Wasabi can be intimidating. Too often, the Japanese horseradish conjures up memories of party tricks that evacuate nasal cavities faster than a good sneeze, but those in the know are well aware of the subtle properties of the root. At Goga, Chef Brad Turley’s spring menu showcases wasabi restraint with aplomb.

Already well-known for his love of Cali-Asian fusion, Turley looks to the Land of the Rising Sun for inspiration for his Teriyaki Hibachi Salmon Salad with Wasabi Crunch. There’s pineapple and chili in a playful ponzu sauce, house-made teriyaki marinating the Tasmanian salmon and a dash of sesame oil for nuttiness. All are essential ingredients in rounding out the salad’s spot-on flavours, but it’s the wasabi that will leave your taste buds begging for more.

One bite and the wasabi high-tails its way up your sinuses. Right when you think the inevitable eye watering is about to begin, the heat dissipates just as quickly as it came, leaving nothing but a desire for more. It’s a spicy tight rope walk, and one that Turley handles like a seasoned circus performer who trips on purpose just to get the audiences’ adrenaline pumping. And the crowd goes wild!

Goga. 1 Yueyang Lu, near Dongping Lu. Tel: 6431 9700