Matsuri Japanese Restaurant has been a CBD staple for 10+ years. I used to frequent it at lunchtimes when I worked in the city years ago. It had been a very long time between Sake for Matsuri and I. When The Singer suggested that we go there for a cheap bite to eat, before a Concert – I jumped at the chance! It was super close to Perth Arena and I’d wanted to go back there for a while.
Matsuri opens at 6pm. We arrived about 5 minutes early and already there were a crowd of people waiting to get inside – a great sign I thought! We were seated by the window and without missing a beat The Singer ordered some Edamame and glasses of Umeshu (plum wine). She said the wine would change my life… It was pretty darn good and quite sweet.
On my Sydney trip The Singer got me hooked on Edamame ($4) That’s boiled green soy beans by the way! You just pop the pod, and catch the beans in your mouth. I tend to miss a bit haha
Tataki ($8) Thinly sliced rare beef with a garlic and lime vinegar sauce – freash and tasty.
Kakuni ($8) & Udon ($6.50) The Singer enjoyed a pork belly dish and a bowl of udon noodles.
I went for my old 2002 favourite… Teriyaki Chicken ($18.90). It was just how I remembered it – very tender grilled chicken thigh, in a sweet teriyaki sauce. It came accompanied with rice, miso soup, bean shoots and a small salad dressed in Matsuris’ own onion, soy, ginger and garlic sauce.
Not very often you can get a 2 course meal and drink for just a whisker over $30. It was cheap and the service was very cheerful! So we wandered off into the night –to shake our bon bons over at the Ricky Martin Concert. I’d been lucky enough to win the tickets in a radio competition and admittedly I wasn’t a HUGE Ricky Martin fan. BUT MY GOODNESS – can that gorgeous man put on a show!! He sang live, sounding fantastic and he was a great all round entertainer. The almost sold-out crowd loved him – and so did we! :)
