Takumi, Haymarket

The one thing I really do love about sushi trains is how quick and convenient they are. The sister and I stopped by Takumi inside Market City for a quick feed before our shopping spree. The sign that mentioned $2.50 special for students was what lured us in. This discount also applies for those who park inside Market City. For $2.50 per plate, how could we resist? Just flash your student ID and you're good to go!

Chicken cream cheese, $2.50

This was a pretty solid start to our sushi extravaganza. The sweet chilli sauce was a surprise but one that we didn't mind.

Grilled salmon, $2.50

 Mm, there really isn't anything that could go wrong with grilled salmon, a sweet teriyaki sauce and mayo.

Grilled scallop, $2.50

Like salmon, grilled scallop is hard to fault. Unless it is overcooked but that wasn't the case here. The scallops were still soft and silky and absolutely delicious.

Takoyaki, $2.50

I have a penchant to order these deep-fried octopus goodies! Yum as always. And you get a serving of four for just $2.50. Is that good value or what?

Chicken kushiage, $2.50

While these were enjoyable to eat with their crisp crumb coating, the chicken was just a tad dry (probably because of the small size of these chicken pieces) and I couldn't help comparing them to the chicken karaage we ordered at Sushi Hotaru, which were double the size at only $3.00 for the plate.

Salmon tobikko, $2.50

Loved the texture of this - silky salmon, creamy cheese, the slight bite from the rice and the salty burst from the roe. I did notice however that the salmon on both these were cut unevenly with one piece being significantly thicker than the other which you don't get from skilled sushi chefs who have trained in mastering the technique of cutting raw fish. I however, cannot do much better and it's not a big deal for me as the salmon tastes the same however thick it's cut :)

Prawn fry, $2.50

Yay for deep-fried prawns! The rice wasn't packed together very tightly so it fell apart as soon as I picked it up with my chopsticks which makes it harder to eat... What was very different was the tartare sauce on top - I've never had tartare sauce served with prawn tempura at Japanese restaurants.

Crab cheese, $2.50

My sister and I both thought there is nothing that could ever go THAT wrong with sushi. This one dish proved us wrong. Alarms should've run when I saw them take this out from the griller. It wasn't cream cheese they used but cheddar. The crab stick also became extremely fishy and rubbery from being cooked in that particular manner. The flavour combination didn't sit too well with us both and it wasn't very pleasant to eat at all.

Other than the crab and cheese sushi, my sister and I had a pleasant enough experience at Takumi. The staff were friendly however their English was very limited so there were a few communication mishaps at times. Though if I were to choose a cheap sushi train to dine at, Sushi Hotaru would be my pick. Serving sizes are more substantial and both the quality and execution is better. Takumi isn't bad, but I would avoid the crab cheese sushi at all costs!

Takumi
9 -13 Quay Street, Level 3 Market City
Sydney, NSW, 2000

Opening Hours
Open daily 11:30am - 9:30pm