Sushi Train Aspley

Overall score: 87/100

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It came as a surprise that there is a conglomerate of sushi train stores in Queensland (The Chameleon always thought most of these would be stand alone), one of which was the Sushi Train Aspley. The Chameleon and his partner decided on a 'dinner and movie' night at Chermside and this particular sushi train popped up on the Google radar. We were glad it did.   

THE EXPERIENCE

The Chameleon had passed this particular restaurant a number of times before; it's located on Gympie Road, otherwise known as one of the most busy roads in Brisbane. It's kind of hard to miss, jutting out at the corner of a multi-store complex. Finding parking was kind of a challenge even at early evening time and The Chameleon had to park one set of shops away with a short walk to stretch the legs before entering. 

What greeted us was a very interestingly decorated dining space, complete with hanging rods, which The Chameleon really admired. The train track wound its way in an interesting free-form, no shape in particular, full of a variety of plates to choose from. The place was very neat and we were seated almost instantly, albeit in a small cramped corner spot, but one that allowed us to see the chefs working their magic at the preparation area. While this may seem a mute point, it's important to keep in mind that this restaurant is known to have a waiting line outside the door on some evenings; The Chameleon might have been lucky during his visit. 

What was a slight disappointing was that the crowd was....a crowd. It was very noisy inside and very full. The Chameleon is aware that this is all part of the experience, but it was slightly overwhelming at Aspley; a lot of people squeezed into a moderately sized space.   

THE FOOD

What really stood out at Aspley Sushi Train was the variety. Previous trains visited by The Chameleon have often been lacking in this area, but Aspley had the goods. And it was very high quality. The texture of the raw tuna was exquisite, the seaweed salad had the perfect edge of hotness, the sushi rice was sticky, just as it should be. The prices were reasonable enough for a train and The Chameleon left a happy camper. 

OVERALL

Sushi Train Aspley is a fine example of a sushi train, and to the uninitiated, this would be the ideal spot to try this unique dining experience. A high scoring train. 87/100 

WAGAYA (Brisbane)

Overall score: 95/100

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Japan. What a wonderfully different country compared to Australia, both in terms of it's direct cuisine, it's fascination with technology and, perhaps most importantly, it's relentless pursuit of super efficiency and perfection. The Chameleon enjoyed a trip to this wonderful country a while ago and ever since has had a fascination with all things Japan, especially the food. Nowhere has the Chameleon found an equal to the Japanese restaurants seen in Kyoto and Tokyo, until a visit to Wagaya in the Brisbane Valley.

THE EXPERIENCE

When it comes to a place to eat that has a Japanese background, you expect, above all things, efficiency. As the restaurant opened at EXACTLY when it said it would, the patrons waiting outside all began to flow through the doors, up the stairs, a bit like a tidal wave of bodies stoushing to be the first seated. They need not have bothered, as within five minutes, everyone was happily playing with their ordering touch screens (and there must have been at least 50 of us). 

The timber booths made the Chameleon very happy. The design was so good in fact, the Chameleon has since been dreaming of replicating such a booth in his own hidden cave, they were THAT good. The right amount of privacy, the right amount of light and separation from other guests and coincidentally, the right amount of Japanese/oriental styling. 

The ordering screen was a new concept for the Chameleon and it provided many minutes of fun while waiting for orders, as navigating through the menus was easy and seeing the pictures of the deliciousness which was to come was a unique experience. Not that he could play with it long; in typical Japanese style, the service was OUTSTANDING. In fact, this came very close to replicating the best service the Chameleon has ever received, which was coincidentally in Japan (and one fine restaurant also came close in Positano, Italy). The key touch that made Wagaya exceptional though, was the strategic positioning of a maple tree inside the restaurant. It was on the way to the toilets that the Chameleon caught a glimpse of the function area, where this tree with pretty red leaves stood, taking the Chameleon back to the wonderful landscapes of, you guessed it, Japan. A small touch that framed the experience very nicely indeed.

THE FOOD

Let's be clear that not all sushi is the same. Over and over again, sushi that is purchased as a take away meal in the 'roll' style, does not even remotely come close to the exquisite flavours, textures and perfect presentation of what the Chameleon likes to call 'real sushi'. And Wagaya showed with precise accuracy the difference. The small meals the Chameleon sampled over the roughly hour and a half stay, were all, and I do mean ALL, very well executed dishes. The highlight was the abalone, which was of course ridiculously expensive and, since it was the first time the Chameleon sampled this super expensive Rolls Royce of foods, he had nothing to compare it to, but boy, he loved the unique texture and delicate taste.

There was nothing the Chameleon could criticise about the food, the service, the location and virtually anything else about the Wagaya experience. Actually, come to think of it, it was relatively expensive, but well worth it, so even saying that would be unfair. There was one small unavoidable dilemma; there was limited option at the lower end of the menu. Yes, Wagaya is an outstanding restaurant, but by no means can it afford to be exclusive when considering its Valley location. 

OVERALL

When considering the overall package that was Wagaya, it's very difficult to criticise  the experience. It's Japan authentic. It was almost the epitome of customer service, the best in Australia the Chameleon has ever received. If you want to sample Japanese cuisine almost in Japan, Wagaya is the best choice in Brissie. 95/100

HANA Japanese Sushi Restaurant

Overall score: 69/100
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Once in a while something unusual bestows an unusual place and it is such with the HANA Japanese Sushi Restaurant which has operated out of Toowoomba for some while now. The Chameleon never thought that he could put the words "Toowoomba" and "good sushi" into the same sentence, yet here he is, after the experience, very content with what HANA had to offer. 
   Tucked away slightly away from the Toowoomba CBD, HANA Japanese Sushi Restaurant is located on the corner of Hume and Margaret, next to a real estate and take away burger joint. While this area doesn't conjure up images of a fine upmarket dining precinct, parking was easy to find when I visited and the center was clean and had a utilitarian neat feel about it. 
   As you enter the door, HANA is much like many other typical sushi train restaurants, although first impressions didn't inspire a 'quality' feel. Greeted by a lackluster "moshi-moshi" from two of the 6 or so staff, it had the Japanese feel, but in a watered down form. As the Chameleon sat down at one of the booths he noticed it wasn't as neat as it could be and the table wasn't wiped down until after he was seated. These two things can be forgiven though, as booths are often the choice for children and half the fun of a sushi train would be standing up and seeing the small plates going around and around and around, and the place was busy enough to excuse the table readiness. The Japanese music playing in the background was at exactly the right volume and fit the ambiance perfectly. The restaurant wasn't super busy when the Chameleon visited, but the diners seemed to be having a great time and it sure beat sitting in a restaurant by yourself, as the Chameleon had experienced on a few previous occasions at other establishments. The train itself was in a "U" shape and the food preparation occurred at one end of the restaurant. Overall, somewhat of a disappointment when compared to other sushi trains; the food that was to follow though more than made up for it's shortcomings. 
   Staff were nice and helpful, but the cordless phone use and the gesturing from one end of the place to the other while serving customers was an unnecessary, somewhat rude distraction that seemed to be ongoing during the Chameleon's stay.
   What can I say about the food? It was bloody brilliant! HANA had the best sticky rice in its dishes that I have experienced in a long time. The presentation on the little plates was excellent and as plate after plate exited the train, the flavours melded beautifully to represent exactly what sushi should be. The soy sauce being used fitted the dishes very well and, as is the Chameleon's preference, the pickled ginger came fresh in little sachets rather than the dry mass offerings you get elsewhere. The ingredients were fresh and the textures that came with the sashimi were very nice indeed. The variety was OK, but there were some key typical sushi train items that were missing like tempura base dishes. I'm sure however, these could have been ordered specially if the need arose. 
   HANA Japanese Sushi Restaurant was a refreshing experience for the Chameleon, as a sushi train in Toowoomba is a welcomed addition to the typical restaurants which dot the city. While the physical restaurant itself was a bit of a let down, the food was the saviour to score a respectable 69 for a sushi train restaurant. Very much worth a visit. 69/100