my name is Food.: Japanese

Bonsai Botanika | Elizabeth St, Brisbane CBD

Australia May 15, 2021

This place has been here for a while now but it always seems to be either busy or closed when I walk pass or when I do intend to visit. This time around, I went in at around midday on a weekday and they weren't filled with diners and was surprisingly quiet.

The place had somewhat two levels for dining but the second level also had a different stall on it which was closed, I wasn't too sure whether they were the same owner or separate but they sold smoothies and other assorted drinks.

Latte and Iced Matcha, I had the Ice Matcha and I wouldn't go for seconds unfortunately. It was very watery and topped with whipped cream which again, was not required in my opinion. But maybe that's just me.

I ordered their Matcha Flourless Cake and it was very very dense. I wasn't sure if I liked it much but the matcha flavour did pop through which I enjoyed. They served it with a very sweet drizzle of syrup, whipped cream topped with coconut flakes and peaches. This combination did not work at all for me. The matcha would have been just fine on its own without the extra sweetness. It did not need the other extra sweet elements.

If you want to try coffee or Japanese-inspired cakes, this place is definitely a must visit, especially with their cute wooden tables and seatings. Please bear in mind that it might be hard to find a seat if you have a stroller, as the place is not that kid-friendly.. that's how I feel.

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Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart | Myer Centre, Brisbane CBD

Brisbane September 30, 2019

Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart recently launched their Soft Serve so we decided to give it a try. Their soft serve came with different types of topping options you could choose from.

Original soft serve came with no toppings. So it was just simply their soy chizu soft serve on top Hokkaido tart chunks. On the advertisement / billboard, it seems that the base was more of a crumb texture but in real life, it was much more chunky. So you had to break the cookie base with the spoon given if you wanted it crumbly. I would have preferred it to be crumblier, but that's just my own opinion. The chunky hokkaido tart base was also quite limited compared to the amount of soft serve.

I quite enjoyed the citrusy soft serve and wouldn't mind having that by itself in a waffle cone. Interested in trying their matcha oreo version next time.

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Katsusei | Plaza Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia

Asian August 02, 2019

After roaming around in Plaza Indonesia Mall, we decided to dine in Katsusei. It was very quiet when we came in with only another table with a couple dining there. Katsusei has another branch in Plaza Senayan by the way. The prices are quite expensive for what you do get but I have heard good things about their Katsu set here so thought why not give it a try.

On each tables, there is a sesame seed blend, chilli oil, chilli flakes and so on, that you can add on top of your meals as you wish.

Pork Sirloin Katsu Set, came with a bowl of steamed rice, miso soup and a side of a variety of pickles. I did find that the pickles were rather bland and sadly, no wasabi to go with it. I don't even remember if I asked the waiter or not for wasabi.

Miso soups are always a warming welcome when starting the dish or even in the middle of the dish when you're taking a break from your Katsu and rice. The Katsu was served on top of a stainless steel rack with a mountain pile of shredded cabbage. Sadly the cabbage salad did not have any sauce that came with it so we added the sauce that's on the table and made our own sauce for the salad.

The pork katsu was fried well but I did find it to be more on the thin side with thin pork meat. It wasn't the best that I've eaten but I wouldn't also say it's the worst either.

*Please note this is a delayed post and as such, the menu may have changed since my visit to the establishment.

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Sushi Edo - Newmarket, Brisbane

Australia June 30, 2019

After queueing up on a weeknight, we were shown to our table. As soon as we sat down we decided to get started on ordering so that we won't have to wait for too long for our sushi orders. It's interesting how sometimes you think that going out on a weeknight is a good choice as it won't be too busy but as soon as you get to your destination, it's busy.

Ordered a variety of different sushi including Tako salad, a refreshing seafood mix and Aburi Wagyu which wasn't that great to be honest. The wagyu beef was already fully cooked so it wasn't aburi per say and it was dry despite the amount of mayo they've put on top of it.

Teriyaki Chicken and Cream Cheese was delicious and flavourful and the Pork Gyoza was hot and pan fried well but the sauce was very limited so we had to use our own soy sauce for dipping sauce.

Not sure of the name but the above image was the Aburi Salmon with cheese which was another delight to eat while the below image was rather quite annoying to eat as when we got it, it was already messy on the plate itself so trying to pick it up either with chopsticks or with your hands was just simply hard. The taste was also quite bland despite having the tempura crisps on top to give it that crunch.

Aburi spicy kingfish mentaiko (above) and Aburi salmon mentaiko (below) was both melt in your mouth sushi which was yum overall. The amount of meat and rice portion was decent.

A simple Salmon on rice is always good, specially when it just simply gives you that refreshing aftertaste and who doesn't love salmon sashimi. If you don't, then you're missing out.

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Nikuya - Fortitude Valley, Brisbane

Australia June 28, 2019

It's not everyday where you can find authentic Japanese food on the side of Fortitude Valley. I've booked private rooms here and have enjoyed both their meals and service. Customer service can be a dealbreaker when it comes to dining out I do have to say. It doesn't matter how fancy or how nice the restaurant can look but when customer service lets them down, then it makes me second think about visiting.

Katsu Curry, is a classic dish to have when eating Japanese food. This did not dissapoint. Thick katsu meat with thinly panko crumbed batter served on a bed of warm rice, pickles and rich curry sauce. The curry sauce however did not have any vegetables or anything in it so it is just simple curry sauce and meat with rice.

Katsu bowl, Katsu pork on top of rice. What lacked in this dish was straight up, was sauce. No sauce was given with this dish so it could be a very dry dish overall. If there was tonkatsu sauce or a drizzle of mayo or some sort, it would have made this dish better. But again, the katsu was well done.

Gyudon and Shrimp Tempura Obentou both looked flavourful and filling. The beef bowl had a punch of flavour but could have been better presented. The obentou had a few items here and there but overall was a pleasant lunch box to see and to eat.

*Please note this is a delayed post and as such, the menu may have changed since my visit to the establishment.

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Sonder Dessert - Sunnybank Hills, Brisbane

Asian April 03, 2019

Since they opened, they've always been quite filled with those who enjoy matcha, japanese teas, asian desserts and just the buzz of the place. With only a few tables outside and a few more inside, it can get very busy especially at night and on weekends. Although I don't think you can call in advance to book, you'd just have to wait for tables or just end up taking away your drink orders.

Did not try the above as it wasn't outs but he did mention it was sweeter than expected. We bought a parfait to share between the two of us and I did feel that it was quite generous but one downside that I picked up straight away as soon as it arrived on our table was how small the tall glass was and how difficult it would be to share.

Corn flakes, wafer, matcha ice cream, read bean, herbal jelly, mochi and a few more bits and pieces. Trying to scoop up little by little or even the matcha ice cream itself made a mess everywhere. We needed to slowly wait until the matcha ice cream had melted before slowly pushing the others inside the glass so that when we do scoop it bit by bit, we are able to have a combination of this and that in every mouthful.

A suggestion would probably be to move this into a bigger glass or even a bowl so it is easier to eat or to share next time.

Flat White, the coffee was well made and not overpowered by the amount of milk, served with a butter biscuit.

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Saiko Teppanyaki - Emporium, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane

Asian March 28, 2019

Teppanyaki scene has not hit it off at Brisbane as much as other restaurants offering grilling dishes. When entering Saiko, they had both indoor and outdoor seating which we chose outdoor as the weather was quite nice that day.

For large groups, I think the best seating would probably the main teppanyaki area where you can watch the chefs preparing your meals right before your eyes. However, for couples, it comes down to personal preference as the main teppanyaki area would mean you will have a stranger next to you, whether that bothers you or not.

We opted for their lunch specials which was all teppanyaki based dishes and came with a side salad, miso soup and a bowl of steamed rice, along with two dipping sauces.

Prawn and Chicken accompanied with a bowl of steamed rice and a lemon wedge on the side. This was cooked well with the vegetables still having the crunch. There was about three prawns and a whole heap of chicken pieces. The flavour had more a sweet and slightly salty taste however, I did find it a bit meh after a few spoonfuls. Maybe it was just the sweetness.

Yaki Udon with chicken was served with a variety of vegetables which I found to be a bit similar to the other dish' flavour. The udon noodles had the slight grill aftertaste which I quite enjoyed as it made it feel more of an authentic teppanyaki grill instead a stir fry. The amount of vegetables were quite good with having zucchini, onions, red cabbage, white cabbage, mushrooms and carrots.

Although I did not have a truly bad experience here, I am unsure whether I would come back and order their lunch specials but I would try their normal dishes. But in a way, am thinking that the flavours could just be exactly the same again.