Momiji, 6104

Momiji happens to serve the most spectacular sashimi I've ever eaten. It also happens to be the cheapest, as well as the most ample. Fleshy cuts of raw fish that sparkle with ocean-to-table freshness. More than a dozen pieces of assorted sashimi go for around $13. Other mains range from $6 to $15. Simply amazing quality and portions, at next to nix prices!

Salad, miso, mixed sashimi and rice

Mixed sashimi gleaming with ocean to table freshness

The owner is an interesting sort. Call him the Sushi Nazi. Don't meander over the menu and definitely don't try negotiate any swapsies, add-ons or switches, you will just regret you ever asked. And perhaps don't bring young children because you will be turned away. I joke not. It's his way or the highway!

Dine-in...but really he wants you to take-away

From the street

Part of the Momiji experience is encountering the owners eccentric personality. Those who abide by his rules will have no problem with service. And anyhow, Momiji is a rare gem, a gift. And didn't your mother tell you to never look a gift horse in the mouth?

Food: 4/5 (Made fresh, fleshy chunks of well-sourced sashimi)

Service: 2.5/5 (Don't take it to heart. Amusingly blunt.)

Ambience: 2.5/5 (Clean, spacious, no frills)

Value: 5/5 (At least a dozen pieces of high calibre sashimi for $13 OMG)

Is Donburi, 6003

Is Donburi is another notch OnWilliam’s belt, worth bragging about. They’ve only been around a little while but Is Donburi has already norm’ed its way into savvy Northbridge dweller lunch schedules. And why wouldn’t you make this a regular with what’s on offer? A clean well-lit dining space, take-away meals at the window, speedy service, complimentary Japanese tea and Miso, and delicious Japanese meals. 

The menu - what a selection! All the usual suspects are going, with special attention to Donburi, which takes the form of Teriyakis, katsu, kimchi, don with egg, seafood Chirashis and more. 

Teriyaki Salmon Don, $15.80

We tucked into the Teryaki Salmon Don (above), $15.80 - a substantial serve of glazed pink salmon with a variety of salady bits atop steamed rice. And also the Seafood Chirashi Don, $15.50 – a mix of fresh salmon, king fish, tuna prawn, squid, an exciting tapestry of mixed veggies and a zingy fruit based dressing. The raw fish was A-grade and Donburi overall was very fresh.

Seafood Chirashi Don $15.50

Of course, no Japanese eatery is complete without at least one novelty. Get a load of their Spring roll sushi rolls :D - 

Food: 4/5 (fresh, varietal, lengthy menu)
Value: 4/5 (too pricey and modern for the ‘cheap and cheerful’ category but for the freshness and size, very good bang for your buck)
Service: 4/5 (open 7 days, fast, plus free tea and miso soup)
Ambience: 4/5 (clean open space with access to decent William St. people watching) 

Mr. Munchies Sushi - 6050

Bespoke, made fresh sushi? Hell yes! I am LOVING this idea. And its an Australian first. I met Mr Munchie when I was travelling through the arcade that divides Grill'd and Gelare in Mt Lawley. At the end of the passageway I discovered a funky little sushi bar, looking spanking new and begging for me to break it in.

The way it works is that you choose your base - chicken, beef, pork, salmon, tuna, other seafood, or vegetarian (about 16 options!). Then add your stuffing, like cucumber, carrot, raddish, tofu, bacon...Next select fancy toppings such as black sesame, garlic chips or Tobikko and finally pick from one of their Japanese sauces. Your sushi is then made fresh, right before your eyes. In the back kitchen you can see a chef grilling cuts of juicy meats, which are brought out steaming and laid down on the neat rows of sushi and nori, ready to be rolled.

If you find yourself overwhelmed by the freedom of options (I spent at least 20 minutes deciding), then they have some ingenious sushi combos to suggest. I went for the ‘Seafood Roll’, Small size ($10.50). Thick chunks of fresh salmon, cucumber and steamed prawn were wrapped artfully in reverse rice and seaweed, then topped with little chunks of tuna sashimi, chilli flake coils and wasabi mayo and chilli mayo. Just awesome. The effort given to presentation goes beyond expectations of a casual sushi bar and the portion size was very reasonable for a small. Filled me up good.

Small Seafood Roll

This place is going to be a hit. And with options this good and sushi this delicious, I can tell you already I am going to become a regular attachment.

Hits - fresh, fast, customised sushi! The choice!

Misses - No brown rice (pffffft...clutching at straws here.)

Bollywood Spices Indian Cuisine, 6006

A humble little Indian eatery where whats going on in the dining room is trumped by whats happening in the kitchen. Bollywood Spices are not in business for a fun-time atmosphere or an impress-the-pants-off-your-date dining experience, no. Bollywood Spices stand for honest Indian food prepared with loads of flavour, a tonne of love and very little grease.

 The sizeable menu was hard to narrow down so we asked for a recommendation or two and ended up with Tandoori Paneer Tikka - squares of ricotta cheese nestled under shells of soft onion and green capsicum. Yummy. 

Tandoori Panner Tikka $8.50

Of the curries we went for Aloo goobi, $12.50 which is a potato and cauliflower curry and the Goan fish. Each were complex and delicious to the taste, without being oily - added points!

Fish Goan Curry $15.90

Aloo Gobi $12.50

A side of kachumber salad to lighten the load. The salad was pretty standard, but very reasonably priced.

Kachumber salad $3.00

I believe you can just about always judge the talent of an Indian chef by the quality of the breads and rices. Complemetary papadums were airy and dissolved on the tongue. The plain prata was deliately baked and so obviously fresh. The fluffly scented rice was puffed to a T. Bollywood Spices proved my theory once more.

Plain Naan $2.50

Zeera Pluao $3.50

Bollywood Spices is subsequent visit worthy for Indian take-away when the curry pangs pounce, or a no efforts dine in dinner. Bollywood Spices is not a joint for group dates, although the full house on a rainy Tuesday night suggests otherwise. I'll put it down to a reputation among North Perthites for the most honest Indian food around.

Food: 4/5 - good choice of non-greasy, wholesome Indian cooked by a pro!
Ambience: 3/5 - not winning any awards here but its clean and sweet
Value: 5/5
Service: 4/5 -  food arrived in good time, no complaints otherwise.

Spice Shack, 6053

Its slim pickings out in Bayswater and Spice Shack is a welcome relief from the monotony of grotty lunch bars around this industrial area. I discovered this little oasis driving on my way to work one day and have been back a few times since trying their delicious Sri Lankan home cooking.

The curries are SO tasty and not to mention great value. 1 Meat + any mix of vegetable curry is $10.50 and 2 Meat + Veg combo is only $12.50. They also have a "Pick Me Up" pack, which they describe as a "quick, fresh and tightly packed box of takeaway goodies".
Its also nice to try some spicy food that's a little different from the plethora of Indian and Thai curry options around Perth. So today I got the special which was some sort of hot pot of Roast Pepper Chicken along with a Dahl, a Pumpkin curry and rice ($8.50). The rice was fragrant, light and not starchy. The chicken had a tasty smack of pepper and chilli and the pumpkin was mushy and mildly honeyed. I generally find Dahl to be a runny, bland excuse for a vegetarian curry but the Dahl I had today was a lovely lumpy texture and full of flavour.

Great taste and rotating daily specials have made spice Shack a lunch time favorite. They also sell a selection of refrigerated meals and Ceylonese snacks like Roti breads, cutlets ($1.50), fish cakes, curry puffs ($2.50) and a sweet home-recipe iced coffee. An assortment of curry pastes, chutneys and spice mixes are also available, making it possible for customers to make their own spicy creations at home.

Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Decor: 2/5
Value!: 5/5