Mizz B'z Food & Wine Sydney

Mizz B’z Food & Wine opened in Sydney late 2016 with Executive Chef Masahiko Yomoda, one of Australia’s leading Japanese chefs.

Mizz B’z Food & Wine Sydney

The venue by Stuart Page and his wife Bupba is located in the St James Centre in Sydney’s CBD and is a tribute to the owners’ travels and experiences in Asia. The design fuses Western and Asian influences with deep purple and gold hues, plush lounges, wooden furnishings, fishbone chairs, cedar finishes and subdued lighting.

Interior

Executive Chef Masahiko Yomoda forged his career 22 years ago in France, where he worked at Three Michelin Star venue Alain Chapel under Head Chef Phillip Jousse. He then moved back to Japan where he worked for Three Michelin Star venues Joel Robuchon and Restaurant L’OSIER before moving to Arbace which acquired a Michelin Star in its first year.

In 2008, Yomoda moved to Sydney and participated in Iron Chef TV series before working The Observatory Hotel’s Galileo, Bathers Pavillion, Est. and Sake.

Bar Manager Adam Bruce (left)

Mizz B’z cocktail list by Bar Manager Adam Bruce (ex Hamilton Island Resort, Hilton Glass) incorporates some Taiwanese influences from his background. The list is designed to take you from the lighter aperitif style drinks to sweeter dessert cocktails. You’ll be tempted to start with B’z Saketini ($18) made with Sake, Vodka, Umeshu and balanced with ginger, or the oriental flavoured Buddha’s Tea ($18) with green tea infused rum, lime, mint, kaffir lime and honey syrup.

Saigon Sin

The Saigon Sin ($20) with smoked chilli-infused Mezcal, dark rum, agave, lime and mint is served up and packs a punch. You get the chilli upfront followed from the smoke from the Mezcal, the sweetness of the rum and citrus for balance. The smokey bacon garnish completes the drink by adding a little salt to the flavour spectrum.

Fashioned Femme

Fashioned Femme ($19.50) brings together bourbon, ginger liqueur, Laphroaig 10 yo, Pernod, black sesame syrup and Angostura Bitters in an old fashioned style of drink. It’s served in a rocks glass and garnished with black sesame seeds and a star anise. The drinks starts with a herbal note form the Pernod and leads to the sweetness of the bourbon and the smoke of the Islay whisky.

Both cocktails are well crafted and well balanced that you’ll be tempted to order from the cocktail dessert menu.

The wine list at Mizz B’z features some 50 wines by the glass as well as Coravin Wines by 100mml or 150 ml. Wines by the bottle span France, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, USA, as well as Grace Wines from Japan. Consider leaving yourself in the hands of Restaurant Manager Fabio Fontes or his knowledgeable team – his wine recommendations are spot on.

Yokhoe Beef Tartare

The Pan Asian menu at Mizz B’z is inspired by the chef’s Japanese heritage and classical French training. The food is divided into Raw & Smoked, Starters to Share, more substantial dishes To Share, Mains and On the Side and a choice of three Desserts.

From Raw & Smoked, the Yokhoe Beef Tartare ($23) is made up of five tasty morsels of raw beef on onion shells with thinly shaved beetroot, fried leek and toasted wild rice for texture. This is a tartare like you’ve never had it before. The onion shells add another delicious dimension to the freshness of the meat. There’s a welcome tingling heat on the finish and a creamy sesame sauce.

The dish is paired with 2014 Tim Smith GSM Barossa Valley ($16), a smooth, medium-bodied wine with ripe berries that linger on the palate.

Foie Gras Mousse

From Starters to Share, Foie Gras Mousse ($26) comes elegantly presented with a Parmesan crisp, fig jam and a caramel crisp. The mousse is light and airy in texture but rich in flavour, while the jam adds an element of sweetness which complements the fattiness of the foie gras.

Mini Toasts for Foie Gras Mousse

The entree is paired with 2015 Dalrymple Pinot Noir Pipers River from Tasmania ($15), a smooth and fruity Pinot with good structure and fine tannins.

Miso Cod

You know Miso cod. You may have cooked it at home or eaten it out. Yomoda’s version is arguably the best ever tasted. The Miso Cod ($38) with cucumber spaghetti and XO crust is seriously not to be missed. Fish that melts in the mouth is not usually a descriptor but in this case, it is so moist and flavoursome yet it retains its flakiness and texture. The crispy XO crust elevates the dish even more by adding saltiness, heat and texture – all in the right balance. The cucumber spaghetti is cooling and counterbalances some of the heat. Other ingredients in the dish include a prawn cracker, red seaweed and citrus.

Pair it with the elegant 2015 By Farr Viognier from Geelong ($22), a crisp and fruity wine with a hint of oak.

Slow Cooked Lamb Shank

Slow Cooked Lamb Shank ($35) is beautifully presented with black garlic, leek, broccoli, asparagus, bok choy and massaman cream. The lamb pieces are impossibly tender while the superb massaman sauce is creamy, fragrant, and good enough to simply eat by the spoon.

Mizz B’z Rice

Leave some of the sauce for Mizz B’z Rice ($8), it’s tasty and light but big on flavour with chicken, chilli and coriander.

The lamb is paired with the excellent 2009 Glenguin ‘Aristea’ Shiraz from the Hunter Valley ($31), a full bodied shiraz that stands up to the dish and counterbalances the richness and texture of the sauce.

Green Tea ” Creme Brulee”

When it comes to dessert, the Green Tea “Creme Brulee” ($17) intrigues at first in presentation with an almost deconstructed/Eton Mess style of dessert with berry compote, red bean, and a superb coconut and lime sorbet.

Chocolate and Mascarpone Mousse

The Chocolate and Mascarpone Mousse ($17) hides an array of mixed berries, tropical fruit beneath a crisp layer of chocolate wafer. It’s not as rich and sweet as you may expect and it comes with the most incredible sake ice cream that tastes just like sake.

White Tiger

You’d do well to pair dessert with cocktails such as the White Tiger ($18), with dark rum, Cointreau, Pedro Ximenez sherry, blueberry, ginger and cinnamon syrup, lemon and egg white. Floral and fruity, the cocktail brings a balance of sweet and sour along with richness and complexity from the PX sherry.

The Black Hat Express

If you’re in need of a pick me up, the Black Hat Express ($20) with vodka with Mr Black Coffee Liqueur, Tia Maria and Frangelico hits the caffeine spot. This a “Mr Black”-forward Espresso Martini with a hint of nuttiness of the Frangelico liqueur.

Mizz B’z brings an experience on par with fine dining, sophisticated and welcoming without an attitude or an elaborate price tag. The dishes as well as the cocktails are well crafted with attention to detail, flavour and presentation. The staff are very knowledgeable be it about the ingredients in the dishes, the wine recommendations or the cocktails on offer. The CBD location is within easy reach of public transport and makes it ideal to drop in for a quick lunch or a more leisurely dinner after work. The Judge’s Choice Lunch offers one dish from the bar menu and one drink for $27 and runs every weekday from midday to 3pm.

In short, Mizz B’z is the biz.

Mizz B’z
St James Centre, 111 Elizabeth Street, Sydney
www.mizzbz.com.au
Open Monday to Friday