Kodoya

Though it has now been a number of months since I finished my project at the Cancer Council Queensland, I still catch up with Carmen and Tania. So on Friday night, we left the boys at home to have dinner a Tania's ye old faithful, Kodoya. As you can gather from the name, Kodoya serves Japanese cuisine and is cluttered amongst all the cheap and cheerful Asian eateries in Elizabeth Arcade. The Chicken Katsu Curry that Tania and Carmen selected set them back $9.80 and you can customise the amount of chili included in your meal from a basic one to a challenging champion level for $5.  

I decided to get my naughty katsu fix via the Tokyo Ramen at $8.90. The dish comes with the egg noodles, nori and half a boiled egg. Though it isn't Taro's beautiful handmade ramen, it is extremely serviceable with its chewy texture and the speed that the meal was delivered was extraordinary which more than makes up for the establishment's basic layout.

Tania also ordered these morish Crab Cream Croquettes which were amazing but at some point I must return with my little brother as I spotted the Takoyaki. We both have fond memories of street food and Takoyaki is a favourite. Will you beat us to it? Let me know.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Address: Shop 29-30, 99 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane, QLD 4000.
Open: Monday - Saturday, Lunch and Dinner.
Phone: (07) 3229 3993

Taro's Ramen and Cafe

Being absolutely food obsessed, I'm constantly studying, cooking and consuming the subject matter so it's a rare occasion that I haven't heard of an establishment before. So when a potential speaker suggested, Taro's Ramen and Cafe I was a little surprised as I often grumble that in the Financial/Legal district of Brisbane there is a distinct lack of cheap and cheerful options. Well, hello Taro's! What a revelation! A clean, modern outdoor setting that is perfectly positioned to catch the breeze and overlooks the Storey Bridge. But wait that not all, it's also got a range of amazing tasty options on the menu.

After some deliberation I decided to order the Red Tonkotsu Ramen. The Red Tonkotsu provides you with gorgeous strands of chewy ramen in a rich pork bone stock, topped with soft slices of pork, seaweed, egg and a dash of chilli. Apart from the presentation, I was really impressed by the flavours, it was an extremely elegant meal and the chilli added a nice final accent to the dish.

My companion ordered Shio Ramen which you will note features a more moist curly noodle and a stock made from chicken, dried seafood and vegetables. He just so happens to a Taro's tragic as he admitted that it was the third time he had been back this week and I'm not surprised as the noodles really are very good. At the moment, Taro has a limited edition offering of Truffle Ramen for $35 a bowl. I must admit I'm intrigued so if anyone want to join me on this culinary tasting adventure let me know as I'd love an excuse to return to this lovely niche offering. Meals on average are approximately $15 and you will be receiving an authenic dish, made with passion and delivered with speed which makes Taro's a perfect location for a business lunch, or if you have time, stay a little longer.

Rating: 4 out of 5.
Address: 363 Adelaide Street, Brisbane, QLD 4064.
Open: Monday to Saturday: Lunch and Dinner.
Phone: (07) 3832 6358.

Wagaya

From the moment you enter Wagaya, you immerse yourself in another dimension. One of shadowy walnut booths with delicate cut outs and a dedicated touch screen computer to take your order. The meeting of old world aesthetics with new world technology, is very Japanese and was an efficient system for my lunch date with Bean. However I am fairly certain this system could be quite dangerous in a larger group, sake fueled scenario so take heed hipsters.

Bean ordered the Chicken Katsu Curry. Depending on what touch screen icon you select you have the choice to have a side order of salad or rice, miso soup and pickles.

My order came with two pieces of gyoza and takikomi. Takikomi is a boiled rice dish which seasoned with dashi, soy sauce, vegetables and occasionally meat. The dish was developed out of necessity as though rice has been an Asian staple for centuries, it was an expensive commodity in the past and to make it go further, Japanese households would boil it with vegetables like potatoes, beans and grain such as millet.

Here is a photograph my order, the Mentai Tonkotsu Ramen. Though it doesn't look appetising from the photograph, it was soothing noodle dish and though the whole set appeared far too ample, I somewhat managed to fit the entire meal in before Bean and I had to go out separate ways back to work. The speed the order arrived was amazing and makes Wagaya a fun choice for a working lunch.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.
Address: Level 1, 315 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006.
Open: 7 Days. Lunch: 11.30am - 2.30pm. Dinner: 5:30pm - Midnight.
Phone: (07) 3252 8888.
Price: Entree: $2.20 - $12.50. Main: $11.50 - $19.50.

Hakataya Noodle Shop

I've been carrying a hacking cough with me for a number of months so her Mothership delivered an ultimatum: see a Specialist or visit a Chinese Herbalist. Since I believe Specialists are a waste of time and space and am cynical enough to believe that my appointments are funding their next Mercedes Benz, I decided to take the latter choice. After the appointment, we stopped at Hakataya Noodle Shop for lunch and though it was the middle of the week and only 10:30am, there was still a line of customers eager to place their order.

Hakataya Noodle Shop offers no more than six menu options and is located in the row of shops opposite Landmark. The set up is mostly designed for take away but the few available tables are neat and clean. The image above is my brother's Miso Spicy Men with extra char siu pork. I recommend adding extra noodles for $1.80 and extra char siu as the pork has been slow cooked to melt in your mouth.

I wasn't feeling as adventurous as my brother so I ordered the signature Nagahama Ramen. This ramen is suspended in a flavoursome pork bone stock and oh my goodness it was amazing! The noodles were chewy, the char siu pork was melt in your mouth and your $10 even brought a free side order of takana (spicy Japanese Pickles). Though my Mother grumbled that offerings overseas were superior, I just loved my trip to Hakataya Noodle Shop and would be more than happy to travel to Sunnybank for another serving.

Rating: 3.5 out 5.
Address: Shop 27B, Sunnybank Plaza, Cnr Main and McCullough Street, Sunnybank, QLD 4109.
Open: Monday - Sunday, 9am - 8:50pm.
Phone: (07) 3344 1313
Price: Mains: $6.50 - $15.

Hanaichi Sushi Bar + Dining

Thousands of individuals pass, converge or meet daily in the Queen Street Mall and perhaps a hundred or so will take the Wintergarden escalator to seek out Hanaichi Sushi Bar + Dining. Though this busy sushi bar often has a line spilling into the corridor it moves fairly briskly and you soon find yourself at the Sushi Bar.

The Sushi Bar gives you prime position to view the chefs crafting nigiri or slicing sashimi. I began my journey with a classic Salmon Nigiri, before moving onto something more modern ... the California Roll. The California Roll is a style of sushi engineered for the American palette. It replaces the traditional tuna with a seafood stick or crab salad, adds avocado and places the chewy nori inside. The Hanaichi version uses crab salad and comes served in a set of three. You only see two pieces as I forgot to take a photo until I halfway through my first piece. Oopas!

I've always been a fan of the texture and smokey flavour of Eel Nigiri but on this occasion I found this particular dish to be somewhat dry. It is disappointing as traditional Japanese preparation of eel is really interesting. The flesh is grilled over hot charcoal, then steamed to remove excess fat, then seasoned with a sweetish sauce and grilled a second time.

As I was locked into hosting an event that evening, I decided to have a naughty Tempura Prawn Nigiri. So what can I say about Hanaichi Sushi Bar? It's easily accessible, fresh and good for an instant hit of sushi or a lightning fast catch up with a friend.

Rating: 3 out of 5.
Address: 171 Queen Street, Brisbane, QLD 4000.
Open: 7 Days. Lunch: 11:30am - 3pm. Dinner: 5:30pm - Late.
Phone: (07) 3221 1450.
Price: Sushi: $3.50 - $7.00.

Sushi Kotobuki

Tucked away in an alley way, behind Fish 53 is Sushi Kotobuki. It's a unassuming shop front with one small counter and an awful misspelt laminated menu which will leave you with a sense of trepidation. However your fears will sooth the moment your sushi arrives. I ordered two dishes and when my Salmon Nigiri arrived, I was delighted to find it was beautifully fresh.

However the revelation was their fusion sushi which is a eight piece, dinner offering. I selected the Spider Roll which contained evenly distibuted soft shell crab, crab meat, cucumber through the center before the staff added fish roe and a spicy sauce. It was amazing, well priced at $9.00 and was quite filling. I can highly recommend braving all the one way streets and making the trip out to East Brisbane.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Address: 53 Lytton Road, East Brisbane, QLD 4169.
Open: Tuesday - Friday: 10am - 9pm. Saturday: 11am - 9pm. Sunday: 12pm - 9pm.
Phone: (07) 3392 2301
Price: Entrees: $3.50 - $5.00, Sushi: From $2.20. Mains $8.00 - 11.00.

Sono Japanese Restaurant: Brisbane City

The original Sono Japanese Restaurant nested in Brisbane's Central Business District is a world away from the rush of the Queen Street Mall below. Walk up the stairs and you are drawn into another world, with all the wait staff dressed in Yukatas. The Yukata is much more practical than a Kimono in this setting as they are easier to wear and made of cotton rather than the lined silk structure of the Kimono.

The gorgeous Evonne had picked out Sono to celebrate her birthday and the trusty band of seven were escorted into a small wood panelled room and with a pit below the table to allow guests to comfortably place their legs.

I ordered some Salmon Sashimi and a Prawn Tempura and Salmon Roe Hand Roll. As always the Sashimi was beautifully fresh and the hand roll was satisfying with its crisp tempura batter and the savoury accents of the roe. The other than the food, what impressed me about Sono were how accommodating the wait staff were. The birthday girl has a number of food allergies and they were kind enough to check and ensure none of these were included in the dishes.

I didn't have any dessert but some of the other guest did and this is a photo of the Flaming Mount Fuji. This glorious dessert is layer of sponge, topped with green tea ice cream and meringue. This is then lit on fire in front of the guests, yummo!

Rating: 4 out of 5.
Address: Level 1, Tattersalls Building. Corner Queen and Edward Streets, Brisbane, QLD 4000.
Open: Lunch from 12pm. Monday - Friday. Dinner from 6pm. Monday - Saturday.
Phone: (07) 3220 1888.
Price: Sushi from $6. Entrees from $9. Mains: $19 - $55. Desserts from $8.

Sono Japanese Restaurant: Portside

Larger than its Brisbane City Sister, Sono Japanese Restaurant: Portside seats 200 people and features contemporary styling with river views. If you are keen to try Teppanyaki or dinner in the seated dining area I would recommend booking ahead as the restaurant is full even on a Sunday evening. Thus Miss Amy and I ended up at the Sushi bar with the lonely business men.

I started off this Japanese cuisine adventure with Miso soup. I love the robust flavour of miso, punctured with rings of finely diced, sheets of wakame and cubes of tofu. Wakame is an edible seaweed and native to the coasts of China, Korea and Japan. It has recently appeared off the coasts of New Zealand and the United States of America and efforts are underway to eradicate the plant as it holds the dubious honour of placing in the top 100 most invasive species in the world. I would merely suggest eating more of it as it's delicious.

Miss Amy ordered the gorgeous Zenzaru soba. It's a cold buckwheat noodle that comes with dipping sauce and a serving of tempura pawns and vegetables. As you can see it looks amazing.

When then went to share a large sashimi combination platter and it came magnificently presented in a wooden boat. There was a selection of beautifully fresh tuna, salmon, kingfish, scallops to delight the ardent seafood lover. Sono is worth making time for and its strength is in the atmosphere and fresh produce.

Rating: 4 out of 5.
Address: 39 Hercules Street, Hamilton, Brisbane, QLD 4007.

Open: Lunch from 12:00pm Tuesday - Sunday. Dinner from 6:00pm Tuesday to Sunday.
Phone: (07) 3268 6655.
Price: Sushi from $6. Entrees from $9. Mains: $19 - $55. Desserts from $8.

Hanabishi

One of my favourite dining precincts is the Barracks as it's central, has ample free two hour parks (four if you are attending the cinemas), the fabulous Bittersweet Chocolate Boutique and offers a number of lovely dining options. I've had the misfortune of drawing the short straw with sushi in my last couple of workplaces so any opportunity I get to have sushi, I do and lucky for me, Miss Sarah humours me.


We decided to catch a bite at Hanabishi before watching 'Black Swan.' Hanabishi is Japanese for fireworks and despite the line being out the door, I can't say that this sushi bar provided any sparks for me. The sushi rice was warm and I had to order the usually stock standard nigiri. However, it's efficient, the sushi is edible and it's in the right place. I wouldn't make a trip to Hanabishi but if you're at the Barracks and after sushi. It will do.


Rating: 2.5 out of 5.
Address: T13, The Barracks, 61 Petrie Terrace, Paddington, QLD 4000
Open: Daily, 11:00am - 10:00pm
Phone: (07) 3367 3889
Price: From $3.00.

Sake Restaurant & Bar

Sake Restaurant & Bar takes over from in the area formerly held by Pier Nine and I have to say it is a refreshing addition to the riverside restaurant line up with its visually pleasing with warm wood panels.

Unlike many of the Eagle Street Restaurants, Sake's restaurant area is spacious and holds many pleasant surprises. My favourites being this lovely feature wall and the unusual layout of the bathrooms. The bathrooms are unisex with a choice of self contained cubicle.

I was joined in my adventure by two lovely lads and Eden suggested the best course of action was to open with a Sashimi Combo and a 2009 Mader Pinot Blanc and I wasn't disappointed. I've always been fairly restrained with alcoholic beverages but this drop was especially pleasant. I wouldn't have been surprised if I could have finished half a bottle as it had such a lovely feel in the mouth. But alas I was driving and I prefer to keep to my fellow Queenslanders safe. After all I am only one strike away from the trifecta of bad driving - Asian and female, all I need to do is place a frangipani sticker on my car or drive a Volvo.

The meals at Sake are designed to be shared so our select dish was the Scampi Tempura which was served with sweet ponzu, coriander and jalapeno slices. It was a little moist for my personal taste.

Apart from my dessert, the stand out dish was the Beef Teriyaki. Grainfed beef sirloin cooked medium rare, served on sauteed shiitake and buckwheat with yakiniku sauce. The beans and buckwheat soaked up the sauce and provided wonderful savoury accents without the salty taste becoming overpowering.

Alex ordered the Popcorn Shrimp which were finished by a creamy spicy sauce. This was quite flavoursome and more inclined towards the savoury edge.

After the mains I decided I was in a warm chocolate mood so bypassed the Green Apple Mille Feuille and ordered the Chocolate Fondant with white sesame icecream and black sesame tuile. It was the perfect portion size and exactly how fondant should be. Break through a lovely baked crust to reveal a warm oozy chocolate center. I was in heaven and the plate was also dotted with chocolate toffee accents. The lads had a creme brulee special and reported though it was the least Japanese dining experience ever, they were pleased, never the less.

Sake Restaurant & Bar is a wonderful addition to the Brisbane Gastronomy Scene but a word of warning, don't order a coffee. If you choose to ruin your Japanese dining experience by smothering it with dairy be prepared to be visually assaulted with supplier provided red Italian plate.

Rating: 4 out of 5.
Address: Level 1, 45 Eagle Street, Eagle Street Pier, Brisbane, QLD 4000.
Open: Daily, Lunch and Dinner.
Phone: (07) 3339 0999.
Price: Entree: $9-$30. Mains: $27-$33. Desserts: $4.50-$15.

Sushi Train Chermside

When Miss Sarah suggested Sushi for lunch, I jumped at the chance. I love Sushi, in particularly the purist approach of Nigiri as I feel this is the best way to enjoy the freshness of seafood. We decided to try Sushi Train Chermside.

The place was bursting with energy from the chatter of patrons and the cheery Japanese style, "thank you" every time a group left.

But what impressed us the most was the train was full of choice. From traditional to more creative fusion cuisine and desserts, there was an option for everyone. Also with the constant flow of patrons, an army of sushi makers, worked quickly to provide fresh sushi to feed hungry guests.

If the photos and my verbage has made your mouth water, let me seal the deal for you by letting you know that Chermside Sushi Train will be celebrating it's fourth birthday on Saturday, January 22 2011 with all plates - $3! With this celebration spanning from 10:00am - 9:00pm, get down there!

Rating: 3/5
Address: Shop 340, Westfield Chermside, 395 Hamilton Road.
Open: Trading Hours 7 Days. Monday-Friday 11:00am - 9:00pm (Thursday -10:00pm). Saturday 10:00am - 9:00pm. Sunday 10:00am - 8:00pm
Phone: (07) 3359 9065
Price: Sushi from $3.