Wagaya

Continuing on our quest to try new Japanese Restaurants in town, we ventured to Wagaya in the Valley. We had heard raving reviews about Wagaya, mainly centred on the new electronic ordering system. Being technology nerds, we decided to check it out for ourselves.

The touch screen ordering system is very impressive. Choose a dish, hit order, confirm, wait a few minutes and the food is delivered to your table. No kidding, that is how fast their service is! Of course, this presents a tendency to go overboard with your order, but the order history list will set you back on track. :)

We mainly ordered dishes to share, starting with Renkon chips (Deep Fried Lotus Roots with Spicy Salt), Takoyaki gratin (Octopus balls with Cheese topping) and Deep Fried Chicken Karaage. The Renkon chips were my favourite - addictively crispy and tasty. Takoyaki gratin was a surprisingly good combination of octopus balls with cheese. The deep fried chicken karaage was just mediocre; nothing spectacular.

Renkon Chips ($6.50)

Takoyaki Gratin ($7.30)

Deep Fried Chicken Karaage ($7.90)

We went on to order more dishes, but sadly it was downhill from here. :( Based on my experience, I would suggest staying away from the grilled dished unless you like overcooked, chewy meat. The Pork Skewer and Chicken Yakitori were both overcooked. Even the scallop (usually my favourite) was utterly disappointing, chewy and rubbery. What a waste of good seafood! The only saving grace for all 3 dishes was the tasty sauce.

Pork Skewer ($6.90)

Chicken Yakitori ($6.50)

Hotate Kushiyaki ($9.30)

Before we realised it, we had spent too much and were still left hungry. We decided to order a noodle dish to fill us up. Double thumbs up for Tantan Ramen. Spicy pork mince noodle soup - best dish of the night!

Tantan Ramen ($10.50)

We enjoyed the atmosphere but weren’t overly excited about the food. In saying that, I wouldn’t mind going back again to try their other dishes.


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Hakataya Noodle Shop - Market Square

The new kid on the block at Market Square is Hakataya Noodle Shop. For those who are familiar with the area, there is already a Hakataya Noodle shop across the road at Sunnybank Plaza.

This place is crazy busy. Just look out for long queue or a big “sorry we sold out” sign, and you’ll know what I am talking about.

This new shop is packed as usual with very tight seating. To our amazement (and because people did not know they’ve opened yet) we were happy to find that there was no queue on this occasion and we walked straight in.

We ordered the Miso Spicy-Men (noodles) and a plate of gyoza (dumplings) to share. The soup was well seasoned and tasty. At first glance, the noodles resemble ‘instant noodles’ and you may question the fact that you’ve paid more than $10 for you meal. But the devil is in the detail...

According to the brochure, the soup was cooked for 39 hours to draw out the best flavours and nutrients. Similarly, the char siu (marinated pork) is cooked for 2 hours 40 minutes, followed by 2 hours of simmering and then chilled in the fridge for 48 hours. The result - a delectable and tasty soup, well cooked noodles and melt-in-your-mouth pork.

Miso Spicy-Men - Japanese spicy miso and pork noodle soup ($13)

We also enjoyed the gyoza very much. The skin was crispy on one side and soft on the other, complimenting the main course very well.

Gyoza - Fried Dumplings ($7)

Hakataya Noodle Shop has already established itself as a favourite with many locals, and is a must try for anyone travelling through the south side of Brisbane.


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La Provence

La Provence is a suburbia gem hidden in a quiet corner of Coorparoo. Despite the isolated location, this place has been fully packed almost every time we've visited. The owners are traditional French and bring a sense of authenticity to the dining experience, complemented by a friendly team of wait-staff. 

In a strange twist of fate I found myself at La Provence twice this week: 1. for a friend’s birthday on Saturday and 2. for a family get-together on Tuesday - demonstrating how much this place is well-liked by my family and friends. :)

The setting is cosy and relaxed, which is well-suited for gatherings with family and friends. What we find intriguing is the cow-themed salt and pepper shaker used throughout the restaurant. I don’t know if it is only a preference of the owners or if it has some relation to the cuisine.

The food not only looked beautiful on the plate and also tasted beautiful on the palate.  My favourite is the Duck Thigh with Orange Sauce.  The meat was tender and well-balanced by the citrusy flavour.  My only criticism is that there is not enough sauce on the plate.

Duck Thigh with Orange Sauce ($33)

I had Deer Medallion with Peach on my other visit.  The gameyness of the meat was well-balanced by the sweetness of the Peach.  In saying that, I still find the meat a bit too tough to my liking.  Maybe deer just isn't my thing.

Deer Medallion with Peach ($37)

Everyone enjoyed their dishes whilst also suffering a healthy amount of food-envy. 

Traditional Onion Soup with Cheese Croutons ($14)

Pan Roasted Salmon in Puff Pastry with a Crab Sauce ($29)

Almond Trout ($31)

Lamb Cutlets with Hazelnut and Ceps ($35)

Duck Breast with a Morel's Sauce ($31)

The Mixed Dessert Platter should not be missed if you are after a tasting plate.  The combination may vary each time, giving you the chance to taste the different dessert from the menu.  It is huge and is recommended for sharing. 

Mixed Dessert Platter ($21)

I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who would like to try French cuisine without burning a hole in the pocket.   

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Red Lotus

Without a doubt, the Valley a.k.a. Chinatown contains a vast treasure trove of Oriental Cuisine.

In the midst of the countless Asian restaurants, Red Lotus presents itself as an up-market Vietnamese/Chinese Restaurant.

Its modern, romantic and relaxed atmosphere distinguishes it from the other Vietnamese restaurants across the road that are seemingly casual and older-looking.

The waiter was very friendly and attentive. He was helpful in offering suggestions when needed. He was also quick to notice that we ran out of water and offered to refill.

We really enjoyed the Vietnamese Style Tamarind King Prawns. The flavour of the tamarind sauce was very appetising: sweet, sour and spicy.

The crispy duck was tasty, but not extraordinary. The dish itself was rather dry, but it was complimented very well with sweet chilli sauce or soy sauce.

The meals are more expensive than surrounding restaurants but the service and decor go some way to making up for it. Overall, an enjoyable evening meal.




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Menya Mappen Noodle Bar

Earlier this year, Mexican taquerias hit the city with eateries like Guzman Y Gomez and the Burrito Bar. Now, the latest craze is on Japanese noodle shops.

There are 2 noodle shops located just outside Sunnybank Plaza: Hakataya Noodle Shop and Menya Mappen Noodle Bar. They are almost impossible to miss if you are in the area - just look out for a big group of people queuing up and it will lead you to one of these noodle shops.

It took us a while to study the menu at Mappen on our first visit. Most of the dishes looked very similar with only slight variations. It is basically a choice between Udon or Soba noodles, soup or dry, hot or cold noodles and extras such as half-boiled egg, curry or sukiyaki beef. There is a Japanese curry with rice dish too, for those who are not interested in noodles.

Once you have ordered the noodles, you can proceed to the self-serve tempura section. All items are individually priced, so you can get as much or as little as you want. Bear in mind that some of the items might be sitting on the counter for a while, so might be cold. I am not too worried about this as they provide hot tempura dipping sauce for free.

The noodles are very tasty and I enjoyed the freedom granted by the self service tempura station. We ordered a relatively basic noodle dishes, complemented by tempura sweet potato, seafood stick fish cake and chicken- Yum.

Ontama Mentaiko Bukkake Soba (Hot noodle with Tsukedashi soup with Mentaiko Butter and creamy half-boiled egg)
Tempura fish cake, seafood stick and sweet potato

Ontama Bukkake Soba (Hot noodle with Tsukedashi soup and a wedge of lemon)
Tempura sweet potato and chicken

The dining experience is very casual with signs asking that you return the tray to the counter once you’re done. It’s like going to a private food court with quick and cheap meals - with noodles priced at around $5.90 and tempura starting at about 80c per piece.

Overall, it was a fun dining experience and I will definitely be back.


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