Wagaya, Brisbane City

Japanese would have to be one of our favourite cuisines. One thing I love about The Chef is that even though he is the head chef of the kitchen of an award winning Japanese restaurant, food doesn’t have to be fancy for him to enjoy it. He is content with fresh, simple and tasty.

And those are the three words we would use to describe Wagaya, the Japanese hot spot in Fortitude Valley. Fresh, simple and tasty.

This place is busy, busy, busy. The weekends see hoards of hungry Bribanites flock to sit in the sleek wooden booths, sip on sweet drinks and indulge in all things Japanese. We normally slip in for lunch and it is a little less frantic. The booths seat approx 6 people, and there are also traditional Japanese style private dining rooms which look intimate and relaxing.

Ordering is via clever touch screens placed in the centre of the booth, which provide a novel talking point. Being able to order so instantly is addictive and before you know it you’ve ordered 20 items. There is an open sushi and char grill kitchen where you can watch the chefs work their magic.

Each of the menu items is cooked well, and there’s a large variety of dishes to choose from which includes sushi, sashimi, meat dishes, vegetable dishes, noodles, hot pots a sides.

The agadashi tofu is by far our favourite. Lightly battered silken tofu sitting in a warm and delicious dashi broth, topped with bonito flakes and finely chopped shallot. The Chef loves the beef tongue skewers, marinated in a sweet soy and grilled on the charcoal grill.

The sushi is fresh and always colourful. The eel skewers (unagi) are a must have. Sweet, salty, soft and delicious. It is also packed full of nutrition – Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Protein and Omega oils.

Make sure that you park a long way from Wagaya if planning to dine here. The food is so good, that you can’t help but to overindulge and will definately need a long walk to get rid of your satisfied, full belly.