Nomidokoro Indigo

Japanese food is a fixture in my diet and Sydney has a lot to offer from casual Japanese eateries for a quick lunch to fancy omakases that costs anywhere from $150 to $350 per head. Nomidokoro Indigo is a happy in between providing a little slice of Tokyo in Darlinghurst, this 12 seater serves casual Japanese drinking food/snacks at reasonable prices but is it any good? Keep reading!

The literal translation of ‘Izakya’ is a ‘dine-in sake shop’ and it’s an informal drinking establishment where small dishes of food/snacks are served to accompany drinks. The Japanese have perfected Izakayas the most famous being Omoide Yokocho (Piss alley) in Tokyo, however with the abundance of Japanese restaurants and omakases in Sydney is there a place for the humble Izakya? The answer is a resounding “YES” and Darlinghurst is the ideal trendy yet friendly neighbourhood for Nomidokoro Indigo’s 12 seat izakaya - let’s get eating (and drinking).

Drinks

Cassis Oolong

It’s probably a little embarrassing that during my Japan trip back in 2019 I didn’t try Cassis orange once… despite it having gained massive popularity in Japan. It’s essentially Cassis liqueur (sweet, blackcurrant flavour) blended with orange juice with only 5% alcohol. I like my cocktails and all but anything too sweet is a turn-off for me so I settled for the Cassis oolong instead based on the bartender’s advice as the bitterness of the oolong tea would supposedly cut through the sweetness of the Cassis liqueur. Don’t get me wrong, this drink was delicious and super smooth but didn’t taste like alcohol to me and was still a little too much on the sweet side. However, if you are a fan of sweet cocktails or liqueur then this is for you!

Sake

Photo credit: @nomidokoro.indigo [Instagram]

If I’m being perfectly honest I’m not usually reaching for sake when I have Japanese food, apologies to every Japanese person in the universe but I usually just go for highballs or Japanese whiskey. Sake has always felt like more of a refined option and I always envision two elder Japanese gentlemen drinking sake whilst watching the moonlight [romanticising this in my head right now]. However my friends insisted on sharing a bottle of sake and we selected a sweeter option from the extensive sake menu [FYI there are 25 sakes to choose from]. Did I enjoy it? Surprsingly yes the sake was super smooth and the hint of sweetness grew on me as the night went on. Would I order sake again? Hmmm… I’ll keep you guys posted.

Food

Specials - kingfish and salmon sashimi

Kingfish and salmon sashimi [market prices]

I have never met sashimi that I didn’t like and I would happily consume any and all forms of raw seafood, including the renowned puffer fish which regretfully I haven’t tried before. Nomidokoro Indigo’s sashimi specials are relatively tame and not too offensive to anyone new to sashimi however the focus here is on quality, not experimentation. Both the kingfish and salmon sashimi were incredibly fresh and moreish - we had a table of 5 people and could have easily devoured another two plates but there’s more delicious food to try!

Agedashi tofu

Agedashi tofu needs no introduction but for the un-initiated, it’s a Japanese hot tofu dish that’s lightly dusted with potato or cornstarch then deep fried until golden brown and served in a dashi sauce with green onions, grated radish ginger. Once again - nothing you haven’t tried before but the tofu was so F**KING SOFT yet firm enough to hold its own when we broke it apart with the wooden spoon. The dashi sauce was umami and I loved the freshness of the green onions as well - a must-order appetizer.

Dashimaki Tamago

Dashimaki tamago is akin to omelettes in Western culture but these are served any time of the day, not just for breakfast. At Izakayas, a large portion of dashimaki tamago is served with grated daikon [radish] and Nomidokoro’s version is also served with a side of house dashi. If you have ever tried to make tamago at home you would know it’s not a difficult process however I could never replicate the cushiony softness or melt-in-your-mouth texture of this version - the grated radish goes really well to cut through some of the mushiness from the tamago and the dashi accentuates the savoury umami flavour.

Scallop soy butter

Scallops are one of the most boujee seafood options out there and you can’t change my mind - wherever I go restaurants charge exorbitant prices for scallops [yes including at the Sydney fish markets] but PSA: you can also buy scallops from Woolies and grill them at home. However, I take great delight in someone else making scallops for me and these were divine - grilled in soy butter with plenty of broth so you get all the sauce and flavour! Warning: do not sip the broth by itself as it’s a little too salty… however the scallops absorb all that savoury flavour as they sit in the bath of broth. These were absolutely delicious and I would definitely order again!

Deep fried chicken wings

I can hear some people questioning why I would order deep-fried chicken wings at an Izakaya when there are other options like ebi fry or ham katsu… the answer is simple: I love fried chicken! These chicken wings were super juicy and moist with an addictive outer coating of spices that leaves you wanting to come back for more bites. If you are into other deep-fried snacks Nomidokoro also offers deep-fried prawn karaage, croquettes, scallops, and fishcakes so you can order to your heart’s content.

Slow cooked duck breast

I’m going to sound very uncultured but I didn’t realize Japanese cuisine featured duck until I tried the Duck miso orange at NOBU (another Japanese restaurant you guys should try) earlier this year for my birthday. Nomidokoro’s version is a little different from NOBU in that the duck breast is slow-cooked and only mildly flavoured with the addition of Shichimi togarashi to dip and some veggies on the side (not sure if for decoration or not but I had a few leaves coz #fitnessismypassion). I loved how tender the duck breast was but it would’ve been a little underwhelming save for the dipping chilli flakes and white sesame - a little on the bland side for me but my friends loved it so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

Beef brisket

I was tossing up between the marinated wagyu tongue or beef brisket but my friends decidedly chose the brisket and it was a great choice - the brisket is marinated in what I assume to be a house-Japanese BBQ sauce and presented beautifully [Side note: I love all the plates and utensils used here and would have bought some home if they were selling these pieces]. Back to the brisket - the meat was grilled to perfection and infused with the marinade so each bite was incredibly saucy and moreish. We “oohed'“ and “ahhed” at the arrival of each dish but this one really got a lot of attention and rightfully so - a must order if you visit!

Hitokuchi croquette

We have come to the “we’re still hungry what else should we order” section of the blog [is this the secret to how Japanese are one of the healthiest populations in the world, imagine not eating until you’re full]. These are bite-sized potato croquettes and they were fried to a gorgeous golden colour, perfectly crunchy and delicious when dipped into the sauce - the other option is a corn cream croquette but we felt potato would be the better [i.e. carbier] option and I think we made the right choice.

Onigiri

I was told by the bartender that onigiri is traditionally served at the end of the meal as a nice way to finish the meal… lucky I’m not Japanese because we inhaled these before the hitokuchi croquettes because rice = carbs = best way to curb any residual hunger. There are four different fillings for the onigiri here - seaweed, ume, mentaiko (pollock roe) and the fourth flavour really isn’t important because everyone [save one person] went straight for the mentaiko onigiri. This was stuffed with plenty of roe and the rice was deliciously fluffy and soft, retaining much of the moisture [thank god for Japanese rice as it’s probably the highest quality out of all rice varieties]. Although I loved the 7/11 and Family Mart onigiris in Japan this version tasted even better!

Overall rating: 10/10

Address: 393 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010

Menu: http://nomidokoroindigo.com.au/Indigo_FoodMenu_web.pdf

Opening hours: Open everyday [except Tuesday] from 5 - 10p.m

Instagram: @nomidokoro.indigo