Very recently, I've seen a series of Japanese cafes open in Brisbane with a wide assortment of Matcha themed food and drink. One that really stood out to me was Eight Ounce Cafe, located out in Springwood. With a reputation of hours long waits and menus that sell out if you dared show up later in the morning, I was intrigued. So we set out from home at 7.30am in the morning on a Saturday to ensure we got there at opening time to try it out.
The cafe itself wasn't too big and all seats were undercover but not indoors. This would probably be an issue later in the summer and I am glad I came before it was very hot. The menu was very unique by Brisbane standards, with a variety of Japanese style pastries and sandos as well as their signature chazuke. Prices were very steep and I sincerely hoped they were worth what we paid.
I had a matcha latte with a shot of coffee. My companion had a hojicha shake. Both were delicious. My matcha was particularly high quality and the intensity reminded me strongly of cafe creasion in Sydney. With the added shot of coffee, it was the perfect drink in the morning.
My companion had the toriniku chazuke. I managed to sample some and found it delightful. The chazuke came with soup already poured over. The soup itself was creamy and wholesome without being too heavy. The chicken was probably cooked with a sous vide machine because it was so tender and moist without drying out.
Opting for the (most expensive) signature dish, I had the Unagi Chazuke. Having seen pictures of it online, I was afraid it would be small, however it was actually as filling as you would expect for a main meal. The rice was seasoned with crunchy furikake and topped with a whole grilled eel, garnished with tempura perilla and enoki. The whole eel was generous in size and made the $32 price tag worthwhile. I think it erred on the side of being a bit undercooked as the skin was still a little bit too chewy rather than crispy, but the flavours were very wholesome and complementary. The soup was clear and umami.
Overall we had a fantastic time at eight ounce cafe. The prices were high but we were given value for what we paid. I am very keen to come back for another matcha latte and perhaps a sando.
Taste: 8.5/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Environment: 6/10
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