For my brother's 24th birthday this year, we went to one of our favourite restaurants, Kenzan in the city. I haven't been there since I was a young girl. Aah.. how I love it.

Kenzan Japanese Restaurant
Collins Place
45 Collins Street (56 Flinders Lane)
Melbourne 3000

We started with delicious edamame (beans), which are given FOC when you sit down.


edamame

And started, as usual, with the massive assorted sushi/sashimi platter. DELICIOUS.


sushi sashimi moriawase

For mains, Mum and Dad both had tempura and rice.


tempura

I was disappointed that they no longer have tonkatsu on the menu, now that I'm back on pork. But I was more than happy with my choice of mains (2 entrees, really)... Smoked tuna with eggplant...


eggplant and smoked tuna

..and salt grilled ox tongue. Ox tongue is one of my favourite foods on the planet. Here it was served with Cupie mayonnaise, my other favourite food on the planet. Wow. (However, I have to admit, as great as this one was, I prefer the late great Oobata-san's version from Asukatei).


gyuu tan

Daniel had salmon teriyaki.


sake teriyaki

And for dessert... Daniel had green tea and vanilla ice-creams.


green tea and vanilla ice-cream

Mum and Dad shared green-tea ice-cream with red-bean (I couldn't find the photo, sorry)...

But my dessert was the best!


White sesame mousse, filled with redbean and a whole chestnut, with black sesame sauce


inside of mousse

It was absolutely divine.... I love the Japanese spin on Western desserts!

And yes, after all that, we still came home and found room for cake. It was a Laurent hazelnut chocolate mousse cake, it was rich, it was sweet. It was almost like eating a stick of butter, but much tastier.


cake


cake slice

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANIEL!