It Just Has To Be Delicious

Posts tagged ‘Japanese’

Tsunami, Mosman Park

We visited Tsunami on Saturday night – it’s one of a few restaurants on Glyde Street in Mosman Park. It’s quite large inside with seating at the front and back and some outdoor seating too with pretty fairy lights. We were seated in the back section which was quite dimly lit.
The menu is interesting – a selection of sharing dishes, hot and cold, sushi, sashimi, hot stone dishes and hotpots. The menu also indicates that some dishes are ‘not recommended’ and just on the menu because people ask for them, which is a bit of an unusual approach.
We ordered a low alcohol yuzu highball to start – a lovely citrus drink with a hint of alcohol.

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We ordered five dishes from the menu – first to arrive was the mixed tempura. This was really delicious – prawns, mushroom, sweet potato and seaweed, beautifully fried with the lightest batter and a great ponzu dip.

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Next came the spicy tuna roll, probably the best spicy tuna roll I have tasted with quality minced tuna inside, aburi tuna on top and nice ginger, scallion, and avocado flavours.

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Next came the marinated black cod – a very yummy dish, but not easy to share, and not a lot of food for $22.

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We also had miso soup, which I did not photograph – it had a nice depth to it and lots of seaweed and tofu to enjoy.
Then came the lamb ribs, one of the highly recommended dishes. It was okay, but nothing really special. The ribs had a membrane on them which was not pleasant to eat, but the meat was nice and tender and the capsicum puree tasted good.

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Then we waited, and waited and waited… The wait staff seemed to ignore us for a very long time and after a few attempts to attract their attention we eventually managed to get a waiter to replace our water bottle. It was more than 30 minutes before our last dish arrived, which was strange considering that the meal had been well paced up to this point.
We waited patiently for our Ishiyaki volcanic rocks stone grill, and when it finally arrived we asked the waiter to replace our plates which were dirty with the previous dishes. He took them away and never came back ! The meat on the stone grill was scallops and wagyu but it had been put on the rock in the kitchen, so by the time it got to our table the scallops were hard and rubbery and the meat had stuck to the stone. There was no oil or anything to lubricate the meat. The wagyu wasn’t very tasty and the whole thing was a disappointment. Trying to share rice and potato salad with no share plates was difficult.

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We didn’t hang around for dessert. Nobody asked us if we enjoyed our meal. It was a real shame – it started off with so much promise, but ended up not being worth our 45 minute car journey to get there.

Last Visit Date – August 2019

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Mon Taste of Japan, Leederville

Mon is a cosy Japanese cafe in Newcastle Street just off the main strip. It always seems busy and we decided to give Mon a try.
The first thing we noticed was that the staff were not particularly welcoming or attentive, probably because they were busy, rushing back and forth between the kitchen constantly. The menu looked good though and there were plenty of specials like chicken and prawn gyoza, mackerel don with ginger and soy flavoured rice, tuna karaage, triple chicken don. It all sounded really good and authentic.
We chose the gyoza to share, I chose the mackerel special and my partner chose the chicken katsu curry. We also opted for some miso soup. After waiting for quite a while, it became clear that all of the food would be arriving as it was cooked. Usually the wait staff ask if you want some of it as a first course, but this didn’t seem to be an option. Our miso came first, mine was okay, a nice flavour but tasted a bit grainy and had a lot of residue at the bottom of the bowl.

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My partner then received his chicken katsu curry, which he quite enjoyed. He did say that it wasn’t amazing, but an okay katsu.

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There was a bit of a wait before my mackerel dish arrived and it came up with the gyoza.

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The gyoza were nice and succulent with a good dipping sauce. The bowl was a bit small to dip them, but they were good gyoza and we enjoyed them.
The mackerel was little different. When it arrived the waitress said to be careful because the claypot was very hot. It was. It was searingly hot, and a bit unstable on the wooden base, so it kept shifting and despite my best efforts, I did keep burning my hands on the bowl almost every time I dipped the spoon in. The other aspect of the extremely hot dish was that it made the rice incredibly dry and a lot of the rice stuck to the pot. The mackerel was good and succulent, but not very ‘saucy’, so it really was a fairly dry dish, and with the constant awkwardness of trying not to burn my hands, it wasn’t easy to eat.
So will I try Mon again – probably not. It was authentic, but not outstanding food, the service was lacklustre, and my dish was the stuff that health and safety nightmares are made of. I dread to think what might have happened if it was served to a child or somebody with poor coordination. There’s a lot of competition in Leederville and if Mon continue with that level of service, they won’t last.

Visit Date – January 2019

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Kobe Sushi, Whitfords

Kobe sushi has been serving up great Japanese options for many years at Whitford City Hillarys. There are a few vegan things on the menu – delicious vegetable tempura, and vegetable sushi rolls. There are bento box options and donburi as well as items in the cold cabinet. I chose the tempura with udon noodle soup. This was freshly made to order.

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The tempura veggies were beautifully crispy, a selection of onion, potato, broccoli, zucchini, and sweet potato served with a tentsuyu sauce. The noodles were nicely soft and in a delicious broth.

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Kobe is definitely a good choice for lunch when you are shopping at Whitfords.

Last Visit Date – January 2020

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Restaurant review, Vegan/Vegetarian

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Katsuya, Joondalup

Katsuya is a wonderful Japanese restaurant/cafe in the centre of Joondalup CBD located in the Central Walk area between Reid Promenade and Boas Avenue.
It is quite spacious inside with plenty of seating, and has a busy takeaway service and a faithful lunch patronage. The menu consists of many regular japanese starters – gyoza, spring rolls, octopus balls, agedashi tofu, crab claws etc. They also provide a range of sushi rolls, sashimi, tempura, bento boxes and katsu/teriyaki sets. Unlicensed, there is a range of soft drinks and Asian drinks in the fridge, and the waiters are always happy to provide chilled tap water.
We chose some spring rolls and gyoza to share. There are 5 in each portion but I forgot to take the spring roll picture before we ate some.

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The spring rolls were nice, served with a sweet chilli sauce, and the gyoza were plump and juicy. A very good start.
I chose a high protein meal of agedashi tofu and mixed sashimi. The agedashi consisted of three large pieces of tofu and some tempura vegetables in a lovely tentsuyu broth. The silken tofu is dusted with potato starch and deep fried giving a lovely contrast of textures.

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The mixed sashimi was beautifully fresh and skilfully cut, served with spinach,
light soy and wasabi. Some of the best sashimi I have tasted worldwide.

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My companions ate teriyaki salmon bento and a katsu curry set.
The bento boxes contained a portion of teriyaki salmon with rice, salad, edamame, and miso soup. Every element was well presented and tasty, the salmon very fresh, and the sauce sweet and luscious.

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The katsu curry was also well presented. The chicken was a nice thickness in a lovely crispy crumb with a mild and fruity flavoured curry sauce. It was accompanied by a miso soup and a bowl of salad.

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The staff at Katsuya are very helpful and willing to answer all questions about the menu. Everything is served with a smile and created with care. This restaurant serves food of a high standard and is well loved by the locals. I will definitely be a regular at Katsuya.

Last Visit Date – March 2020

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Ha-Lu, Mount Hawthorn

Everybody who knows me knows how much I love Ha-Lu. It is one of my top Perth restaurants. The menu changes from time to time and the new dishes are always exciting. Here is a photo diary of one of our visits.

This is a drink called a chu-high which contains some Shochu. They also do ume plum and yuzu flavours which contain tiny jelly pieces. All three are lovely:
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The sashimi is always really high quality – this is scallops, salmon and kingfish. The wasabi provided is nice and hot – as it should be.
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Tuna and watermelon is a new dish on the menu – lovely fresh raw tuna on slices of succulent watermelon. With different toppings, mustard mayo, spring onion, radish and wasabi.
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This is a dish which I always order at Ha-Lu. A salad with root vegetables such as potato, sweet potato, carrot, lotus root, with soy mustard dressing and a perfectly poached Onsen style egg in a crispy wanton basket. The whole dish is a delight.
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This is another new dish – soft succulent chicken tempura served with ponzu dipping sauce, plum mayo, and hiding underneath the pile of chicken is some pickled turnip. Very very good quality dish:
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I don’t know the secret ingredient, but Ha-Lu miso soup always tastes particularly delicious:
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Another favourite – lovely plump scallops on a crispy lotus root with radish, chilli flakes and black caviar.
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This is a signature dish of Ha-Lu. Tender duck breast with slices of perfectly cooked aubergine and different dipping sauces – madeira, mustard, wholegrain – always a favourite.

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No room for dessert. If you haven’t tried Ha-Lu yet, please do, it is a tapas style approach to Japanese food – if you think Japanese food is all about raw fish and sushi, think again.

Last Visit Date – March 2019

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Nobu, Perth

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Nobu in Perth is one of two branches in Australia (the other one is in Melbourne), a cool sophisticated restaurant located in the Crown Casino complex at Burswood. Sleek and stylish it is similar to other Nobu branches around the world, and this one has the advantage of overlooking the hotel pool, and has an interesting ceiling centrepiece of glass coloured baubles.

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The menu is quite varied with nibbles, oysters, sashimi, salad, tempura, wagyu, lobster, gyoza, sushi, and various signature hot and cold dishes.
We chose mocktails to drink.
A Nobu sunrise – Pineapple, Orange, Passionfruit Juice, Sugar Syrup & Grenadine – with a wonderful dehydrated slice of orange on top – yum.

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A Berry Mule – Fresh Lemon, Raspberries, Grenadine & Ginger Beer – with a mountain peach.

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Our first dish to arrive was a special of the day. Salmon sashimi with nashi pear, truffle oil, yuzu and chives. It was quite nice but the truffle was a little overpowering for the delicate salmon.

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Next came sashimi salad with matsuhisa dressing – a favourite of ours. The dressing is made from finely chopped onion, rice vinegar, mustard powder, sesame oil and soy. The seared tuna went beautifully with the leaves and dressing.

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Next came the best dish of the night. Tempura soft shell crab harumaki – beautifully cooked crab inside a crispy tempura batter served with a reduction and a wasabi mayonnaise. The mayo was just right, just enough wasabi to taste it without dominating the dish. Every mouthful was a delight, and the dish was served with some very addictive pickled vegetables.

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Next came Pepper Crusted Seabass with Balsamic Teriyaki. A beautiful seabass portion sitting on the sauce with lotus root chips, spring onion and pak choy. The crust was nice and crispy, and the fish really fresh and just flaking apart nicely. Another really good dish with the flavour of the crust being a nice contrast to the soft flesh.

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Next was Pork Belly Spicy Miso Caramel. Melt in the mouth pork belly with a delicious sticky sauce – another great choice.

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The last main dish consisted of two maki rolls and some miso soup. If you thought that all miso soups were the same, then I urge you to try Nobu’s miso soup. Such a wonderful umami flavour with beautiful silken tofu and seaweed.

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Maki rolls are fairly standard Japanese fare, and I didn’t really expect them to blow me away, but they really delivered at Nobu. I loved how they were very tightly rolled so that they didn’t fall apart on dipping, and the ingredients were top quality. The salmon skin rolls contained lovely crunchy salmon skin and flesh with some veggies to contrast the seasoning of the salmon. Then the little spicy tuna rolls wrapped in seaweed were explosions of flavour, great quality tuna with a nice chilli hit.

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For dessert we chose Nobu alfajores (South American cornstarch cookies with dulce de leche), and a Nobu cheesecake. The alfajores were a yuzu flavoured shortbread with yuzu curd, chocolate ganache, dulce de leche ice cream and candied puffed buckwheat.
The cheesecake was small but perfectly formed, baked (our preference to whipped) with passionfruit sorbet and raspberry sauce. A really wonderful selection of desserts to complete the meal, with a ‘Happy Anniversary’ thrown in.

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Everything at Nobu is made well with quality ingredients. This comes at a premium price, but it really is the perfect location for a special occasion.

Last Visit Date – November 2018

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Sakana, Clayfield, Brisbane, QLD

Sakana Japanese Dining Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Sakana is in a group of shops just on Sandgate Road, it is quite a large cafe with a casual atmosphere.
The menu is quite extensive, featuring hot and cold appetisers, sushi, sashimi, bento boxes, curry, rice and noodle bowls, and tempura. We chose edamame to nibble on while waiting for our mains. This was plentiful and fresh.

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We shared some prawn gyoza – they were steamed and tasty and had a dipping sauce.

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I chose my favourite Agedashi Tofu. This is a dish which is impossible to eat with chopsticks so I was glad to have a spoon. The tofu was nicely coated in potato starch and had been very lightly fried. The broth was tasty with a lovely savoury umami flavour – definitely one of the nicest I have had.

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We shared some sashimi of omelette, scallop, tuna, salmon and white fish. It was good quality and very fresh and came with pickled ginger and lovely hot wasabi.

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My companion chose a sushi roll containing spicy tuna and tempura prawn. This was plentiful and it had lots of nice contrasting textures and flavours.

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We were very full at the end of the meal and enjoyed everything that we had. The cafe is also licensed and sells Japanese beers, sake and sake jelly drinks.
We will definitely return – it’s local and extremely good.

Last Visit – October 2016

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D’s Authentic Japanese, Connolly

D's Authentic Japanese Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

In the middle of Connolly shopping centre, not far from Connolly golf course, sits a wonderful oasis of Japanese food called D’s Authentic Japanese. It’s been on my radar to try D’s for a while, but I’ve been put off by the pricey menu, wondering if this food can really be as great as Perth stalwarts like Ha-Lu and Satsuki.

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We arrived for a 6:30pm table expecting the restaurant to be almost empty, but it wasn’t. A steady stream of diners arrived and were seated, as we sat and perused the menu to the jazzy sounds of the background music.
Not all of the menu is designed for sharing, so we asked for some advice from the friendly waiters and decided to go for pickles, dengaku and sashimi to start, followed by beef tataki and assorted tempura for mains.
We opened proceedings with a cheeky, delicious, (and reasonably priced) glass of prosecco.

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The pickles were crunchy and delicious consisting of daikon, celery, cauliflower, cucumber, carrot, and another unidentified vegetable which I suspected to be turnip or sweet potato.

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Sashimi consisted of 10 pieces, a mixture of John Dory, Ruby snapper, yellowfin tuna, Tasmanian salmon, and kingfish. Every morsel was fresh and tasty with a generous serving of good quality wasabi provided on the platter. For me, the ruby snapper was the star.

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The Garden Dengaku – twice cooked eggplant with miso flakes and microherbs was
absolutely divine. I would have been perfectly happy with a main course version of this and nothing else! The eggplant was the perfect texture and full of flavour and struck all of those umami notes that I like about Japanese food.

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The tempura was a great assortment – prawns, potato, different types of mushroom, green beans etc. Great tempura batter and a lovely dipping sauce and a green tea spice powder.

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The beef tataki with ponzu and spring onion was equally delicious. Delicate slices of good quality beef beautifully presented. The chef came out to make sure that we were enjoying everything – he seemed very happy that we polished off the whole meal.

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We also had some miso and rice. The miso was great – warming, delicious and umami.

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So what’s the verdict on D’s Authentic Japanese? The quality of food and ingredients is clear, everything was made with care, well presented and very very tasty. The location is a bit unusual, and the prices are undeniably expensive. If I spent the same at one of my other favourite Japanese restaurants, I would definitely have received more food, however the quality at D’s is outstanding, and the restaurant is a hit with the locals. I’ll go back for more, but keep this one up my sleeve as a ‘special occasion’ restaurant.

Visit Date – January 2019

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