Sono

Sono

Level 1 Tattersall’s building Cnr Queen & Edward

4/5

Tuna Sashimi

Sono is one of the best Japanese restaurants in Brisbane, which is also why it is one of the most expensive. With the triple threat of great food, exceptional service and amazing atmosphere, this restaurant almost gets the penultimate rating, and pretty much the only thing preventing that is personal preference. Much of my praise for Sakura on the south side of Brisbane has been equalled or bettered by Sono, which should be expected considering the price. Irrespective of the price Sono is one of the better places in town to have Japanese food with many benefits over the other restaurants Brisbane has to offer.

Two things Sono has in spades, Atmosphere and service. The atmosphere of the place is incredible, with a dining setup similar to many a place in Japan. Low set tables, cushions and the obligatory removal of shoes, grant the place an incredibly Japanese feel, if it weren’t for the loud words of English speakers you wouldn't think you were in Brisbane. The pine presence and predominance of square shapes gives the place a serene tranquil feeling. The perfection of presentation just adds miles to this pleasant dining experience. This is followed with the exceptional service with girls in kimonos hovering around at a sufficient distance for it not to be awkward and at the table at every moment you needed or wanted something; a dirty plate had never seen such an enemy.

Wagyu Tataki

The most important of all things is food though, and Sono excelled at it too, with all the dishes I consumed being of a very high quality. Beginning with the Wagyu Tataki that already had the exceptional qualities of Tataki. Even without the red bean sauce that added much to the flavour and created a truly fantastic experience. The Wagyu had a crisp outside with the soft and meaty inside with the mix of ever so slightly citrus giving life to the palate that recently had been continuously bored with basic food. Following this and a flask of fantastic sake was the tuna sashimi, which while fantastic was equal to the sashimi I had consumed at Sakura all that time ago, the only difference being the cuts of sashimi at Sono were thicker creating a different feeling. Lastly the main of the evening, being the Shabu-Shabu a dish I have eaten at several restaurants now and fantastic at all the restaurants I have eaten it the only disappointment being the lack of flavour held by the broth, however the quality and pleasantness of the dish continued to make my dining experience by far a very enjoyable one.

Shabu Shabu Ingredients

I would return to Sono if only for the atmosphere, let alone the fantastic food and drink, the only real complaint I could have is the price makes things add up quickly with a dinner for three with drinks costing 250 dollars on this night. However regardless of the expense I would recommend Sono in Brisbane city to anyone with deep pockets and a desire to feel like they are in Japan.

The price of our Shabu-shabu was $43 pp with the tuna sashimi costing $20 and the Wagyu Tataki being $18

Many drinks are available with draft Sapporo being $9.5 a mug, Shochu being $8 and upwards and sake being approx $20 and up for a 180 ml half flask

There are vegetarian options at Sono

Sono has a Website at http://www.sonorestaurant.com.au