I mentioned in my introduction post that Perth is a rapidly developing city, and that means lots of new places to eat. One of the most recent additions to the CBD is Sushia Izakaya & Bar, located in Brookfield place at the foot of the BHP Billiton tower. An Izakaya is the Japanese answer to the pub–a laid back locale where people can go to enjoy food and drink. And enjoy we did!
Interior shot of the Sushia Izakaya & Bar
Sushia recently received some media attention (see Perth Now) as a result of three chefs shifting from Nobu Perth to Sushia. I don’t know much about the chefs or what input they had in the menu, but I love Japanese food and was pretty excited to try this place.
First up, I’ve got to say that I love the look and feel of the place. The bar and restaurant areas were seamlessly integrated into a very open space, which made for a pretty chilled atmosphere (although the music was maybe a tad too loud on the night we went). The kitchen was completely open for viewing, with the only barrier between diner and chef being a low wall across the front of the kitchen and a glass panel in front of the teppanyaki grill.
We were greeted by a very friendly waitress who offered a brief rundown of the menu. We decided in the end to order dishes to share throughout the night, in true Izakaya style. We started with a very generous sashimi plate and a tuna tataki, served with a miso aioli. I also ordered a glass of sake. The sashimi plate came with a nice mountain of wasabi, something that I usually hate and avoid at all costs. I have previously found the flavour unpleasant and too overpowering, no matter how little I use, however I must say I was very pleasantly surprised by the wasabi we were served, and I found myself going back for more. My general aversion to wasabi has meant that I previously hadn’t given it much of a chance, however I think after visiting Sushia my relationship with it may change.
Next up were a few hot dishes. We had the pan-fried gyoza and crispy scallops, each enveloped by a layer of deep-fried goodness. The scallops were very tasty, especially with the pickled vegetables with which they were served, however I felt that the deep-fried noodle casing somewhat took away from the beautiful scallop inside.
Crispy scallops with pickled vegetables
Tuna tataki with miso aioli
At this stage we were feeling pretty content, but decided to get another two dishes before venturing into dessert. We had the rib eye steak served in a very flavoursome sauce, along with the grilled pork belly served with shallots and pickled vegetables. Both dishes were very delicious, and we were certainly feeling quite full at the end of it.
Finally, dessert! Although each of the previous dishes were ideal for sharing, the waitress informed us that desserts were designed for an individual person, so we each ordered the banana spring rolls.
Banana spring rolls with sesame ice cream
The rolls themselves were quite ordinary–literally banana wrapped with a deep-fried spring roll wrapper–however the black sesame ice cream, caramel and black sesame sauce added another dimension. Not the most exciting dessert that I’ve ever had, but it certainly was pleasant.
Overall, a great night with very enjoyable food and a chilled atmosphere. The bill came to just over $200 for both of us in the end, which I feel is reasonable considering the amount of food we ordered. Would I come back? Yes, I would. There are still quite a few other dishes on the menu that I’d like to try, and it is generally a great place for a group of friends to grab a few drinks and something to eat on a Friday night!
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