Japanese/China

via WAM

On a recent trip to China, Wads hunted down a rogue group of Chinese who were flaunting their long-standing national hatred of all things Japandroid by serving edamame. In a tribute to globalisation, we’ve rated this one “Japanese out of China”. In the words of the Wad, this edamame had “excellent taste although held back by the boney fish.”

13/20*

via @neekatron

*Take-away. A slightly furry, yet satisfying serve of edamame. Firm and juicy, always served hot and lightly salted. Wasabi edamame is always cooked to perfection.

9/20

via @HuMun

A disappointing edamame run continues with this poor showing from the recently re-named “Wasabi”. Apparently the name changed to align with their sister restaurant. There’s dozens of restaurants called Wasabi in Sydney, but judging by the quality of their edamame, the restaurant formerly known as Sushi Arigato might be related to Wasabi Bistro in Pyrmont.

4/20

via @HuMun

This edamame is like an abusive boyfriend. Four in every five encounters are painfully shit but then suddenly, when you least expect it, they seem to make everything right. And just when you think you’re back on track, they return to their peamotionally baron ways.

!!!/20

via @HuMun

Fuck it was cold at Boogie. Despite the Nordic pyrotechnics, erratic dancing and full-time Lazy Patch suit. Even despite that awesome giant chilli costume. But the Japanese Boogie stalwarts Disco Beans provided a window or warmth with their edamame. I have no idea what it tasted like. It doesn’t matter anyway. Who needs rock salt when your edamame comes with rock?

15/20*

via @HuMun

A hipster Hyde Park picnic wouldn’t be complete without a Tokyo Bike, bottle of Pocari Sweat, some Swedish cider and take-away edamame from Arigato. Super-sweet and juicy peas are perfect for a game of who-can-catch-the-pea-in-their-mouth - an activity normally unbecoming of expected behaviour in a Japanese restaurant. The addition of fresh chilli made up for the lack of salt means this certainly beats the take-away edamame at Sushi Suma, Sushi Hero II and the Chinese New Year Markets, and is on par with take-away edamame in Japan - at the Fuji Rock Festival, Tokyo Dome Baseball and Muteki Mario in Shinjuku.

via @HuMun

13/20

Wasabi is one of those sushi train / a la carte double-acts where you sit at the bench but are then too tempted by menu items. The edamame is juicy, generous, sweet and steaming hot but lacks the X-factor of flake salt or chilli. Big bastard Sapporo cans for $8.50.

14/20

via @HuMun

Celebrity edamame chef Annik Skelton delivered a fine sample of soy beans this afternoon. Superb juiciness and lovely texture. But the salt was a genuine disappointment - both in quality and quantity. A real shame considering Annik often stocks pink sea salt in the kitchen pantry.

UPDATE: Annik actually did use pink sea salt in the water to boil the edamame.

13/20

via @HuMun’s Mum

My mum can’t pronounce “edamame” but she sure enjoyed her first real Japanese dining experience. (She left dad and his WW2 hang-ups back in Melbourne.) The edamame is adequate and the Sake Pear & Green Tea Ice Cream dessert is pretty spesh.

9/20

via @HuMun

It’s never easy to land a good take-away edamame in Japan (let alone in Sydney). But it’s even worse when it takes an hour to pick up and the ordering process throws hardened producers into uncontrollable fits of giggles. Better eat in next time.

Regular: 15/20

Chilli: 17/20

via @tweebs

Finally, a review from the vaunted edamame kitchen at Toko in Surry Hills. As usual, the chilli version was favoured over its plain salted cousin. But the placenta-like soggyness of the offering is somewhat concerning.

17/20

via @HuMun with Snitch & Zarb

“In the worlds before Monkey, primal chaos reigned. Heaven sought order. But the phoenix only can fly when it’s feathers are grown. The four worlds formed again and again as endless eons came and passed. Time, and the pure salts of heaven, the moisture of the earth and the chlorophyll of the sun and the moon all worked on an ancient rock. And it became magically fertile. That first egg was named Thought. Tappu Ky Budhe, the father buddha, said ‘with thoughts, we make the world’. Elementary forces caused the egg to hatch. From it then came a strong Monkey. The nature of Monkey was irrepressible!

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4/20

via @HuMun

Billed as ‘Garlic Soy & Pepper Edamame’ from a deceptively authentic-looking Japanese stall at Sydney’s Chinese New Year markets, these beans barely matched the quality of the karaoke contest on stage. With overpowering garlic and pepper, they actually tasted disturbingly like a steak. And what are the Japanese doing at a Chinese New Year market anyway? Piss off!

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1. Raku Stand Bar, Kyoto

2. Zushi, Darlinghurst

3. Some Taro, Asakusa

4. Sake, The Rocks

5. Nobu, Melbourne

6. Busshari, Potts Point

7. Muteki Mario, Shinjuku

8. Nobu, Waikiki

9. Fuji Rock Festival, Niigata

10. Tamaya Dining Room, Singapore