Iku Sushi Perth City

Iku Sushi opened just few months ago and is conveniently located just few steps away from Perth under ground train station.  I don’t usually go to city anymore, but recently I had a chance to try their food.

The place is not huge, but I liked the theme they are doing – ninja!  All staff wear ninja-like uniform, and they say their service is as fast as ninja.

Interior of the shop is lovely.  Cute old-Japan-style wall paper, and Japanese snacks and zakka toys on the counter.

“Iku” means “to go” in Japanese.  They use eco-feindly packaging for some food items, and the variety of menu is wonderful.

They set a huge fridge for drinks and cold dishes (such as sushi) for busy people to just grab and go.  I like the idea.  People who want to get hot food (such as teriyaki) proceed to the counter and place an order.

D & I ordered chicken karaage bento (L) and unagi bento (L) to take home.  Plus 2 large miso soup.

Miso soup came in this cup.

D was really curious about cheeseburger sushi, but maybe next time.

You can chose the size of bento box menu, and our large bento box came with 2 kinds of salads, 2 mini spring rolls, 2 sushi rolls, and big portion of rice and meat/fish.  Very volumy and I could only manage to eat half of it.

Look at the fun website for more details ↓↓

website

Shop WG.07, 140 William St, Perth
(08) 9322 6008

Teriyaki Spam Onigiri

Little onigiri (rice balls) with teriyaki spam.  I made them in nigiri-sushi style.

To be honest, spam is not my favorite meat.  But considering that it is a long-life food and can be always available at the pantry, I’d say it’s very easy snack to prepare anytime you want to eat.

Using spam is cheap too.  I’m saying this because it is actually nicer to use ham steak instead of spam.  Ham’s got better texture and juiciness (to me).  But, ham steak is more expensive than a tin of spam, and again, spam can be available in the pantry anytime.  So here is teriyaki spam onigiri.  If you like spam then this is a perfect snack for you (?!).

The key is the teriyaki sauce.  Caramelize the sauce until spam is shiny!

<Teriyaki Spam Onigiri>  makes around 10 – 12

• Spam 340g tin x 1/2
• Soy sauce 1 tbs
• Mirin 1 tbs
• Steamed rice (cooked & warm) 1.5 ~ 2 cups
• Nori sheet to decorate

1. Slice spam into 5mm thick squares.
2. Spray oil in a frying pan, and grill the spam both sides until coloured.  Remove excess oil with kitchen paper, if there is any.
3. Pour soy sauce & mirin into the pan.  Cook over low-medium heat until the sauce thicken and the spam is shiny.
4. Divide steamed rice into 10 – 12, and shape into flat balls.  Place spam on top of rice, then decorate with nori sheet.

Now they are ready to serve!

Onigiri always goes with Japanese tea.  I accompanied my spam onigiri with hot barley tea.

I served spam onigiri with seafood yakisoba.  D & I love yakisoba!  It’s not as oily as Chinese fried noodle (people say it’s rather dry though ) and sprinkle of bonito flake (katsuo-bushi) and ao-nori powder gives the final touch

Unique Menu at Sundays Everyday in Myaree

Every time I go to Sundays Everyday in Myaree I get amazed by their menu )  They don’t only serve boring Japanese menu such as teriyaki and tempura.  They regularly create new menu so customers don’t get bored!

Last week I went there to get sushi rolls and sandwiches to takeaway, and saw interesting menu on the board that I may want to try out next time.

Chicken Ramen …  I don’t know if they mean ramen noodle soup with chicken, or that “chicken ramen” we have in Japan…  but I assume what they have is ramen noodle soup with chicken in it, because that “chicken ramen” we have in Japan is an instant noodle and I believe it’s impossible to import that noodle to Australia.  Hmmm I want to know whether I’m right or wrong.

Beef Mince Croquette Bento, Oyster Fry Bento, A Lunch, B Lunch, etc etc…  They all sound yummy.  Their food is volumy and I think their target marketing is men who works around Myaree area.  Or people who have huge appetite.  To me, I think they have lots of meat and deep-fried items in their menu, so I thought that’s who they are trying to sell their food to.

Okonomiyaki Bar sounds very interesting.  How they make it?  According to their illustration, it looks like a candy bar that you can hold and eat.  Haha, very unique.

Yuki Japanese Restaurant in Willetton

Yesterday early evening I took my family to Yuki Japanese restaurant to have dinner. It was a rainy day and I felt something hearty Japanese food. I thought I might have unagi because a Japanese cartoon I was watching with Hiro was an episode of unagi donburi.

It was Sunday night but I assumed the restaurant wouldn’t be so packed.   I was wrong… We arrived there around 6:30pm, and the place was already nearly full. The waitress said they’re fully booked but they can offer us a table if we’d be able to finish dining before 7:30pm. I’m pretty sure, I replied, because I knew Hiro wouldn’t be able to be here quiet and well-behaved for longer than 30 minutes.

D wanted chicken teriyaki, but teriyaki dish doesn’t come with rice and miso soup unless you pay extra for them. I think it’s ridiculous – who would eat teriyaki without rice? Is it Australian way?
Bento box comes with rice, miso soup, salad and sushi rolls, and the price is not much different with teriyaki dish if you add the extra fee for rice+miso soup, so we all ordered bento box.

I had Chicken Karaage bento box, D had Teriyaki Chicken bento box, and in-law had Fish Teriyaki bento box.  I didn’t see unagi on their menu.  Even if I did I probably wouldn’t order unagi because I know it’ll be expensive!

Karaage was quite small pieces.  I guess that’s how they do as smaller pieces are quicker they cook.  I loved the combination of dark sauce and Japanese mayonnaise.  I don’t know what the dark sauce was, but I think it’s something like teriyaki sauce….  The sushi rolls that came with bento box were three pieces, and they’re nice too.

I tasted D’s teriyaki, and I know now that they actually make the teriyaki sauce by themselves.  Some restaurants here use “teriyaki sauce” they buy from their supplier – they don’t make from scratch.

By the time we finished our meal, the restaurant was full and very busy.  It was just before 7:30pm so we could leave there in time.  I thought the price was bit expensive considering the food what’s in the bento box, but I guess it’s how they charge Japanese food in Perth.

Yuki Japanese Restaurant

7/113 Collins Road, Willetton 6155
(08) 9259 5544
Tuesday – Sunday
11:00am – 2:30pm
5:00pm – 9:30pm
Closed on Monday

Onigiri Molds

We got these plastic onigiri shaper from Japan, and made some onigiri (rice balls) last week.

They are very simple to use – just fill steamed rice and filling, then dress up the rice balls with nori sheet, sesame seeds, furikake (seasoning powder for rice) or thinly cooked omelet.

When making onigiri by hand the rice sticks to fingers and it gets messy, but using a mold makes all process easier

First, you need to season the steamed rice with salt.  Just a pinch.

Fill the steamed rice to the mold, and make a tiny hole.

Fill the filling, (I used tuna+Japanese mayonnaise … yum!)

and press it with the lid.

Wrap with nori sheet…

remove the plastic mold, and it’s done!

Another one…

You can do this way too.

Or use small cut nori sheet.

Or just sprinkle black sesame

I remember Nippon Food in Subiaco sells onigiri and sushi molds, if you are interested ↓↓

NIPPON FOOD SUBIACO
Shop 26, 180 Rokeby Rd, Subiaco
Mon – Fri 10am – 6pm / Sat 9am – 5pm
Sun 11am – 5pm
Closed on Public Holidays
(08) 9380 6783