There was hardly a cuisine I missed more in during lockdown than BBQ. Whilst I've learned to recreate most things that I've had cravings for, BBQ is the one thing that I couldn't properly (read as safely) recreate without proper ventilation at home. Was really pleased when Nonbei reopened and we were able to check out the Mt Gravatt branch.
Making a reservation early definitely helped in ensuring we got a table before. It was noteworthy that all utensils and crockery were now disposable.
Not sure if it was due to dining restrictions or not but the menu had changed a bit compared to the Valley and there was now a two tier buffet with the premium one priced at $65pp to encompass premium wagyu, salmon sashimi, prawn and unagi. We got the premium of course.
As usual, cold dishes were the first to come out, including lobster salad, seaweed salad and octopus wasabi. All of these were fairly standard store bought varieties that you could get at most asian supermarkets.
The main event was obviously the meat. First platter to arrive comprised of Wagyu of the day and some pork belly and pork jowl. The wagyu was fairly lean and the marbling wasn't too apparent but it was very tender, which I really enjoyed. The pork jowl was quite fatty for my tastes and on the parchment paper, it wasn't able to caramelise to a crisp like I usually get at other BBQ places.
The salmon sashimi and salmon capaccio though were just as good as I had remembered. Fresh and delicious, they were cut to a generous thickness and really hit the spot.
It's hardly a trip to Nonbei without a selection of their fried goods, this was the takoyaki, octopus and eggplant. All were freshly friend and wonderfully crisp. I really liked it but they filled me up a bit too easy, so I wasn't able to indulge much.
Also a big fan of their gyoza, we had a dozen to share. With a thin skin, crispy bottom and juicy centre, they were a joy to eat.
Part of the premium menu, we had some prawns and ox tongue. The prawn came out frozen, as did the ox tongue. As such, the prawn didn't have too much by way of freshness to it, but the ox tongue was fairly tender and is often served frozen so it didn't make too much of a difference.
The highlight of our night was undoubtedly the premium wagyu oyster blade. Even though it was a buffet, we were limited to one serve per person. Contrasted with the daily wagyu the veins of fat that marbled each piece was undoubtedly significant. Thick cut and tender, we made sure that each piece was served perfectly rare so as to fully enjoy every bite.
Another thing that really piqued my interest was the Unagi which was previously not on their buffet menu but now on their premium menu. Ordering by the piece, I was surprised that this was packet unagi that was freshly microwaved before being served. Chewy and rubbery, I would prefer to grill my own at home.
Taste: 6/10
Value: 5/10
Service: 7/10
Environment: 7/10
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