It’s been an eternity since I last set foot on Sydney’s Broadway. Traffic, shops, el-cheapo restaurants, student housing, hoards of people. It can get pretty manic down there sometimes. I had my sights set on Maki Maki, an inexpensive sushi place that didn’t blow me away with its offerings, but did satisfy the bout of cravings I was experiencing.

Here we have the Tony special roll (11.95), featuring baked sliced salmon, crab meat, avocado, spicy tuna and cucumber. Good flavours, it’s freshly made and it works.

I’m always a bit of a sucker when I see the next dish on a Japanese menu. Baked green mussels (9.95). Topped with shredded seafood extender and loads of mayo, its a creamy and chewy mouthful with each mollusc. The small crunchy barnacle in the last one I ate wasn’t the most pleasant sensation. Akin to eating egg shells!

The chicken katsu (9.95) is a good value feed brimming with vegetables, rice, pickled cabbage and strips of crunchy fried chicken. What’s not to like about crunchy golden panko crumbs?

Anyone that has a penchant for seafood extender would probably be ok with getting the spider roll (9.95). This faux crab sits alongside real tempura soft-shell crab, with the usual suspects of cucumber and nori. I know seafood extender is fish that’s processed with flavour enhancers, colours, starches and acidity regulators, but eating it occasionally is something I’m fine with.

Eel is one of my favourites so by default I get the unagi sushi (9.95). It’s actually pretty good. Smoky, sweet and delicious.

More eel came in “steak” form when I ordered the special where you get an unagi steak bowl and a spicy tuna roll for $15. A bit of a bargain, really. The unagi was just as it should be and the lightly fried roll was good, despite not being spicy whatsoever.

Udon lovers can happily slurp away on something like the chicken katsu udon (9.95), a rather standard bowl of soup, seaweed and noodles. The fried chicken is served on top of the soup, rendering it sloppy. If you want it crispy I’d suggest ordering it on the side. Because sloppy crumbs are no fun, right?

• Maki Maki
• 169 Broadway
• Ultimo 2007
• 02 9212 2665
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