya and sake bar, Heirloom offers many differing types of Japanese dishes as well as one of Australia's largest collections of Japanese whiskey. As sister restaurant to Shoya, one of Melbourne's most recognised Japanese restaurants, I was excited to try their more modern variations on traditional Japanese cuisine.
Melbourne's Bourke Street
Red and black interior tones
Oysters with tosazu foam & tobiko / Yuzu jelly & chopped wasabi $16.00
The oysters on offer had flavour combos which sounded absolutely lovely, which made it hard to decide which I wanted. To my delight the waitress informed me that I could simply choose to have both of the flavours. However, although the concept behind the dish was great, the execution was disappointing. The oysters were huge and lacked the fresh and sharp flavours which I expect. This problem was only amplified by the sheer volume of the ingredients added on top, which masked the flavour of the oysters and also made it quite hard to eat.
Hokkaido crab croquettes $8.00
The Hokkaido crab croquettes would have been a great dish if they were just served on their own. The addition of the orange and balsamic reduction gave it a strange and bitter flavour, which completely overpowered the delicate crab croquette, as well as ruining parts of the crispy coating.
Swordfish yuuanyaki $28.00
The redeeming factor of the entire meal would have to be the main dish of swordfish yuuanyaki. The yuzu soy marinade emanated a lovely sweetness that danced on the palate, while the light acidity of the yuzu pickled daikon helped cut through some of the fattiness.
The food at Heirloom had a lot of ups and downs. Although the concept behind a lot of the dishes seemed to be well thought out, the execution left something to be desired. The saving grace of the night would definitely have to be a combination of the swordfish main as well as the impeccable service throughout the night.
Food Rating 6.5/10
Overall Rating 7.5/10