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Best Restaurants in Sydney: Daniel San Manly – Japanese Street Food
I had already heard great things about Daniel San Manly so when I was invited to dinner by the team I eagerly accepted. I’ve been a Manly girl for many years prior to moving to the Eastern Suburbs and I have a deep affinity with this beautiful part of Sydney. Every time I go back to Manly I still feel like a local and a truly miss my walks on the beach.
When I arrived at Daniel San I instantly fell in love with the venue, and took my camera out to take some snaps before the venue filled up, which it did of course, and quickly. That’s always a good sign especially, on a cold winter’s night.
For this visit, I took some other Carr’s along with me; Andrew and Grace. We had a table by the window, and even though it was dark I still loved being able to watch the people pass by and see the ocean and trees along the beach.
Photo Supplied: Daniel San
Daniel San Manly is one decked out venue! There are so many nooks and interesting things to look at including a row of pinball machines! I took this pic of this chicken coop that I found amusing (don't worry they are not real chooks). I found the whole venue interesting and quirky and, having a Japanese sister in law, I understand that fun side of the Japanese.
The staff are attentive and service was good. I also like the open kitchen so you can see the chefs busy creating.
On arrival I had a glass of Closer Champagne $10 and Andrew had a 150 Lashes by James Squire.
Later Grace and I tried a MIYAGI MAI TAI Served tall with plenty of oomf -DS Tiki potion(Jim Beam Rye, Pamero Especial, Hennessy VSOP), pineapple, coconut and lime $18 which was very refreshing and one was enough for us, as the serving is large.
We dined on:
FRESH OYSTERS (HALF DOZEN) Yuzu vinaigrette $21
I love oysters and especially when they have a tasty vinaigrette on top. These were fresh, juicy and the Yuzu flavour matched extremely well.
PORKIE Honey glazed Berkshire pork belly, spicy cashew sauce $15
Grace described the Porkie buns as delicious with the bun itself light and fluffy. The pork belly was cooked well and was tender and juicy. The sauce had a satay flavor and complemented the dish very well. All in all it was very tasty.
CALIFORNICATION Snow crab, avocado $17
This was my winner for the night. I loved it. As Grace described above the buns are light and fluffy, they don’t have that terrible heaviness. As insane as this might sound, I almost likened it to a high-tea sandwich it truly is quite delicate. I have mentioned to a couple of people since dining at Daniel San about the lightness of these buns, and both agreed they are really something special.
SWEET POTATO skewer $8
Very tasty and crisp sweet potato skewers that make for a nice vegetable side dish.
YAKATORI THIGH skewer $9.50
I’ve always been a big fan of Yakatori chicken and this dish was excellent. The meat on the skewers are a good size too, not chunky.
BEEF FILLET* skewer$10.50
I didn’t have this one, Andrew and Grace thought it was great and slightly spicy.
*served with steamed rice and broccoli
To sum it up, Daniel San has a funky atmosphere and tasty food with an excellent selection of beer on tap, cocktails and wine.
Thumbs up for sure. Yes, I'll have to say for casual dining I love this restaurant.
Note: Even though we were dining at night, Daniel San has a lot more to offer than fabulous dinner and drinks. The venue is perfect for events including corporate functions, media launches, meetings and social functions.
Photo of Rooftop supplie by Daniel San.
