Overview
Too often Japanese food is synonymous with sushi, and while there is certainly a time and place for a sushi platter or a trip to a sushi train, the Japanese cuisine scene in Brisbane has much more impressive food to offer. Here's our list of foods and a few restaurants that you may like to try (or revisit) next time you're hankering for some Japanese.
Ramen and gyoza
Perhaps one of the greatest delights that Japanese cuisine has to offer, ramen is now available in many Brisbane locations. Incomparably satisfying, a bowl of tonkotsu ramen preceded by a plate of gyoza is just about the perfect meal.
Taro's Ramen & Cafe on Adelaide Street is as good a place as any to get your ramen. As in all good ramen restaurants, the menu is short and simple, and the few dishes they do, they do well. Proudly MSG free, Taro’s stock is flavoursome and aromatic, and the noodles and toppings are excellent quality.
Japanese chain Hakataya Ramen now has four Queensland stores, two of which are in Sunnybank, and they're hard to miss for their bright yellow noren. With long benches and high wooden stools, this is a get-in and get-out kind of place. Lines are inevitably long at mealtimes, but the ramen is first rate (particularly the char siu-men), well priced and generously portioned. You can even get a free second serve of noodles (kaedama), provided you still have some soup left in your bowl.
For those who are just after gyoza, head over to Harajuku Gyoza. The place is packed most nights, but there is something undeniably appealing about a speciality gyoza bar smack bam in the middle of the Valley.
Image: Harajuku Gyoza
Yakiniku, shabu shabu and sukiyaki
Influenced by Korean BBQ, yakiniku is perfect for groups and those who don't mind having to cook their own food. In fact, cooking your own food on a central grill is probably the main attraction.
Shinbashi Yakiniku in Underwood is dedicated to showcasing the quality of wagyu beef through simple preparation. Chinatown's Koh-ya is a popular dinner destination, and their huge platters come laden with various cuts of beef, along with other meats, vegetables and sides.
A less smoky alternative to yakiniku is shabu shabu. Beef, vegetables, tofu and noodles arrive raw at the table to be quickly blanched or boiled in a communal hotpot and dipped in a ponzu or sesame sauce. Perennial favourite sukiyaki is cooked in a sweet soy broth and dunked in raw egg.
Hosokawa in Hamilton, though known for its izakaya-style dishes and sushi, do generous sukiyaki and shabu shabu, and Sunny Breeze Restaurant in Sunnybank has shabu shabu and sukiyaki buffet nights on Tuesdays and Sundays.
Image: Shinbashi Yakiniku
Teppanyaki
Teppanyaki is not just dinner but a show. Usually comprised of an assortment of meat and vegetables prepared on an iron griddle, the flavours are straightforward and likely to assuage even the wariest eaters. Though the food itself is simple, not so the manner of its delivery. Seated at a giant hot plate, watch as skilled chefs brandish knives and spatulas and chop, slice, toss, flip and flambe your food.
For plush surrounds, try Kabuki in the Stamford Plaza Hotel, which specialises in teppanyaki. For a more laidback vibe, give Oyama in the Valley a go.
Image: Kabuki
Fine Dining
Two of Brisbane's premier Japanese fine dining establishments are Sono Portside Wharf, Hamilton and Saké Restaurant and Bar on Eagle Street Pier. Both have elegant Japanese-style interiors, with the sunken seating option of low wooden tables and floor cushions. They also both have lengthy sushi and sashimi menus and familiar favourites such as tempura and chicken karaage.
Sono Portside's signature dish is wagyu steak striploin with butter sauteed vegetables. They also offer teppanyaki (only available at the Hamilton restaurant) and fancy fare like lobster served as sashimi, grilled with avocado mayonnaise or pan-fried with garlic lemon sauce according to your preference. The six-course tasting menu comes with the option of matching wines and sake.
Saké's specialities include ikura scallops (Queensland scallops topped with salmon caviar and ponzu sauce) and wagyu dumplings (steamed wagyu and ginger dumplings served with a spicy ponzu dipping sauce). There are also two separate banquet menus, and a huge variety of imported sake from which to choose.
Image: Sono
Fusion
Depending on whether you find Japanese fusion cuisine terribly inauthentic or refreshingly innovative, you just might love Tank. Traditionalists may balk at the idea of slow-cooked lamb shoulder with a shisho mint sauce or grilled Atlantic salmon, spanner crab and macadamia milk. But if you like the idea of Japanese food infused with a modern cosmopolitanism, then Tank is just the ticket.
Image: Tank