Kenji Modern Japanese
Shop 5, 242 Hutt Street
Adelaide South Australia 5000
web site not available
email Kenji and Noriko Ito do not use for bookings
telephone + 61 8 8232 0944
fax + 61 8 8232 0944
OPEN Dinner Monday to Saturday
FOOD Kenji Ito first came to Australia 19 years ago as an exchange student and spent nine months in Sydney before returning to Japan to complete a degree in English Literature. Like so many obsessed chefs Kenji fell into cooking doing a classical Japanese apprenticeship mainly in Tokyo. He returned to Australia nine years ago to work at the former Hemeji. Determined to learn more about Western cuisine Kenji worked with iconic Adelaide chefs David Swain (Fino), Peter Reschke and Nigel Rich (d’Arry’s Verandah) and The Greedy Goose. Chef Kenji and his wife Noriko opened Kenji Modern Japanese in early 06, creating a gorgeous intimate little restaurant they have quickly become the new sweethearts of the Adelaide dining scene.
Our knowledge of Japanese cuisine is entirely book and dining learned but that reading and eating has been extensive. Japanese cuisine is loved for its paramount freshness and quality of product and the cleanness and textural definition of the food. In its purest form the Japanese diet it light, nutritious and very healthy.
Kenji is the type of restaurant that needs to be carefully explained. What does modern Japanese really mean? Assuming that it means ’not traditional’ it is not as clear definition as the old ’east meets west’. In the 80s it was the invasion of eastern ingredients into the classical French kitchen. It did not invade the Italian, Spanish, Japanese or any other kitchen, most of which stayed relatively pure. Until recently that is!
From the specials we ordered Kenji’s Mixed Appetiser Plate ($19.50 minimum 2 pax), and Soy ginger marinated wild boar saddle with chick pea mash, fresh fig and teriyaki sauce and watercress salsa verde ($28.50) and from the main menu Duck leg poached in orange and Japanese Hoji, tea–smoked duck breast with fragrant rice, roasted leek and baby carrot ($29). Knowledgeable service staff without the ubiquitous piece of paper confidently explained the intricacies of the multitudinous ingredients of the mixed appetisers. An enormous amount of work on the plate for the price but diners without a sense of adventure may find the combinations challenging. To be truthful we envied the divine traditional Nigiri Sushi ($27 for 14 pieces) that came to an adjoining table. These diners gave little sighs of pleasure and approval as they ate and we were jealous.
The wild boar flavour had been lost in the marinade and the very reduced Teriyaki sauce totally overwhelmed the dish. Australia’s benchmark tea-smoked duck is served at Adelaide’s Jolleys Boathouse and is so fantastic we have resolved never to order tea–smoked duck anywhere else again simply because it is never as good. Some of the food at Kenji has a sense of déjà vu about it because it is reminiscent of the wildly experimental food of the early 80s.
Monday night is the test of a restaurant when it comes to seafood, but returning to have the Moriawase, combination of sashimi, nigiri sushi, sushi rolls ($32 per person) and Miso Soup $3.80 they were both superb. A wide variety of incredibly fresh seafood exquisitely presented the Moriawase was stunning and the duck based the miso another benchmark. We also recently asked Kenji Ito to prepare and Australian Southern Rocklobster sashimi style for us. It was an absolute masterpiece.
We relentlessly experimented on our customers in the 80s and it seems hypocritical to comment, but you need a sense of adventure for the non-traditional (modern Japanese) food at Kenji where you might find things like chick peas with Ketyap Manis which even I know is not a Japanese ingredient. Thi is not a criticism but stating a fact and many of our readers love these dishes, however I do not. If you are a purist stay with Kenji’s traditional Japanese which is amongst Adelaide’s best.
WINE An excellent carefully structured diverse small wine list devised by Noriko, who modestly says she is just learning, but we have noted that she shows exceptional talent when it comes to matching Kenji’s food to wine.
OWNERS — Kenji and Noriko Ito
CHEF — Kenji Ito
Restaurant Manager — Noriko Ito who also composes their excellent wine list
