I discovered a new Japanese place in Perth on the weekend called Iku Sushi at the 0ne40william building in the CBD. Well it’s new to me but I’ve been told that it’s been open since early 2011. I have been busy this year and it’s been a while since I’ve had the opportunity to check out a place to eat because so few new food places fall within my student budget. Thankfully Iku Sushi does.
There was much advertising amongst the quirky colourful decor and furniture that this place was different. I noticed you could pick up a bento box and create your own bento box. Though I had arrived after lunch hour and most of the options had been sold out so I was left to choosing from a selection of sushi.
The selection on offer was no different to any other Japanese place in Perth. Just as I was about to select an Iku tasting set of sushi, a friendly staff member let me know of their menu with hot meals. It was a cold winter day so I had a look through the selection and found a selection of cheeseburger sushi rolls on the menu, chicken cheeseburger, beef cheeseburger roll and bacon cheeseburger roll. Since everything supposedly tastes better with bacon, I ordered six pieces of bacon cheeseburger roll and for the first time, my choice of drink wasn’t tea but rather a can of coke. It seemed appropriate.
I sat down at a table covered in astroturf and that’s when I noticed ninja stars stuck in the wall adding to the claim of ninjas working in the kitchen making my order. I wasn’t left long to ponder the fanciful scenario of a group of ninjas defending their sushi outlet from – actually who or what would want to take on ninjas? Pirates, zombies, and samurais come to mind.
Ninja Stars Protruding From the Wall
My buzzer went off and the next thing I knew six pieces of freshly cooked bacon cheeseburger sushi had arrived. It looked good.
Bacon Cheeseburger Sushi Meal
On closer inspection
On closer inspection of the sushi rolls, I saw that there was teriyaki beef nestled with bacon and warm perfectly melted mozzarella cheese presented in uramaki rolls fried in a light batter. This was served with a side of spicy Kewpie Japanese mayonnaise. The combination was amazing.
I was able to eat all six pieces with the flimsy disposable wooden chopsticks characteristic of all Japanese take away places. The batter provides a slight crunch to the sushi roll and helps in holding it together. The cheese was melted beautifully and while I was confused on the choice of mozzarella, it became clear to me why it was chosen on my first bite.
The flavours are subtle. The teriyaki beef came through the cheese and thinking about it, I don’t think cheddar cheese would have worked in the same way. The bacon was there but I think the concept of it would have worked better if the bacon pieces were crispy. I might ask for that next time and see whether the ninjas are in the mood to accommodate.
Upon finishing my meal I was full of bacon cheeseburger sushi goodness. It was really surprising that I did not feel that I had consumed a meal soaked in oil. And although I did take around 30 minutes to finish my serve of sushi, (I eat slowly), I was surprised to see that the cardboard box that it was served in hadn’t soaked any oil from the rolls.
All gone.
I had good sushi. The staff were friendly and the service was good. I did not rushed by the staff to make a choice. There were plenty of options available as well as sushi including ramen noodles and bento boxes. If I had the room after my meal I probably would have tried the Red Bull flavoured You Had Me at Jello. I’m definitely going back to Iku Sushi in the future.
