Iki-Jime

If I were to tell you that I had the best bread that I have ever had, and that it was from a seafood restaurant, you would probably think I was lying - or perhaps just drunk.  But the whole table agreed that Iki-Jime's bread was the highlight of the meal - sweet and buttery, it was crispy on the outside and warm and fluffy on the in. But back to the important basics. Iki Jime is the latest restaurant opened by Shannon Bennett, and replaces Vue Du Monde's little sisted Bistro Vue.  Only offering seafood, Iki Jime offers a variety of cooked and raw options that are all made for sharing.

For starters, we shared Iki-Jime's "fish and chips", fried fish wings, fish snags with tarragon emulsion and slaw, kingfish with smoked scallops and sweetcorn (served up with fresh bread to mop up the delicious corn juices) and an array of the different fresh oysters they had on offer.

Fish and Chips

Fried Fish Wings

Fish snags with tarragon emulsion and slaw

Kingfish with smoked scallops and sweetcorn

The best bread in the world

Other than the bread, the kingfish and the "fish and chips" were definitely the stars of the show.  The kingfish with smoked scallop was fresh but still rich in flavour, and the the "fish and chips" was a clever take on the family favourite, that was the perfect marriage of textures.  The fish snags, however, sadly had mixed reviews.

To follow, we shared the grilled whole barramundi in paperbark with lemon myrtle, chili and clams, accompanied by a charred zucchini salad and saltbush vinegar tots.

The staff were nice enough to help us de-bone the incredibly juicy barramundi (after my failed attempt to hack into it) which came out still flaming - nothing quite like a bit of theater to go with your meal. The saltbush vinegar tots were another star of the show - although, how can you really go wrong with fried potato?

Whilst open for both lunch and dinner, the venue itself has no natural light, so it's quite moody in the middle of the day.  Nonetheless, which such excellent food, and warm and friendly service, Iki-Jime would still be on my recommendation for places to eat if look for somewhere just that little bit special for lunch or dinner.

Food: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Venue: 3.5/5
Total: 12/15
Verdict: Love - get around to trying it soon