Ninniku JIP

Lost in Digestion

"A man without a smile cannot open a shop" - Chinese saying.

Perhaps some truth lies in this old Chinese saying. After all, everyone from the waiters to the chefs at Ninniku Jip seemed to smile like burst watermelons.  Joanna Whittle, the restaurant's owner said to me, "Keep your smile, keep your job". The ambiance was already suggesting that traditional Chinese wisdom was at work.

"A duck tied to a beaver is not a platypus" - Anon.

Bringing together the best of Japanese and Korean food does not guarantee a gourmet experience. Ninniku Jip ('Ninniku' meaning garlic in Japanese, 'Jip' meaning house in Korean) on the increasingly busy Albany highway in Victoria Park performs just this feat with its daring menu of cosmopolitan Asian food. The menu was amazing and somewhat intimidating: Kimchi Spaghetti, mussels Kilpatrick, sparkling sake, Ishiyaki Bibimbap... I needed help.

"Saké is rice wine - a celebration that flows from the simple" - Anon.

My eyes skimmed the list of drinks: Soju Chum-Churun, Shochu Iichiko, Tsunami sparkling sake, Bokkbunja wild raspberry wine - I needed more help. Our waitress recommended the Tsunami sparkling sake, which is actually brewed in Australia. From first sip it was fantastically refreshing and tasted a little like Aloe Vera juice. The flavour wasn't totally foreign but was elusive and different, as much a wine as a soda pop is a juice. It isn't yet available anywhere else in WA, so keep your eyes out for its arrival.

"Good food is Vivaldi for the deaf" - Anon.

Joanna's penchant for experimentation extends beyond the restaurant's food. Hung upon the walls were paintings by a deaf Japanese artist, whose enduring dream was to exhibit her work. Young fashion designers, musicians, and multimedia students regularly take to the restaurant floor. Both the food and ambiance are forever changing and challenging, riveting and rewarding. For early on a Wednesday evening the Jip was jumping.

"For ordinary people, food is heaven" - Chinese saying

Our meal started with paper thin beef rolled around carrot and celery with a bewitching garlic jam, accompanied by yakitori and skewered prawns. Apparently the garlic jam recipe has evolved over the past year and is nearing perfection. A whole day of boiling removes its potency and intensifies its sweeter notes - the rewards of garlic without the sting.

Ishiyaki Bibimbap came next, which involved flying fish roe - a very traditional Japanese ingredient - teamed with a traditionally styled Korean dish of carrot, cabbage, and sushi rice. The roe is served cold and cooks at the table when stirred though the other ingredients. Surrounding the meal were half a dozen offerings for further tinkering: plum sauce for pizzazz, bean sprouts for crunch, soup for saltiness. I fiddled my way towards something a little spicier and again ran my eyes over the list of intriguing components.

The kimchi spaghetti was terrifying at first, looking like a lid of esky yellow cheese but Ladies and Gentlemen, do not freak out. One excavation revealed a dish of delicious difference. This quintessentially cosmopolitan Asian dish smacked me with spice as it ripped sweat straight from my forehead. It felt like spaghetti yet unbalanced me with the way it casually retained its kimchi-ness. A Rubik's Cube for the tongue exists.

"I always miss my Chinese friends within half and hour" - Overheard.

Ninniku Jip is a great first date restaurant. Even the most boring suitor will have a word up his sleave - at least until the end of dinner, where he will talk food beyond its welcome. Despite the daring menu, many dishes can be found for the fearful. Not every dish is dangerous or challenging and prices are in the $13 range, which represents good value.

So, choose the rollercoaster or choose the Ferris Wheel, choose Ninniku Jip sometime soon.

By Andrew Mendelawitz