Bites: Sake Bar @ Northbridge.

The entertainment book has done it once again.  Instead of relying on my list of safe to go restaurants, I have tried so many new restaurants in these few occasions where I have decided to dine out.  For a while now Sake Bar has been having a fair bit of buzz over the internet media like Facebook and Urbanspoon.  While some people love it, there is definitely others who would fault it.  Stepping in, there are so many reasons to be wow-ed.  From a modern lounge for drinks before walking in to a heavily wooden accented dining area, this place screams Japan.  The waitresses, not all Japanese but does it even bother me much? Definitely no.  Sliding my finger around the menu, is was clear that there is a little bit of inspiration of everything from everywhere.  But for me tonight, I am going all out on fish.

 

California Roll.  This one costed us $10 for 5 pieces.  It looks fair but for the price you would hope a little more.  In this version of California Roll, the prawns have been substituted for crab sticks =X.    The rice was cooked to perfection but hmm it felt lacklustre.  Might have to get back to this one later one.

 

Next up was the fried sushi which caught our eyes as the waitress served it to another customer.  This sort of thing definitely catches my eyes.  Crispy on the outside with a generous serve of tuna mixed with spicy mayonnaise, magic?  At close to $4.50 a pop,  There was much anticipation from our hungry tummies.  Did it deliver would be the main question.  Tuna was smashing but something like that for $19? I’m out of here!!  This tasted rather alright but the shards of crispy rice stuck between your gums is something else.

 

Aburi Nigiri was another dish that I ordered that night.  Hand-torched seafood really brings out the sweetness of seafood which, when raw just does not taste as spectacular.  For $19 at Sake Bar,you get a selection of Kingfish, Salmon and Scallops, which was a nice amount of fish.  Out of the lot, the scallop was king.  The quality of the scallops were good and that smoothness of the scallop flesh was immense.  Salmon unfortunately lies low in the rank.  The best would probably be from Shiro Izakaya, second from Bonzai and thirdly, here.  Just not as melt in your mouth as what I have had before!  Kingfish was ok, but does not seem to benefit as much as the scallops and salmon.

 

Next was the Kingfish Carpaccio.

This felt somewhat Nobu inspired with all the famed pictures of Kingfish and Jalapeno lying around the internet but this was different.  The very thinly sliced fish was really smooth. Mango and spring onions mixture for this just did not excite.  Having the fried condiments on there, I could not tell the intention because that has instantly taken away the very subtle freshness of the fish.   I mean after all Carpaccio means to serve raw is it not?

 

The next one was the Aburi Salmon with Wasabi Mayo and Salmon Roe.

This one, albeit being a little more delicate on the palate still did not pack that melting sensation I seek.  But the flavour were great despite my fellow guest found it a little pungent from the wasabi mayo.  It looked really beautiful on the table.  It tasted promising but still has rooms for improvement.

 

At the end of the night, I did not leave feeling satisfied. I walked in created my little cloud of expectation for a classic Japanese Izakaya from all the wooden accented interior, the flowing water, and when you open the menu, you get a fair amount of classics with another huge selection or modern dishes which is good.  But when it came to the table it was not all that spectacular.  Misses were more than hits and yeah.  It did not taste like crap but neither did it justify its price tag. 

 

With all the other restaurants in the vicinity like Bonzai or Shiro across the train station you would at least want to price yourself strategically if not decently.  All restaurants mentioned packed great modern interior.  Bonzai of the lot feels value for money with an urban feel.  The menu is fresh, exciting and clearly distinctive from the rest where it packs a very Western feel to it without losing the Japanese touch.  Shiro on the other hand places itself in the heart of the city where rental is prime.  Its menu is upmarket but food quality, generous.  The only thing not justified at Shiro would be its green tea which is $4 a small pot.  

 

WenY

Bites: Breezes on Como @ Como

Last week was pretty much a lazy week for us! With my newly purchased Entertainment Book, we decided to have some new.  Fortunately enough, we did not have to pick blindly.  My sister paid a visit to Breezes on Como last week and said it was pretty good.    So why not?  Perfectly located nearby for a lazy Monday.  With a small crowd, we sat on a well lighted corner and felt really comfortable as it was really quiet.   

For appetizer, the four of us shared the Polo Pizza!

The pizza was generous with toppings.  Heaps of cheese, mushrooms, chicken and bacon! Overall, it was really tasty but to a certain extent, it felt a little cloying.  There was heaps of oil from the well-melted cheese.  Perhaps, if we had opted for something with a little more acidity from a tomato based pizza would have been better than the one with barbecue sauce.  Luckily it was something we shared :)!

 

 

The next dish was the Scotch Fillet with garlic confit mash, mushrooms & spinach with a red wine jus.

I cannot complain much here.  The mash was spot on.  Red wine jus tasty and aromatic.  More importantly, the fillet was tender and cooked to order.  It was yums!  If there was a complain, it would be that the pan probably was not hot enough while the steak was prepared.  The fats did not feel rendered enough and perhaps the beauty of caramelisation just was not there.  While this is definitely important for steak enthusiasts, a typical diner would not have complained.  This was good!

 

Next up was the fish of the day which was pan-fried Salmon with baby spinach, sautéed Kipfler potatoes and crumbled cauliflower with a pesto sauce.  Again, salmon flesh flaking of that large chunk of fish steak was good.  Like my previous fish adventures, the skin was not crispy as desired.  Crumbled cauliflower was awesome and when both vegetables are enjoyed with the sauce, haha favourite dish of the night! 

 

Last but not the least was the Lamb Shank.

According to a reviewer on Urbanspoon, he did mention that this was nothing to shout about.  True enough, despite falling of the bone, the sauce felt lacking.  It was thick and on first impressions looked rich.  But when having the potato, lamb shank and sauce together, it just did not deliver.  We were really hoping for more when it arrived at the table, but perhaps next time!

 

Overall, my trip to Breezes on Como was a pleasant one.  As a restaurant that claims to prides itself on using fresh local produce and local West Australian wines in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, with fine food; I would have to insist that the are not far off.  Over all, the meal felt really satisfying.  We were happy and full.  The quiet and comfy ambience did not make us feel pressured to finish our dinner like how many other places are.  Will I come here again?  Definitely!  Thankfully enough, the boss did not tick the discount off my card! I have another coupon then :)!

 

Regards,

WenY

Bites: Pepper Lunch @ Perth

While Taka is the king of Barrack Street, that has certainly not stopped other shops from giving it a go in the lucrative Perth CBD.  One recent addition is Pepper Lunch which boasts franchises all over South East Asia.  In the last three weeks, I had two lunches here already.  To describe Pepper Lunch, it takes a DIY approach where each diner gets a hot plate with a choice of meat.  Armed with sweet sauce in one hand and garlic in the other, diners mix the flavours to their liking.  However, I decided to skip the mixing and tried the J Hamburger curry set.

The curry sauce was delish!  The burger was very well marinated and tasted great alongside with the curry! Unfortunately though, this was all in vain as the rice was deceptively gluggy! It was sticky, with the top looking perfect.  Sad but true, Asians should cook rice pretty decently but not all can.  Nonetheless, I scooped out the sticky ones and ate those were good! Still a very enjoyable dish over all.

 

Mei on the other hand ordered the Kimchi Beef which was pretty nice as well.  The taste of the Kimchi was good and the sauce was generous.  But wet Kimchi and wet rice really does not go well together.

 

Last Sunday, I also came here with fishman and little darling.  Fishman ordered the shimofuri which was the steak! Pretty nice and tender but it was all very oily.  Regardless of whether your meat needs cooking like the steak or a cooked on like the hamburger, the hotplate was heavily coated with oil to prevent the food from sticking!  Pepper Lunch is not your typical fast food.  It came out fast but not McDonalds fast. Regardless of all the complains, Pepper Lunch is a welcoming addition.  It might not cook rice nicely, and neither is the long queue or coming out stinky appealing, but hey, its decently priced lunch for quality stuff.

 

WenY