Raida

 Raida - Just Superb!

Raida was the restaurant which was conveniently located in the same complex as our accommodation in St Helens, Bay of Fires Luxury Apartments.  It became our go-to eatery while we were there.  We enjoyed three breakfasts and a dinner there during our three night stay. The food was fantastic with Japanese cuisine dominating the menu.  The thing that made Raida stand out was the warm, welcoming and detailed service.  The staff were amazing!

It was very convenient to wander down to breakfast in the same building and the fabulous experience on our first morning resulted in us returning each day. The menu had great choices, offering the usual type of breakfast fare with a Japanese twist.  The first day we opted for a lighter breakfast with the granola and the smoothie bowl.  The presentation of the smoothie bowl was next level!

We had the smoothie bowl more than once and we were pleased to see that the base fruit changed depending on what was fresh, seasonal and available.  The coffee was also great and very reliable!

When we felt a little more hungry we chose the breakfast omelette and we loved the combination of flavours and textures in this. The omelette was made in the layered Japanese style and included crunchy pickled vegetables, mushrooms and bacon.  It was so delicious!

We became breakfast regulars during our little sojourn and appreciated the friendly welcome each day and the attentive service.  It made us feel very special and we returned eagerly each day to say hello to the lovely staff.

Dinner at Raida

We also had a very enjoyable dinner at Raida.  We had read through the menu at breakfast and were looking forward to dining in the sizable and modern restaurant space.  We were shown to a cosy nook in the back part of the restaurant where we could watch all of the action behind the bar and in the kitchen. We ordered a bottle of Milton "Laura" which we enjoyed throughout the meal.

https://www.miltonvineyard.com.au/

As always in Japanese restaurants, we had trouble deciding what to order for dinner as the choices all sounded so delectable.  The waiter was very helpful and we were able to decide on a group of dishes for entree and then a group of dishes for main. We shared everything as usual.  It was very hard to go past the grilled whole market fish which had received rave reviews online but we were keen to try lots of smaller plates - the fish will need to wait until next visit!

We started with miso and this one had a rich broth filled with tasty tofu and seaweed. It was hot and tasty.

We spent a considerable amount of time deciding whether to go for the sashimi platter or the sushi platter - we had seen both being carried temptingly to other tables and they both looked amazing with gorgeous presentation and generous servings. We opted for the sashimi and were not disappointed.  It included salmon, tuna, kingfish and scallop.  It was fresh and melt in your mouth, exactly as sashimi should be.  The lemon was also fresh and home grown. 

We also had the gyoza - three varieties - to round our our entrée selection.  The filings were pork and mushroom.  They were beautifully cooked, crispy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside.  Yummy!

For mains we had octopus and agedashi tofu as well as a special, tuna tataki.  John chose a sake to go along with the main.  A fresh and fruity sake, selected again with the input of the friendly and helpful staff.  Of course, I had to join in and help 😊

The octopus was delicious, chargrilled and served with tasty fried vegetables.  

I am a big fan of agedashi tofu and love the tempura battered tofu served in the hot broth.  This one had a flavouring of mushrooms and was well cooked.  I really enjoyed this dish.

The tuna tataki was really the star of the show.  It was beautifully cooked and served, seared on the outside and stunningly red and gorgeous on the inside.  The dressing was tart and matched the tuna perfectly.  The fresh vegetables as a garnish also matched well with the soft, melting texture of the tuna.

We decided we could squeeze in dessert but shared as we were feeling pretty full. 

The whole restaurant is wheelchair accessible with lots of space between tables to move around comfortably.  There are also accessible bathrooms.

Raida website:

https://www.facebook.com/Raida.com.au/