By the time you read this, I will be in the land of sushi and all things cute and quirky. Yes, that is Japan. I am only spending a short time here and will be staying around the Osaka and Kyoto areas. I have my laptop with me so I will try to keep you updated on my culinary adventures while I'm over there.

In the mean time, I'll leave you with one of my favourite casual Japanese restaurants back in Sydney's Inner-West - Sushi Bar Rashai.

It is easy to overlook Sushi Bar Rashai as it sits within a strip of wedding boutiques along the ageing Parramatta Road. On all the times I have been here (too many to count!), it has always been packed, so bookings are recommended.

I love their tagline, 'Bit Slow But Friendly', which I think really summarises the experience at this charming restaurant. That, plus the generous serving sizes makes it a great venue for a casual night out.

Sushi Bar Rashai is both licensed and offers BYO. Here we have some sake, miso soup ($3) and a 'healthy drink' which is essentially a honey lemon tea.

I always start with the same dishes, takoyaki ($7.80) and chasoba salad ($8.80).

Takoyaki is a popular street food in Osaka - I can't wait to indulge in takoyaki every day!

At Sushi Bar Rashai, they're deliciously toasted on the outside and moreish on the inside with small chunks of octopus. It is finished off the classic way, with a sprinkle of bonito flakes, Japanese mayonnaise and a tangy sauce.

The chasoba salad features luscious threads of green tea noodles, mixed salad greens, tomato, thin shavings of carrot, cabbage and some alfalfa sprouts. The home style salad dressing adds vibrancy to this simple dish.

We also have the ninja balls ($8.80), the seaweed delight ($6.80), agedashi tofu ($8.50), and edamame ($6.80). The ninja balls turn out to be divine deep-fried potato and chicken mince gems, which we gleefully demolish. The seaweed salad needs no introduction - its marinade is so aromatic. I also love the sticky gum texture of the agedashi tofu... Mmmm...

The beef tataki ($10.80) is served on a bed of sliced raw onion which while may sound hard to swallow, adds a really clean and crisp texture to the seared beef. The light soy vinaigrette wraps the flavours together, producing another magnificent dish.

Kicking off the meatier dishes, we start with the nasu miso steak ($9.80) - the vegetarian's winning combination of grilled eggplant and earthy miso.

The kaki fry ($10.80) are deep-fried oysters in a breadcrumb batter and is a dish all oyster lovers will enjoy.

Next up are soft shell crab karaage ($8.80), king prawn tempura ($20.80), tori karaage ($9.80). Both the karaage dishes feature a light golden brown crispy coating which accentuates the juicy flavours within. The prawns in the tempura dish are definitely king-sized - the crunch of the outside and succulent tenderness of the fresh king prawns inside... oh so good!

The small party sushi and sashimi platter ($42.80) is a fine work of art. It is clear that each piece has been prepared with extreme precision and care. There's a bit of everything - hotata (scallop), unagi (eel), hamachi (kingfish), tobiko (flying fish roe), maguro (tuna), sake (salmon), tamago nigiri (omelette sushi) and more.

Overall this restaurant is a favourite of mine, and every dining experience here only excites me even more about the delicious time I'll be soon having in Japan!

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Sushi Bar Rashai
241 Parramatta Road, Annandale, NSW
Phone: (02) 9560 3007
Web: www.sushirashai.com

If you are like me and haven't yet had the opportunity of eating your way around New Zealand, then you will be thrilled to hear about this upcoming food and wine promotion happening throughout September.

I have partnered with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to present New Zealand's First XV of food and wine in Sydney, which will give us all a taste of what New Zealand has to offer.

Of course this also celebrates the 'One Year To Go' mark, of its role as hosts of one of the world's biggest sports events - Rugby World Cup. (Some of you may have already seen the giant rugby ball in Circular Quay)

A specially hand-picked team of Sydney's top fifteen restaurants will be showcasing the bounty of New Zealand's finest produce, matched with the very best drops of their internationally acclaimed wines.

Don't know much about New Zealand's food and wine? Here are ten facts to get you up to speed:

1. New Zealand Regal King Salmon is the ONLY salmon in the world that doesn't use any antibiotics in the rearing of their salmon.
2. New Zealand Greenshell mussels became the most valuable export species in 2006, worth $182 million
3. New Zealand wine is contained in bottles from an estimated 66% recycled glass and wrapped in recyclable packaging from sustainable forests
4. NZ meat industry boasts one of the most robust quality assurance systems in the world
5. Enjoying a long tradition of innovation, New Zealand's world leading dairy industry has pioneered such products as the world's first spreadable butter and milk powders specifically targeted at pregnant and breastfeeding women. New Zealand is the fifth largest cheese exporter in the world.
6. FirstLight Wagyu comes from one of the most pure-bred Wagyu herds outside of Japan
7. By 2012 the aim of NZ Winegrowers is for all NZ grapes and wine to be produced under independently-audited sustainability schemes.
8. Manuka honey, extracted from the flower of the native New Zealand manuka bush, has amazing antibacterial properties that can treat any infectious organism.
9. New Zealand is recognised as a world leader in fisheries management, with rigorous mechanisms and controls in place for managing quotas, ensuring sustainable harvests and continual renewal of the ocean habitats.New Zealand also exported the first shipment of frozen meat in 1882
10. Approximately 10 percent of all known marine species are found in New Zealand waters.

Now, hop over to the sponsorship feature to find out which restaurants are participating, and what their special offers are! Remember, this is available during the month of September 2010 only, so plan ahead and don't miss out.

What: NZ's First XV of food and wine in Sydney
When: Sept 1 - 30
Where: Various restaurants in Sydney; click for the complete list
Cost: Varies from $25 up to $100

As you can see, costs are reasonable so visit a few restaurants and take your taste buds on a trek to New Zealand!