Akiba

Akiba is a standing favourite of mine, and I hadn’t been back for a while, so stopped in with friends for a long weekday lunch. We were seated in the nicely-heated outdoor area, and had plenty of time to peruse the menu before someone came to take our order. We started with the kimchi and angasi pancakes (serve of 4), which were topped with sriracha sauce and bonito flakes. Whilst small, the pancakes packed a punch and whetted our appetites for the rest of the meal. Next up was one of my favourites from Akiba – the fried chicken. Hello mounds of deep-fried chicken goodness topped with a tonne of cheese! Alone the chicken is a bit dry, but with the added sauces (not 100% sure what they are – one is a spicy chilli, the other is a mayonnaise of some sort, but they look deceptively like ketchup and mustard respectively!) the whole thing lifts up another notch. We fought rather politely over the last pieces. Finally we shared a plate of Singapore noodles, which was a real highlight. The ingredients were fresh and there were tonnes of prawns and the portion was really generous. Really great food for sharing.

Akiba, 40 Bunda Street, Civic ACT, http://www.akiba.com.au/

Suke Suke

Suke Suke is the coolest new kid on the block, bringing a bar-like feel to the idea of a Japanese izakaya (drinks and little bites to eat). We started with cocktails – I ordered the Hello Kitty Sour ($16), with lychee, yuzu, lemon and peach bitters. This was really well-balanced, with strong citrus tones and just enough sweetness. Next were the gyoza ($8 for 4), which were probably our favourite – perfectly charred bases, thin skin and great pork and prawn flavour inside, these were great with the accompanying dipping sauce. Dish 2 was the takoyaki ($8 for 5) – these were tasty, but seem to have been crumbed and fried, rather than cooked traditionally, and only had tiny pieces of octopus inside. However, the toppings were on point with heaps of bonito flakes and sauces. The popcorn chicken kara-age ($13) was fabulous, with perfect morsels of lightly battered chicken and heaps of mayo for dunking. I also really enjoyed the agedashi tofu ($8), but would have liked less spicy togarashi seasoning and more seaweed. Finally, we tried the beef yakitori ($11 for 4 skewers). Sadly these were lukewarm, but the beef was tasty and topped with sesame, which matched well. A tad pricey for the serves, but with great service and atmosphere, I’ll be back.

Suke Suke, Verity Lane, Sydney Building, Civic ACT, http://www.sukesuke.com.au/

Shimbashi

Shimbashi is a favourite of mine – they offer consistently authentic quick Japanese food, although I must admit, I do have a ‘go to’ order that I pretty much always pick. This visit was no exception – we stuck with the teriyaki salmon set, which includes quite a decent-sized bowl of teriyaki salmon on a bed of rice, plus a plate of soba or udon served either hot or cold. The teriyaki sauce on the salmon isn’t your average out-of-a-bottle sauce – it’s sophisticated, having just the right amount of sweetness without being too much. The salmon is perfectly cooked into heavenly flakes, and the Japanese rice is so tasty with the extra sauce. The soba is handmade, so has a nice springy texture, and the soba sauce is again just right – well-balanced and not too salty. I particularly like the tempura bits you are served to scatter on top, and the spring onion adds great flavour to the dish overall. There’s a reason I keep ordering this dish – it’s great value, has great flavour and takes me back to Tokyo. What more could I ask for?

Shimbashi Soba & Sake Bar, 17 Liverpool Street, Melbourne VIC, http://www.shimbashisobamelbourne.net/

Genki Roll

Genki Roll has a special place in my heart – I used to eat lunch there quite regularly as a student, so on this visit I tried my old favourite, the hot udon soup, to see if it’s still as good as I remember. The answer is yes. For a great value $5.20 you can get a regular sized udon, and I added tempura vegetables for an extra $2.50. The bowl was still a good size, and the tempura was going nice and soggy in the broth (yum). The noodles remain beautifully springy and given the different widths, I wonder if they’re made in store (does anyone know?). New is the pile of not-very-authentic greens on the side, which I avoided. The tempura vegetables did seem to contain prawns (maybe a communication error?) but was fabulously fried and full of onion and other good bits. Soaked in the broth, they were perfect. The prawn was a bit ho-hum, but as always, the broth is the real star and it was just like I remember -salty, and with that proper Japanese flavour that udon broths should have. Sure, it’s not exactly healthy, but on a chilly afternoon, this dish will warm you to your bones.

Genki Roll, Adelaide Central Plaza, Rundle Mall, Adelaide SA

Pepper Lunch

I dined as a guest of Pepper Lunch; all opinions are my own. Pepper Lunch has brought its sizzling-plate Japanese food to Canberra! I was super excited to attend their launch event – if only we could find it! After wandering up and down Bunda Street, we finally spotted the store next to Oliver Brown, and it was on like Donkey Kong. I started out with a bowl of miso soup ($3.50), with a beautifully salty white miso and seaweed, plus silken and fried tofu inside (yum!). The staff were friendly and welcoming as they brought out our meals, explaining that the plate is served at 260 degrees (what?!), and that before eating the giant rib-eye steak ($24.90) I’d ordered, I needed to slather their specialty pepper butter over my meat. Ok, if I must! The rib-eye was sizzling hot, and pre-sliced for ease of enjoyment. The meat was beautifully tender (I could cut thinner pieces with chopsticks alone), with great marbling, and the beauty of the hot plate is being able to cook it to your liking without a long wait. I really loved the pepper flavour from the butter – it added so much to the beef – and the vegies broke up the meal nicely. Pepper Lunch opens today – check it out!

Pepper Lunch, 88-96 Bunda Street (next to Oliver Brown) Canberra, http://www.pepperlunch.com.au/

Himeji Ramen & Izakaya

I was super pumped for ramen at Himeji, but when Mum and I saw the Funamori (sushi and sashimi boat, $62) on the menu, we couldn’t resist. Dad ordered the Oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl) and a couple of bao to try. We sampled it while waiting for our boat – the oyakodon was beautiful, with lovely, tasty rice, perfectly tender chicken and sweet onion. Then our boat arrived! Oh my! So full of sushi and sashimi and beautiful seafood! We didn’t know where to start! All of the fish was fresh and flavoursome, and the sashimi cuts were all excellent, except for a couple of slightly too-thick and chewy lower-grade tuna pieces. The natural oysters were lovely, and the aburi salmon rolls were a highlight with perfectly seared outers. My favourite was actually the ceviche, served with a yam (?) crisp and deep-fried prawn head. It had a wicked amount of spice and excellent texture, especially when paired with the chips. Our favourite nigiri sushi was the unagi (eel), with the thick sweet sauce on top, but the salmon was excellent all around. We were so full by the end – such an indulgent feast and excellent service! Highly recommended.

Himeji Ramen & Izakaya, 22-24 Grote Street, Adelaide SA, http://www.ramenizakaya-himeji.com

Tokyo Bird

My dream has come true. There is an authentic Japanese izakaya in Australia. Tokyo Bird sits in a little Surry Hills laneway and fulfills all my izakaya needs – an extensive drinks menu, lots of ‘little bites’ to eat and a vibe that’s buzzing. We started with cocktails – I chose the Breakfast Martini, with gin, curacao, lemon and yuzu marmalade. There is so much citrus happening there that my cheeks puckered, definitely in a good way. Dinner started with the Assorted Pickles ($6) and Katsu Chicken Nuggets ($9). The pickles were lightly done and dusted in  spicy togarashi seasoning – excellent for nibbling slowly. The katsu nuggets were the best thing ever – tender chicken bits deep fried in panko and served with kewpie mayo. Needless to say, they disappeared very quickly. We then picked four yakitori dishes. I loved the Negima (chicken thigh with shallot) – tender, charred nicely and basted in the magic yakitori sauce, it was probably my favourite of the four. The Tonton (pork belly) was lovely and fatty, and the Hatsu (chicken hearts) were tasty, although slightly tougher than the other meats. Finally, we both loved the Nasu (eggplant and miso) – beautifully salty with creamy eggplant, we were in izakaya heaven. I will be back as soon as I possibly can!

Tokyo Bird, 2/226-228 Commonwealth Street (entry on Belmore Lane), Surry Hills NSW, http://www.tokyobird.com.au/