By
Trevor Pepys reviews Izakaya Ate, Noosa Junction
It had been too long between sakes.
In fact the last time Trev had binged on the sacred sap of fermented rice, it had been over what turned out to be a farewell degustation lunch at the late, lamented Wasabi for a now late and lamented media mogul of Trev’s acquaintance. On that occasion, the MM’s shout of course, we went double or nothing, pairing a suitable bottle of wine with each course as well as the sake.
So, as Trev and the missus took an indoor table on a cool spring evening at Izakaya Ate, it seemed fitting that we order both the Junmai Ooseki sake ($13) and the La La Land Pinot Gris 2017 ($38) to be going on with while we hoisted one in memory of the old rabble-rouser (who would have been appalled at the selections, by the way) and surveyed the menu.
Okay, so Izakaya Ate isn’t Wasabi and isn’t trying to be, but it’s authentic and Trev likes its style, starting from the first part of the name, which comes from a tradition dating back 400 years to the Edo Era in Japan of “people enjoying drinking with small dishes that go perfectly along with alcohol”, the preamble to the menu begins. The second part, pronounced “ah-tay”, is a Kansai dialect word for appetizers, as in, “After enjoying different kinds of appetizer dishes with enough drinks to get you feel tipsy, people usually go for rice, noodles and soups…”
Although the Pinot Gris and the sake went down a treat, clearly we weren’t tipsy enough because we elected to stay with the appetizers. First, the garlic spicy edamame ($8) to set the mood, then share plates of Steamed Prawn Gyoza ($16), Vegetable Kakiage ($18) and a Salmon sashimi carpaccio with homemade yuzu sauce ($23).
The steamed prawn dumplings were delectable but the accompanying “spicy sauce” wasn’t in the least, which was a little disappointing. Likewise the tempura of mixed vegetables was fresh, crispy and tasty but lacked an edge that a spice would have given it. The salmon sashimi carpaccio with yuzu sauce was fresh and well-presented, but Trev’s personal taste is that if you’re doing Japanese, do it all the way. Dump the carpaccio fusion confusion, cut the fish in cubes, serve with Wasabi and soy sauce, both of which Trev ordered on the side, hopefully not offending the chef.
Still sipping the dregs of our twin bottles, we leapt straight from appetizers to desserts, sharing a Mochi Matcha sticky rice cake ice cream with Kuromitsu black honey and soybean flour ($12). Not Trev’s cup of sake, but the missus loved it.
The verdict: Izakaya Ate is a funky room with a terrace in an increasingly trendy grazing strip (Trev read this in a big city newspaper just last weekend, so it must be true!) where you sometimes get service with attitude instead of a smile. Izakaya reverses that with prompt attention and good vibes all round, which I’m sure is one of the reasons it has a legion of fans. The food is fresh and tasty, the brief wine list reasonable. Trev will be back, and next time he’ll sort out the spice before he starts.
Izakaya Ate, 14 Arcadia Street, Noosa Junction. Phone 5448 0724.