KatsuYa - Fortitude Valley (2023 Revisit)

There are very few restaurants who can legitimately claim to be booked out a year in advance, however Katsu Ya, my favourite Japanese omakase in Brisbane is one of those places. Their bookings for 2023 opened in October 2022 and I was lucky enough to be able to secure three reservations for their much coveted omakase this year. With only six seats a night and only being open four days a week, reservations are able to be obtained with personal reference from friends and family of Chef Katsu. It is with much joy that I am able to recount my first time back since the new year.

Compared to when we first went, the dining area has since been painted a colourful floral hue that matches the plates. Chef has also infused the kitchen itself with his personality, notably the adorable bear bricks and the sneakers he adores. Like every time I go, everything was set in its place and everything was perfect.

Always making sure to arrive on time, I love having the prime spot at the counter to admire Chef Katsu's cooking.

Treasure show plates were laid out right after everyone arrived. We were definitely in for a treat that night and displaying the fresh produce before we watched them being cooked only further whetted our appetites.

Our first course was the Nannygai Snapper topped with Chives, Salmon Roe, Bottarga. The texture of the snapper was amazing. It was crunchy and smooth with a sweet aftertaste. Combined with the popping salmon pearls and umami of the bottarga, it was a spectacular opening dish.

 

This was the Hokkaido Scallop, Calamari and Sturgeon Caviar. I hadn't had this last  year and it was incredible. The scallops were so fresh that they were unbelievably sweet. Chef Katsu also expertly diced the flesh and removed the skin of the calamari so it was extremely tender and flavoursome without the chewiness of skin. Sturgeon caviar is always delectable and this would probably be my second favourite dish of the night.

 

Sashimi courses came next, first up was the Flathead and Blue Eyed Cod from New Zealand. I have never had flat head as sashimi before and this was surprisingly tender but with a sweet aftertaste that I really enjoyed. The cod was far more firm with a light delicate flavour. Between the two of them, I preferred the flat head. 

 

Our two other sashimi courses were the classic Alpine Salmon and two week dry aged Toro. Compared to regular salmon, Alpine Salmon had a far more clear cut taste without the oily finish to it, although still maintaining a super smooth texture. My favourite sashimi for the night though was of course the dry aged toro with its firm meaty texture and buttery aftertaste.

 

As an encore to the delicious Toro, for the next course, chef made a NegiToro with Wagyu hand roll. As chef introduced the dish, this was indeed the best handroll I've had in my life. I appreciated it particularly after recent less stellar experience in the field. The rice was well seasoned and had a perfect texture. The wagyu was tender with a light charring to it and a melty buttery texture which complimented the toro perfectly. I don't think anything else can top this hand roll. 

Our other hand roll of the evening was the Foie Gras Hand Roll. Also lightly charred and topped with soy and chives, it was rich, buttery and delicate. Although not a regular in Japanese cuisine, it was very complimentary in flavour to the nori and sushi rice. A few of my companions rated this above the negitoro wagyu handroll, but I think that although it was good, it is hard to dethrone the best handroll.

 

Our next two courses were cooked and also more substantial. This was the Toothfish served with Salmon Roe, Bottarga and Dashi. Toothfish seems to be one of the most popular fish recently and this was executed wonderfully, with a lightly charred crust, and a buttery, flakey texture inside. The lightness of the meat ensured that it was a perfect vessel to absorb the fragrant and delicate three hour cooked dashi. Bottarga and Salmon Roe only added more to its umami flavour.

After much anticipation, and the earlier taster in the hand roll, we had the Kagoshima Wagyu served with locally sourced oyster shroom picked on the day. The wagyu was grilled to perfection, allowing for the fat to render and then absorb some of the amazing dashi. The oyster mushrooms were light but still flavoursome, making for a wonderful companion for the beef. 

Rounding off the savoury courses was miso soup with fish, made with love. I have had other miso soups in the past but this was phenomenal. Deep and mellow with different textures of fish, with none of the fishiness, it was everything one could want in a miso soup. I really enjoyed it.

Dessert for the evening was Pineapple topped with Leatherwood honey and a dash of hibiki. The pineapple was fresh and tart, contrasting well with the thick, floral, sweet honey. Adding to this was the nutty, peppery taste of hibiki, giving the dessert a striking kick as it went down. Simple but delicious, it was the perfect dessert to round off the amazing meal.

In a world where first times usually outshine sequels, I have to say that Chef Katsu has stepped up his game in 2023. Although, pricey, it was entirely worth every cent. Chef handled every ingredient masterfully and with respect, every element of cooking was executed to perfection and I cannot wait to come back later in the year.

Price: $250pp (but worth every cent)

Taste: 10/10

Value: 10/10

Service: 10/10

Environment: 10/10

Ippin - West End

In my humble opinion, there can be fewer joys in life than dining with a knowledgeable chef, who can provide insight and commentary on dishes as we eat. I was thrilled to be able to do this when I booked a table to try out the newly opened Ippin, in West Village. During the soft opening period, only a set menu was available and we did go on the first day open to public. We did expect a few hiccups in the service but were quite blown away through the night. To say it was chaotic would be an understatement.

We arrived 10 minutes ahead of our reservation. Despite having more waitstaff than I have ever seen in a medium sized restaurant, no one came to greet us or seat us for a good five minutes. Instead they looked at us nervously and a few even ran away when I smiled or waived at them. Eventually we were seated at the bar. The bartender probably gave us the quickest service we had that evening. Another table of friends who arrived later than us (but had been booked into the same time slot) was given a table long before us, and I had to ask staff ten minutes past my reservation to then be allocated our table. Service throughout the night did not improve and it was a constant struggle to get anyone's attention, despite the plethora of wait staff.

The set menu for the night comprised of eleven courses. The main course was a pick between a dry aged coral trout or a miyazaki wagyu. Menus were provided but no one offered to ask us which of the mains we elected for. Only after about 40 minutes into our seating, was I able to flag down waitstaff to tell them of our selections. 

 

It took well over on hour after our reservation time before the first course came. In the meantime we filled ourselves with drinks. Service was still rusty in this area because two of the three beers served had been mistaken and had to go back and be re-poured. It also needs to be said that while sparkling and still water were complementary, staff did not make any efforts to ask what we were drinking, so throughout the night we were just drinking whichever water it was convenient for them to serve, which was a real shame. Other than this, I enjoyed my friend Chef L's commentary on sake, which was very insightful.

Our first course came out more than one our after our reservation. It was the Bluefin Tuna Toro-taku, served with sea urchin, caviar served atop some puffed nori. This was quite a tasty appetizer, the nori wasn't too oily, it was crispy and the tuna was lightly minced with good fat content. Otherwise the uni was a bit watery and fought the caviar in terms of flavour. 

After another 15 minutes or so, we had the Barramundi served with wasabi leaf san choy bow. This was an odd course because barramundi is not a fish usually found in Japanese cuisine, and the toppings of chili, preserved carrots and fried onion was far more consistent with Vietnamese or Thai cuisine. Having said that, the fish was lightly battered, crisp and tender. 

After another long interlude, the Wagyu Tartare arrived. It was served atop a crispy potato nest with anchovies, oyster and chilli mustard. Having enjoyed my fair share of tartare in my time, I was surprised by this wagyu. It was chilled and minced, however because of this, the fat was not rendered and it was quite hard in my mouth. I suppose wagyu would be better served torched or at least heated to allow for the fat to melt. Otherwise the potato nest was light and crunchy but I didn't like the flavour profile of the anchovies, oyster and mustard accompanying the wagyu. What I also didn't like was staff standing over me to pick up the plate when I hadn't even eaten, so that they could rush the next course. I was barely able to put my chopsticks down and the plate was already whisked away.

 

Our next course was a far more Japanese dish, being a Bonito with Turnip, citrus and a bonito and kelp dashi. This was done quite well, the Bonito was firm but tender and the dashi was delicate but fragrant. Portions were good and it was beautiful, both visually and gastronomically.

After another lengthy wait, our next course, the Sushi and Sashimi came out. In total it comprised of, bass grouper sashimi roll with steamed monkfish liver sauce, Bluefin tuna belly nigiri, Southern calamari & bottarga nigiri, snapper nigiri and a mackerel ginger roll. The cuts of fish were fairly fresh, staff guided us to eat from the left to the right of the dish to enjoy the lighter flavours to the stronger flavours. I enjoyed the delicate bass grouper and the interactive self wrapped rolls. It was a shame though that my tuna belly wasn't otoro but rather a chutoro when everyone else had a fattier cut. The calamari was cut quite roughly in an attempt to make some intricate designs, but aesthetically could have been better. Further to this, the rice was also seasoned very unevenly with some morsels having barely any vinegar whilst some was over seasoned. The actual portions of rice were also quite small and the sizes were inconsistent as well. Overall it was a tasty dish but more attention to detail would have been great.

 

It didn't take too long for our Chawanmushi to arrive. This was topped with Snow crab & crab butter, filled with gingko nuts, chicken and sushi rice. It was unusual compared to others I have had recently, with delicate flavours on the top but a more wholesome and chunky profile underneath. The chicken and rice were substantial but it worked well in this dish.

Next  we had the Tempura Moreton Bay Bug with lemon aioli sauce. This was done really well, the bug was crunchy and firm, lightly battered and piping hot. The sauce was tart and creamy, countering the decadence of tempura batter. We quite enjoyed this dish.

Mains came significantly after. Of our table for four, we had two wagyu and two fish. This was the Miyazaki Wagyu A5 with porcini rub, red wine, soy sauce and aged red vinegar chimichurri. Other than the beef itself, I would be challenged to consider this dish Japanese. The wine, porcini and chimichurri made it definitely a lot more Spanish than Japanese. Portions were a little small, but the beef was quite buttery and tender. I would have liked it to be a bit more cooked to have rendered the fat more, given how thick the slices were but the flavours were quite complimentary, albeit intense.

Our other main was the 48 Hour Dry-Aged Coral Trout served with miso parsley sauce with mussels & potato. We all agreed that although it seemed more like French cuisine, it was the better executed of the two mains. The sauce was definitely moreish and very creamy, complementing the potato very well. The fish was also done well, cooked half through, with a flakey exterior and a smooth interior. I liked how strong the flavours were and the chilli powder it was coated with.

A surprising pick but our favourite of the night was the Truffle Savoy Cabbage. This came warm, lightly charred and had a light hint of truffle. We later found out that the douse of truffle oil was fairly inconsistent across different bowls, some had a lot and some had very little, but it was still a light but substantial side to our mains.

 

Last of the savoury dishes was the Chazuke. It was topped with mixed sashimi, uni, salmon roe and a light dashi broth. The flavours in this dish were done well, the fish was quite fresh, the uni was markedly nicer than the one we had at the start, however the rice was not served hot and neither was the dashi. If it had actually been hot, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.

I was looking forward to our dessert, a Roasted Green Tea Warabi Mochi with vanilla ice cream and crunchy caramelised walnut. Unfortunately, there was almost no green tea taste and I'm not sure that the two squares were mochi. Mochi has a chewy, stretchy texture with a bit of bite, this was something like a soft jelly that was just tender and easy to cut into pieces. I also was a bit disappointed at how the vanilla ice cream looked, especially after having seen professionals scoop ice cream smoothly and elegantly. Having said that, the flavours were complimentary and it made for a reasonably satisfying dessert.

Overall, I'd have to say that my experience at Ippin was fairly disappointing. Dr L who has been watching Hell's Kitchen for sometime now commented that they definitely need Gordon Ramsay to step in and run the place more smoothly. I do note some comments I have received about this being a soft launch and to be more forgiving in not expecting everything to be perfect, however given my detailed experiences, I can say that this was a long way away from being perfect and a lot more attention needs to be given to the menu, the execution and staff training. It also needs to have a level of quality before going out to the public. Having said that, I am glad that I went during the soft launch, because it represented fairly good value for the food we had, but if I had come back during full price, I would definitely have considered it a rip off. In light of the competitive Japanese dining scene in Brisbane, they definitely have many improvements to make.

For those of you who have reached this point, it is also noteworthy that my unsavoury experience didn't even end after we had left the restaurant that night (after a 3.5 hour sitting). My friend who paid for the meal by card had his payment go through, and then it bounced later. None of us realised this until I received a debt collection email the day after. After comparing notes with a few local foodies, it turns out that roughly half the payments had bounced off their system, so they are undoubtedly trying to recover all of this. After attempting to call back and email back to arrange payment on the same day, there has still to be any further contact from management, which again highlights the chaotic nature of this establishment. 

Price Range: $118pp (plus drinks) during soft launch, $168pp post launch

Taste: 6.5/10

Value: 6/10

Service: 2/10

Environment: 8/10

Daega - Underwood

As mentioned earlier, there has been a long list of newly opened Korean BBQ restaurants around town. I'm not particularly sure why this is the case but there's definitely no complaints from me. The more KBBQ restaurants that open, the better. One of the more popular ones of late is Daega, which has received some fairly stellar reviews of late. I was quite excited to be trying it out.

I had made a reservation for the weeknight, but given how large the restaurant is, a booking is probably not essential. Despite the large space, ventilation was not done quite well and it was definitely smokey and meaty in the restaurant. 

After being seated, side dishes were served. Notably, this came before we had even ordered and I found this to be a wonderfully hospitable and generous touch. The kimchi was very flavoursome and enjoyable. Our favourites were the wakame salad, fish cake, japchae and potato salad. It definitely made for a pleasant start to our dinner.

 

We were able to enjoy the sides while we perused the menu. Like most KBBQ places, they had sets of BBQ dishes, a la carte dishes as well as a selection of cooked meals. Of course, my heart was already set on ordering BBQ and the friendly owner was able to recommend the best set for two, being the assorted wagyu set.

The drinks menu comprised of the usual selection of soju, beer and soft drinks. It's not really a KBBQ without soju, so we had a bottle of lychee to share.

Our main event came before long. The set comprised of wagyu deckle, wagyu eye roll and soy marinated wagyu along with a small portion of veggies. I was a little skeptical after having seen pictures online becuase the portions didn't look very big, but the platter was actually very large and it was definitely enough meat for two people but probably not for three. 

Of the three varieties of wagyu, my favourite was the delectably marinated soy wagyu with its sweet and umami tones. The deckle was also tender and flavoursome but I didn't enjoy the large amount of fat in the meat. The Dr favoured the eye roll more for it's fresh flavours and soft texture.

 

Two further dishes came with the set, this was the cheese corn. It was a generous portion with sweet corn and creamy cheese sauce along with melted mozzarella on top. It was filling and complimented the meat well.

Our other dish was soup, we had a choice between kimchi soup or tofu soup, I stuck with kimchi. This was boiling hot when it landed on our table. Tart and umami, it provided a foil to our decadent wagyu meal. In summary, we had a highly enjoyable time at Daega. With the strong competition in the crowded market of Korean BBQs, I do think that Daega sets itself out from the competition with it's generous and high quality sides as well as superb quality of meat. I think we have found our new favourite.

Price Range: $40 - $60pp

Taste: 8.5/10

Value: 7/10

Service: 9/10

Environment: 7/10

Yi Fang - Toowong

 

Readers may remember a time before covid, when I used to travel interstate with a lot more frequency than current. Back when I did, I used to go to a bubble tea chain called Yi Fang, originating from Taiwan, which had graced our shores, settling in Sydney and Melbourne. After quite a few years, they finally decided to open up a branch in Brisbane. Unfortunately, it was all the way out in Toowong. Thankfully, we have finally purchased a car and Dr L was in the mood to drive.

Arriving on the day of the grand opening, they had a buy one get one free promo. We arrived just before 10am. It took us 20 minutes of lining up to get to the counter. I thought that the full menu was available but it wasn't until we go to the end of the queue to order that we found out that around half the drinks were sold out (at just one hour after opening). Anyway, the menu was largely focused on fruit tea, although they did have quite a few milk and yakult options. Prices are high, but not as high as milksha.

Although the line to order wasn't long, the wait for drinks took 50 minutes. Given that there were six staff in that tiny shopfront making drinks and it still took that long for us to receive our purchases, chaotic would be an understatement. Dr L's wintermelon latte was cool and refreshing with a grassy flavour. My dong ding oolong was also on point with a perfectly smokey flavour. Crisp and earthy, it was delicious, just as good as their interstate ventures. Although it's probably not taking my top spot (currently held by Machi Machi & Milksha), I do really enjoy their tea and would not hesitate to return if I was in the area. I wouldn't go all the way out there on purpose though.

Price Range: Under $10pp

Taste: 9/10

Value: 5/10

Service: 5/10

Environment: 7/10