So this place has popped up a couple of times on my radar, but I’ve been so hesitant about any sushi place outside of Japan and Sydney because I’ve become a snob (ok, I’ve always been a snob) about the quality and style of sushi. It doesn’t help that I think I suffer whatever the name of the condition is where you think you know something because you read someone else’s opinion on something, and you apply it yourself without understanding. In this case, it’s about nigiri.

So after a long walkaround and having just consumed some pub fish and chips (with some awesome chips) and then nibbling away at a friend’s chicken parmie and chips, I decided I could still eat and should really have a proper dinner. Finally, I decided this sushi place was worth a shot since I was in the area.

I totally did not expect the place to look like it did, and wished I took a picture of the outside and the entrance! There’s a lovely hallway that kind of reminds me of the Rockpool Bar & Grill Perth entrance, only brighter and not as long. Still very beautiful though! I was in a classy place.

Not only was I in a classy place, it also felt very Japanese. I would say authentic, but it was too big to be truly authentic (maybe. I’ve only been to two sushiyas and no izakayas to actually know). I was seated at the sushi bar, which had the most amazing lineup. The ordering system was pretty interesting because the waitstaff would pop your order into their tablets (and my tea arrived while I was still asking about the menu!), and were very good at explaining the menu too. I wasn’t sure whether to opt for the 10 piece chef’s selection of nigiri or to order my own, and after being explained what the 10 were that day, I decided to order my own choice. The lovely sushi chef had an amazing sashimi knife – now I want one!

One of the staff prepared the little nigiri board and presented some soy sauce, and the sushi chef went to work. He presented one type of nigiri at a time, placing it on the board and keeping an eye on the pace at which I was consuming so that he could make the next one once I’d finished the first, and so on. I thought that was really cool! The rice was lovely and warm, but some of the fish came out a little too cold in contrast for my liking. So here we go.

Otoro, flown straight from the Tsukiji fish market! And this is the only place in WA where you can get it :). It was a good and bad thing that I was hypercritical eye here, I really got to take in a lot just by looking at the sushi. There were nice thin cuts across the fish, but they were slightly inconsistent. Nevertheless, it was quite tasty. A bit too cold to get the full flavour and there wasn’t a glaze of soy sauce on top so I had to dip my own. At $11 for a single piece, I’d say my $15 piece from Sokyo was more worth my money.

After my first bites though, I was very pleased that the chef asked how the sushi was and whether the portions were the right size! I asked for them to be a little smaller but I couldn’t actually tell the difference through the meal. Was it just the rice he made smaller? I actually wouldn’t have minded if there was less topping too since I was looking for balance (hurrah my sushi eating skills have evolved to actually care about taste instead of just a lot of fish!).

Scallop – lovely and sweet, and at the time the waiter took my order, he asked of I wanted it seared or fresh, so there are options for the scallop. I believe one side was scored while the other remained untouched. I love all scallop sushi and sashimi so this one tasted as expected.

Mackerel, marinated in vinegar. I love mackerel, and was hoping to get this one fresh. However, that vinegar was so refreshing! It wasn’t overpowering at all and I ended up loving this.

Ok, I’m going to admit to being silly here. I said “ika” but I had meant to say “tako”. Oops! So I ended up with a squid nigiri. Also nicely scored. It wasn’t as tender as I would have liked it and it warmed up really quickly as I was chewing it, so I still don’t like squid sushi.

I also spotted some sea urchin, so why not – I ordered two. This wasn’t any kind of special urchin though, so while they were still more expensive, weren’t overly so ($6pp, compared to the other fish which were about $4pp I think). It was nice and creamy, but these ones were a bit too bitter for my liking. I couldn’t tell whether they were also imported or local (and by local I mean anywhere in Australia), and hadn’t asked.

I’d skip the uni next time unless they really stood out in the display cabinet.

The salmon roe though, was really nice – much nicer than I expected! It wasn’t overly fishy so it tasted great! And yes, they have branded seaweed.

And of course my beloved tamagoyaki. I love tamagoyaki. It’s sweet and savoury at the same time but this was a pretty massive piece so I had to take two bites to eat it.

It was about halfway through that I realised that I’d forgotten to order the normal tuna, plus I had to correct my mistake of ordering squid instead of octopus, and just after I’d noticed that, a group of three were seated at the end of the sushi bar and started talking to chef in Japanese, so I started trying to pay attention even though I barely understand anything at all. They were asking about where the salmon came from, at which point the chef mentioned Tasmania. They also asked about the kingfish, but I had no clue what they were saying. They had the chef’s attention, so there was a bit of a delay with the tuna and octopus that I’d ordered after I finished the first lot.

I didn’t mind at all since it was normal – the restaurant was filling up really quickly, plus I knew the service I was receiving at the beginning because I was the only diner who’d ordered nigiri at the sushi bar. Not to mention I was mesmerised by the chefs working behind the bar. Nonetheless, the chef was apologetic, and that was a really nice touch.

I love normal tuna, and this one was quite tasty. The winner still belongs to Tetsuya when it comes to how to make tuna taste good though!

And my octopus! A large piece (almost too big for my mouth), but it was quite tender (and it was scored) and I actually really liked this one too! Normally I’m not a big fan of squid or octopus, but here the octopus was delicious and I was happy to end my nigiri session on this piece!

I had placed my dessert order with the last two nigiri pieces, and the staff were super attentive so that this wasn’t served until I was finished with my sushi. This was the shiratama uji kintoki – green tea shaved ice with red bean paste and glutinous rice balls. I am a proxy-only shaved ice snob; I don’t actually know a thing about it – but this had great flavour though the ice felt kind of hacked as I had a few large chunks. But the green tea flavour wasn’t overly sweet so I could eat the entire bowl, and the ice cream gave it a much needed creamy texture. I kind of miss making my own red bean paste, mainly because I’d gotten used to my own flavour and texture. This one was made way better than my homemade stuff but I like my own flavour better.

I can’t believe I ate all that sushi not an hour after my late lunch! I was definitely super full afterwards. However this experience was well worth it and now I can see why a lot of people come here. It’s a great place that I think has an authentic enough experience. The quality of sushi is great too! I wouldn’t mind coming here again except that there’s the very hefty Perth Price Tag on it. This place has restored my faith of good sushi places outside of Sydney and Tokyo!