Bites: Sensational Izakaya @ Ichirin, Leeming.

It is another beautiful day for dining out in sunny Perth.  It was my sister’s birthday and her Japanese cravings kicked in.  After scouting around she decided on eating at Ichirin, a small suburban Izakaya in the southern suburb of Leeming.  

It is not my first time here and I know that Ichirin serves pretty decent food for good value.  Whether its a crunchy Karaage or Fresh Sashimi you crave for, Ichirin has it all.  Do note though that if you are coming in for their Omakase Menu aka “Trust the Chef”, that you book at least 2 nights in advance.  As we did not make it for the Omakase, dinner was going to be a simple Izakaya meal.  To start was some skilfully plated sashimi before going to a favourite of mine, the Agedashi Tofu.  Simply crisp on the outside and sitting in a bath of soy, radish and finely grated ginger.  Lean and tasty.

Then we go on to Ichirin’s Sashimi Carpaccio. Consisting of thinly sliced fish cook, this dish was almost like a Ceviche in the sense that the salmon that came out look slightly cooked by the Citrus Yuzu and Miso mixture.  Refreshing in every bite, one simply could not stop with one bite.  Then we stopped having the raw stuff as my dad calls it and move on to the more conventional warm dishes.  The usual suspects made their appearance such as the Chicken Karaage and Gyoza.

As simple as it seems, Ichirin’s execution of these classics were people-proof favourites.  Both juicy and moist on the inside, it was hard to fault.  But if I had to pick the winner, it would be the Gyoza as it skin was cooked spot on and the mince on the inside was sensationally seasoned.  The Karaage on the other hand, despite packing a load of crunch lacked an essential bite of ginger.  Still it was very good.

But my seafood odyssea has not ended yet.  This time with a sensational plate of octopus.  At this point we did not expect the meal to get better only to be surprised by a melt in your mouth octopus.  I looked on Ichirin’s website but could not find the name.

Not to be forgotten is the superb Teriyaki Beef Fillet.  The marriage between a balanced Teriyaki sauce and a tender beef makes for heaven in mouth when paired with fluffy steamed rice.  This was no different. 

After finishing the night with some Matcha Ice Cream topped with Azuki (red beans), we were on our way home from Ichirin.  A count of how many dishes we had, I had actually ordered about 9-10 dishes for the table with the crispy squid and tempura prawns not shown above.  Was it too much?  Definitely not as the Izakaya dining style consist of small plate in a social environment so you get more variety throughout the meal. The bill price at Ichirin? A very fair  $170 with two bowls of ice cream and rice for a group of 4.

Bites: Double Tonkotsu = Double Goodness? @ Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya, Perth.

When I was told that Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya sat in the spot of what used to be Shiro Izakaya, I was shocked as I felt that Shiro had really punched above its weight when it came to food quality.  It even brought the Ramen Burger to Perth!! Needless to say its time has passed and the start of an interesting ramen place excites me equally. This latest Japan import is a new contender in the local ramen scene.  Playing its authenticity card in a premium location, does Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya deliver?

First, the ordering process. Super simple with the modern touchscreen system replicating the ticketing booth’s of Japan.  A high degree of customisability and toppings makes eating at Kizuki Ramen a bliss even for the fussiest of eaters.  That day I tried Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya’s pride and joy, the famous Tonkotsu Ramen.  To do that, I ordered the Double Tonkotsu.

My noodles were cooked “normal” with the broth's sodium level “normal”.  Do two “normals” make one right?  For starters I loved the kick the broth served up.  That amazing thick porky broth was superbly hearty and tasty from the many hours.  Kizuki’s Double Tonkotsu also comes with heaps of garlic so you can actually see it floating amongst the lard on the soup which gives it a fragrance that cuts through the meatiness.  Chashu was tender and melted in my mouth immediately.  Surprising considering the thickness of it!  Noodles carried the right amount of bite.  Enjoyable!  The egg was faultless though I think if they had cut it, the food would look better.  I knew I would mess it up if I tried to cut it so I did not even bother.

A really quick hit and run lunch that cost me $18.  Was it worth the buck?  But before we go there, lets just set the ground the Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya served some amazing ramen.  I have heard previous feedbacks saying its too salty etc, but salt is a matter of preference.  In fact, most restaurants in Chinatown load up on sodium too so for me this was comparable.  The Tonkotsu broth at Kizuki Ramen had a really nice garlicky punch that I enjoyed and its richness was well-toned to my palate.  If you are looking for Tonkotsu, this might be it! Price point though is definitely on the higher side of things.  Back when Dosukoi was open, it set the price point for ramen at $10.  It was one of the cheapest ramen in town while the Nao Ramen establishment sat on a “pricey” $13.  With new places charging $15-18 a bowl, I suspect die-hard fans will go all out to try the latest in town.  But can these new ramen joints beat the classics for longevity?  Only time will tell.  I know for me that the Tonkatsu alone is worth a return to Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya.  In fact, this has got to be the best new ramen in town.

Bites: Top Notch Cheeseburger @ Royal's Chicken & Burger, Victoria Park.

You've probably seen it, drove past it and maybe even walked past it. But you've not been in Royal’s Chicken & Burger. So maybe you should. I've finally had a chance to visit Royals and who doesn't love a good meal of burgers, wings and chips? If you don’t you're probably out of your mind. 

The menu is not complicated.  If you go for the wings, pick how many and what sort of sauce you want. That evening we had the Honey Pepper and the Buffalo Wings (lvl of spiciness - Hot). 

Pictured above is the buffalo wings with a heat level of “hot” which is just before the "hell-ishly" spicy one. And it packed a kick for what it was worth.  If you frown at the delicious Merrywell Lollipop wings due to the lack of heat, Royal’s Chicken and Burger will not disappoint.  Celery stick is its usual accompaniment along with a blue cheese dip.  Now, if only the sauce bowl was slightly wider so I could dip the wings in the sauce..?  Moving on, the Honey Pepper Chicken tasted "OK", but lacked any real appeal.  There were not crispy bits coated in honey whatsoever, in fact it felt a little soggy at one point.  But if you cannot eat fiery Buffalo Wings or dislike the acidity of the vinegar, this makes for a fair substitute.

Once we were done with the appetisers, it was time to move on to the burger.  Royal’s Chicken & Burger has a couple of burgers on their menu.  But what better way is there than to assess burgerfection that try their most basic cheeseburger, the no frills basic that when done right makes tongue wag!  The Royal with Cheese (with an extra slice of American Cheese +$1)!

I think this has got to be the juiciest patty I have had in a while! Cooked just right, red in the middle and slightly crusty on the outside it was heavenly.  Trying to keep things minimalistic, all I had in there was two serves of cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickle and onion.  No vegetable bullshit stopping the marriage of meat and bun.  Pickles were delicious and the chemistry between the mustard and ketchup was on point.  The Royal with Cheese was simplicity at its best!

Do I enjoy Royal’s Chicken & Burger?  Sure did.  Its take on the classic cheeseburger is a solid success with little distractions from what it was meant to be.  I bloody love a good burger!!! On the other hand, our reception towards the wings was a little mixed depending on whether you had the honey pepper or the buffalo or even the Southern Fried Chicken. While the Buffalo Wings got a nod of approval from around the table, the Honey Pepper was lacklustre and Southern Fried Chicken was a tad dry and did not really excite!  Definitely coming back for my burger feed!

WenY