Aya (Armadale)

Aya looks exactly the same today as it did when I reviewed it nearly three years ago , clean lines with tables separated by partitions down a long narrow room serviced by attractive Japanese waitresses. The food however is distinctly better.
We began with a series of entrees Gyoza ($13),

which are really much the same everywhere, crab dumplings ($13.5), five lightly flavoured delicacies, deep fried soft shell crab ($16.5) again much as usual, and a tasty and texturally pleasing eggplant with miso sauce ($13.5) This was a very good start to our main courses - a sushi/sashimi platter ($32)with the freshest and most delicate variety of raw fish beautifully presented followed by a seafood and tempura platter ($28.5) with a crisp light batter and a tempura dipping sauce. We then had a wonderfully tender eye fillet in a fine BBQ sauce ($34) and a teryaki white fish, kingfish ($28.5) which, on this occasion, was not overwhelmed by the sauce.

Dessert of sticky date pudding ($9.5) was rather ordinary as were the two large towers of sesame and green tea ice cream ($8.5) Wine: Prices are very reasonable by the glass or bottle. We drank a King Valley Pizzini Pinot Grigio ($34), which retails for about $18.5/ bottle. This a crisp, clean finishing wine well suited to the food.
Price: whilst a little on the expensive side in the past prices are now very average for a good restaurant.
Comments: Good Japanese food without being earth shattering at fair prices - well worth a visit.

Their web site is currently contaminated with a Trojan virus
Score:13.5 /20