Please Sir, Can I Have Sumiya - Northbridge

I'm writing this review as I'm mentally preparing myself for my wisdom teeth extraction. I've decided on taking the high road and extracting all four at once. As I have to go under general anaesthesia for this procedure I did have to fast. I only had to fast for six hours, but to take full advantage of this excuse, I've decided on a special "last" meal. Miss A actually chose the place, Sumiya Gin, the new Japanese grill restaurant in Northbridge.

When we stepped into the restaurant I felt like I was transported right into the heart of Japan, not that I've ever been to Japan =( . But the crowd, the decor, the atmosphere was everything I imagined Japan would be!

Wagyu Ribs with Special Soy Sauce

Premium Ox Tongue & Pork Belly

So, Sumiya Gin is the cutest grill restaurant I've ever seen. Even the grill was adorable! We started our meal with the wagyu ribs and the premium ox tongue and pork belly. We got grilling straight away and couldn't wait until everything was cooked to our liking. The first thing I tried was the ox tongue. I love grilled ox tongue, and this one didn't disappoint. It was cut into the perfect thickness, so it was easy to eat without having to cut up! The pork belly was also delicious, it was juicy, tender and the smell was so enticing. The pork ribs was cut a little thick than what I would've liked, but it was the tastiest one so far, especially with that soy sauce smothered all over it!

Wagyu Skirt with Salt and Pepper Sauce

At first Miss A and I were convincing ourselves the three first dishes we ordered were enough, but as we got our taste buds running, we could hold it no longer and ordered the wagyu skirt, this time trying the salt and pepper sauce. I thought we made the perfect decision to satisfy our bottomless appetite! The meat soft and there was the right fat to meat ratio, making it really indulgent. I did prefer the special soy sauce though.

Fried Red Bean Taiyaki With Black Sesame Ice Cream

To top it all of, we finished with desserts, the taiyaki with black sesame ice cream. I was a little disappointed that the black sesame ice cream was in fact vanilla ice cream with black sesame sauce, I was expecting real black sesame ice cream. As it was just the sauce the black sesame flavour was not strong enough. The taiyaki was lovely, with a good amount of red bean filling. I thought it didn't need to be fried though.

So, thank Miss A for bringing me here, what a memorable "last" meal! Your company was okay too =P.

Ratings: /10
Food: 8.5
Value: 7
Atmosphere: 8
Service: 8
Overall: 7.9/10

Restaurant information

Sumiya Gin

Shop 3, 447 William Street

Northbridge

Ph: 6114 7083

Fb: Sumiya Gin Japanese BBQ Restaurant

Feeling Old Lane Street Eats - Northbridge

One place people have been telling to try is Old Lane Street Eats in Northbridge. Apparently the food is cheap and delicious. Well I didn't need anymore of a reason to go check this place out. So the time my family and I were unsure about what to have for dinner, Old Lane came to mind!

As we were going through the menu, we wanted to try everything! But, we managed to regain self-control and only chose a dish each with some more to share.

Marmite Bao ($8.90 for two)

Crispy Pork Belly ($8.90 for two)

For starters we chose two of their most popular (according to the waitress) baos, the marmite chicken and crispy pork belly. Everyone at the table really enjoyed both flavours! My personal favourite was the marmite chicken because the chicken was deep fried, but that crispy skin on the pork belly was also a tasty winner! You can't go wrong with either or both!

Fruit Rojak ($11.90)

Lou Shu Fen Dry ($6.90)

Roast Pork Belly Noodle ($8.90)

Another share plate we ordered was their fruit rojak. The flavour of this rojak surprised me, it was a lot sweeter than I expected. I'm used to the Indonesian fruit rujak, which has sauce that is a lot more peanut-y and less sweet. My favourite part about this rojak was the fried dough, it was nice a crispy. Overall, not my favourite dish of the night because it was so sweet.

Charcoal Chicken Wing ($6.90 for two)

Nasi Lemak ($6.90)

My brother decided to order the nasi lemak. But, because the nasi lemak does not come with any meat, he also ordered the charcoal wings. The rice in the nasi lemak was nice and fragrant and the anchovies was crispy. He also really liked the sambal!

Mee Kolok ($6.90)

I ordered the Mee Kolok which was highly recommended by my friends. Well I was glad I listened to everyone's recommendation, because it was delicious! The portion was the perfect size, not too big and not too small (for me anyway). The noodles was soft but firm and the dish was just really tasty. I liked that the dish was not too oily like mee kolok you might find at other restaurants.

Mr. T. ordered the fried kway teow ($8.90) which he inhaled before I can take a photo. I loved that dish too, it was so aromatic. It was perfectly cooked with the perfect amount of charring on the kway teow and the flavours were not too strong but tasty.

So yes, we ordered quite a bit of food, but because of the great prices, our bill was nowhere near as high as I expected! Another great Asian eat in Northbridge!

Ratings: /10

Food: 9

Value: 9

Atmosphere: 8

Service: 8

Overall: 8.5/10

Restaurant Information:

Old Lane Street Eats

Shop 17, 68 Roe Street

Northbridge

Ph: 9227 9992

Fb: Old Lane Street Eats

Insta: @oldlane_streeteats

More Than Okay! - Northbridge

As most Vietnamese food loving Perthian would know, Tra Vinh in Northbridge is always full! Especially during meal times. One day, when my family was craving Tra Vinh, but didn't have the time to queue, we decided to try Okay Vietnamese which is right next door! We were able to get a table almost immediately!

Okay restaurant, just like most Vietnamese restaurant in Perth, has a massive menu. We decided to stick to our favourite Vietnamese dishes.

Diced Beef with Fried Rice ($15.90)

Mr. T chose the diced beef with fried rice. This dish was very satisfying. The beef was tender, cut to the perfect bite size and tasty! There was a generous portion of fried rice as well, unfortunately we thought it was a bit on the bland side, but certainly not bad.

Bun Bi Cha Gio ($11.90)

I ordered my favourite Vietnamese dish, bun cha gio. The main reason I love this dish is the deep fried spring roll! Well the bun bi cha gio at Okay did not disappoint. It was tasty and refreshing and the spring roll had to be the highlight of this dish!

Crispy Chicken Egg Noodle ($14.90)

Pho Tai ($11)

I also got to try a little bit of everyone else's dishes and thought it was all tasty. Overall, Tra Vinh is still tastier, but Okay certainly has its perks! The restaurant is more spacious, they have fast and attentive service and less queue! It's certainly a great alternative if you're looking for Vietnamese in a hurry!

Ratings: /10
Food: 7.5
Value: 7
Atmosphere: 8
Service: 8
Overall: 7.6/10

Restaurant information

Okay Vietnamese Restaurant

459 William Street

Northbridge

Ph: 9227 6688

Fb: Okay Vietnamese Restaurant

Shine Bright Like a Southern Star - Perth

One way I get ideas of where to eat is to scroll through the Entertainment book. There's something very satisfying when you redeem an Entertainment book voucher! As I was scrolling through the book one night for dinner ideas and Mr. T drove around the city aimlessly, we decided on Southern Star. It's near Mr. T's office so he has always wanted to try and they have 25% off offer in Entertainment book! It was like the southern stars aligned for us!

As there was only the two of us, we tried to limit what we ordered. Below are the dishes we had.

Fresh Rice Paper Rolls ($8.90)

The restaurant was very busy the night we dined there and it took a while to get someone's attention for menus, so we decided we had to order and entree tout de suite! Fortunately for us, the entree didn't take too long. We ordered the rice paper rolls. As you can see, it was presented beautifully for rice paper rolls! It was tasty too, especially with the hoisin sauce. We liked how they were generous with the prawns.

Roast Duck & Lychee in Red Curry Sauce ($27.90)

Salt & Pepper Local Tiger Prawns ($27.90)

For mains we chose the roast duck and salt and pepper prawns. We thought we chose very well. Both the dishes were delicious. The roast duck deboned with very tender meat and crispy skin. I personally would've liked thicker duck slices, but no complaints on flavour! The sauce was rich and creamy and the lychee added a nice freshness to an otherwise rich dish! The tiger prawn dish was also very enjoyable. The prawns were nice and juicy and it was very nicely crumbed! 

We left the restaurant with happy tummies and thanks to the discount we felt very thrifty! Will definitely be back to try other dishes!

Ratings: /10
Food: 8
Value: 7
Atmosphere: 7
Service: 7
Overall: 7.3/10

Restaurant Information

Southern Star Cafe & Restaurant

132 Terrace Road

Perth

Ph: 9325 1868

Family Date Night With Mr. Munchies - Victoria Park

Judging by my posts, it probably seems like all we've been living off is sushi and fried chicken, but I assure you, we have salad very occasionally too! A few weekends back, my family and I were aimlessly driving through Albany Highway trying to think of where to eat. I then laid my eyes on Mr. Munchies! Once we got sushi into our heads, nothing else seemed good enough. So off we went to Mr. Munchies. 

I've only been to the Mr. Munchies in Mt. Lawley once before and have ordered a customised sushi roll, but this time we focused on their sushi rolls menu instead to get the full Mr. Munchies experience.

Naughty Coconut Roll ($19.50)

We ordered the naughty coconut roll as we were intrigued by the description on the menu. The flavours seemed so un-sushi like that we just had to try it. Well, we liked it, but didn't love it. From the coconut tamarind sauce, there was a nice creamy texture. But, there was a sour flavour that was a bit strange and out of place. Interesting concept though.

Crunchy Spider Roll ($17.50)

We also ordered the spider roll, because, well, soft shell crab is always a good idea. We loved this roll, we loved the flavours and the texture and there was a generous amount of soft shell crab as well!

Katsu Kilpatrick Roll ($16.50)

Everyone also really enjoyed the katsu kilpatrick. The chicken katsu provided the crunch, the cheese provided the creamy texture which really worked well together. And, of course bacon never hurts!

Mr. Munchies Roll ($16.50)

2 Ways Duck Roll ($19.50)

To get the full Mr. Munchies experience we also ordered the Mr. Munchies roll. This was more reminiscent of a traditional sushi roll. We also really enjoyed the flavours of this roll. But, our favourite dish of the day had to be 2 Ways Duck Roll. The duck was tender, juicy and tasty. As if the duck wasn't enough, there was also prawn in this dish! Winner!

Everyone really enjoyed the dinner at Mr. Munchies. This is definitely the place to go to in Perth for modern and tasty sushi!

Ratings: /10
Food: 8.5
Value: 7
Atmosphere: 8
Service: 8
Overall: 7.9/10

Restaurant Information:

Mr. Munchies Sushi

400 Albany Highway

Victoria Park

Ph: 6323 1521

Free Lunch is Always Zen(sational)saki - Perth

You discover great things while strolling down Barrack Street in Perth City. Various Pokemon and, more importantly, that Zensaki is offering FREE RAMEN for lunch. The offer applies in the month of August starting 11am every Monday to Thursday for the first 15 customers. When we found out about this offer Mr. T and I immediately made lunch plans to claim our free ramen. 

I arrived at Zensaki at 10:45am to avoid the queue and so ended up being the first customer there. To claim the free ramen they asked us to fill out a feedback form about their ramen and we were only allowed to choose one out of three of their basic ramen.

Salmon Coloured Plate ($5.50)

When we sat down we ordered immediately. As we were waiting the sushi in the picture above, on their sushi train, piqued my interest so I just had to try it! The sushi was delicious! The prawn on top was nice and juicy, but as if that wasn't enough, there was also tempura prawn inside the roll! There was also a cream cheese mixture just underneath the prawn, making the sushi very rich and indulgent.

Tonkotsu Ramen (Free)

Mr. T, under my urging, ordered the tonkotsu ramen. At first impression, the ramen was presented very well. We thought it was a bit odd there was tomato slices in there. Overall the tonkotsu ramen was nice, but the flavour lacked intensity. Apparently the flavour was more intense as Mr. T reached the bottom of the bowl, so perhaps and good stir is necessary.

Black Sesame Miso Ramen (Free)

I ordered the black sesame miso. The colour of the miso ramen was richer than the tonkotsu and the flavour was also more intense. I have to say I enjoyed the black sesame miso ramen more than the tonkotsu ramen.

Overall, we enjoyed our free lunch. If you were wondering, the normal price of their ramen is $12.50, we thought this was a reasonable price for the size and the chashu pork and half an egg that you get. I have to mention though, we ordered hot green tea and was charged $3 per person each, but was given only one pot of tea. I'm not sure if this was the normal portion size for the tea, but we thought that was very steep!

Ratings: /10
Food: 7
Value: 8
Atmosphere: 8
Service: 8
Overall: 7.8/10

Restaurant Information

Zensaki 

83 Barrack Street

Perth

Ph:  9221 7577

Website: zensaki.com

Fb: Zensaki

Just a Tuk Tuk Ride Away - Perth

Far from being a domestic goddess, Mr. T can expect to spend more money eating out than buying groceries from now on. Luckily for us, new places are always cropping up in Perth. One under-the-radar place that is relatively new is Tuk Tuk @Cafe in Highgate. Those familiar to Sparrow Indonesian Restaurant may have seen Tuk Tuk as it is right across the street.

As the name suggests, it is a Thai food restaurant. We visited this place on its second day of opening and we were very curious as to their quality and authenticity.

Prawn Pad Thai ($17)

Red Curry ($17)

Plad Rad Khing ($20)

Gai Leum Hom ($18)

Beef Stir Fry ($17)

Above were the dishes we ordered and shared amongst six people. Everyone thought the flavours were authentic. We really enjoyed the pad thai and plad rad khing fish dishes. We loved the charring on the prawns of the pad thai, we only wished the portion was bigger. The plad rad khing was also tasty and the fish was still crispy even with the sauce smothering it! The red curry was also very thick, creamy and delicious, we did choose the beef curry, I think it would've been even better with prawn or chicken. The beef stir fry was a little bit of a let down, it was nice but, nothing special. Everyone also loved the chicken dish (gai leum lom), it was the perfect level of spiciness and sweetness and the chicken was nicely cooked!

In the end, it was a pleasant meal. We liked the flavours, but we did think for the price the portion was a bit small.

Ratings: /10

Food: 8

Value: 7

Atmosphere: 7

Service: 8

Overall: 7.5/10

Restaurant information

Tuk Tuk @Café

288 Lord Street

Perth

Ph: 0452 225 498

7 Grams is Never Enough - North Perth

Another weekend, another Korean Fried Chicken feast. This time we checked out the relatively new, 7 Grams in North Perth. The location is a little obscure, but once you see it, you can't miss their cute external and internal decor. When we arrived the place was filled with Koreans, so we knew they must have authentic flavours! So, 10 of us dined here and in the end we took up most of the restaurant. 

For starters we ordered the kimchi pancake. Although it looked burnt when it arrived at our table, it was actually quite tasty. I thought the kimchi flavour could've been stronger and I would've liked it a bit thicker or a bit more substantial, but otherwise it was fluffy and flavoursome.

Kimchi Pancake ($15)

Original - Whole ($23)

To begin with we ordered the whole original chicken. Pictured above was just the two pieces I ate (too hungry to remember to take a proper photo). Usually I would not order the original flavour Korean fried chicken as they would never compare to KFC, but this one was actually impressive. The flavour was not as tasty as KFC, but that skin was like crunchy solid gold! So irresistible.

Soy Garlic - Whole ($26)

Sweet Chilli with Cheese - Whole ($32)

As you can see we ended up ordering a LOT of chicken to share and we didn't stop here! We also ordered their side dishes: large chips ($7), large wedges ($8) and radish pickle ($1). Their side dishes were also very pleasing, not too expensive with fair portion sizes, dipping sauce and most of all they were tasty! The chips and wedges were sprinkled with herbs which smelled great and they all came out very hot and crispy.

As for the chicken, in the end the soy garlic was my favourite. Like the original, the skin was extraordinarily crunchy, but the soy garlic was covered with tasty gooey sauce which made it even more enjoyable. The sweet chilli was cheese also looked very appetising, but in the end I couldn't enjoy it as it was way too spicy for me! I think the name 7 Grams must mean they put seven grams of chilli on each piece of chicken. But, the chilli lovers at our table loved the sauce and could not get enough of it.

Overall, I was very impressed by 7 Grams. The prices are slightly cheaper than other Korean fried chicken in Perth and the flavours were amazing! Very pleased with our meal here. Also, they don't serve beer here, but BYO allowed at no charge! Yay!

Ratings: /10
Food: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

Restaurant Information

7 Grams

410 Fitzgerald Street

North Perth

Ph: 0406 133 331