Toraya Sushi

I don't think I've mentioned that I have, like, THE best luck with parking infringements and lovely parking officers.
When I do break a petty law, they just...flock.
I can't sin for shit! They see evvvv-errrr-yyy-thinggggg.

I have been driving for a little under 2 years. That's all I need to go broke. Within that time I have gotten maybe 5 infringements, excluding speeding fines. Within those 5 infringements, 3 of them were in the same month. Within those 3, 2 of them were 2 days apart. Gawd they are CLINGY! Just won't LEAVE ME ALONE!

But really it's not my fault. 2 of those fines were successfully withdrew. Like the time I managed a fine for parking my ass on PRIVATE PROPERTY which was actually OUR PRIVATE PROPERTY?! What a joke >:(

This all leads to the tragedy that happened when we parked the car at Subi and found a broken ticket machine. Usually I'd be jumping for joy but you know, when you always get eaten alive by fines like all the FREAKING TIME, you develop abit of skeptism. I didn't want to leave the car without purchasing a ticket, it's just so naked without that scrappy ugly paper on the dashboard. It's developed to become my fear, a fear that everybody has always had when I thought I was just bloody invincible.

But even bloody invincible heroes get hungry, cause you just can't conquer all with an empty stomach. And I'm not bloody invincible because food turns me into jelly <3

Miso Soup

It was a stinking hot day and naturally one wouldn't go for hot liquidy type foods to match. But like, it's miso soup, and miso soup has always had it's own special place in my heart. I'm not sure why I have a soft spot for it ever since I can remember. When I was a little teeny tot, and...now...still a teeny tot...I'd always make sure I'll save my favourite-est foods til the end to savour it the most after I devoured everything else.

And hence, I've always known miso soup to be cold when I do eventually drink it.

But now I've learnt to not wait for so long, in case things don't stick around forever.

Cause mum always stole my damn miso soup! So now I down it while it's still hot with floaties inside and all, and love how that murky liquid burns the crap out of my mouth and scalds every tastebud. Gotta love miso soup.

Udon Noodle Soup - $5.50

Udon is good. Udon is super good when you get it in a big bowl like this for just the sweet price of $5.50. It's an inexpensive price tag for when you want a noodle fix. It's full of that Japanese Udon dressed with bean curd, spring onions, seaweed and tempura crumbs scattered on the surface of the broth. Adds to the visual aspect of things but not much to the taste side, as they're already all soggy and such.

I love bean curd in most dishes but the way it is done in Japanese dishes doesn't always tickle my fancy. They tend to take on a more sweet flavour most times than savoury and it's not something I am accustomed to so.........no tanks :)

In all genuinity, I happily and generously offered, "want some tofu skin?", took a bite, scrunched my face up - "ewwwwwwww!"
M: "Ye - ...no." after my "ewwwww!"
It wasn't ew coz it was yuck or anything, just way too sweet and un-beancurdy for me.

Large "Bento" Lunch Combo - $15.50

Because the udon was so...plain and healthy, we just couldn't do with that. We went for this yummy sounding lunch choice that was available in large or small. Large was the natural choice for us, naturally. With large, you're entitled to all the bits like your choice of meat with rice, mixed salad, miso soup, and an agonising choice of a deep fried item, out of the 4 or 5 you can choose from.

Here we have teriyaki chicken, the type that is panfried, the type that is thigh meat, the type that is abso-freaking-lutely delicious. And hey, even the rice comes from a shape moulder :-)

Chicken Karaage - $4.50

And because the large lunch choice only came with ONE choice of a deep fried unhealthy item, I was sad to be unable to try any of the other deep frys. Karaage chicken? Crab claw? Karaage? Claw? Chicken? Crab? Normal? Different? NONE?!

Then wait, it hit. DOUBLE OR NOTHING? Of course double! Why stop at one choice! So we got the Chicken Karaage also, at 4.50 which came with "marinated soybean sauce" but was very visibly and tasting like chilli mayo anyway. Bummer. Heck of a frickin good sauce, but a bummer coz I wanted this marinated soybean sauce. Even though it sounds suspiciously like soy sauce.

Judging by the batter, I couldn't eat it. LOL so crunchy and encasing some fine, hot chicken. So since I couldn't eat one thing on this dish, I ate everything else, which was the sauce and...the garnish. I know I know, some people are definitely against garnishes cause...you're not meant to eat decorations right?

"Is this garnish clean...?"
*Washes it in chilli mayo*
"It is now!"
^My thoughts verbalised out loud to eating companion
who then shook their head in utter disbelief and disapproval

Crumbed Cocktail Crab Claws

These little golden crab lollipops came with the large lunch plate. I guess these were the unique sounding things out of karaage chicken, crumbed calamari, etc etc even though they are all probably equally as golden and delicious. And that spicy chilli mayo dipping sauce...TIMES TWO coz we ordered 2 deep fries...dddrrroooolll. Even tho JAWS' version reigns as my favourite :-)

M let out a loud ARGH, SHIT and nearly choked to death and I immediately gathered that it was from a broken jagged part that had broken off from the crab claw shell. Eat these with caution. Ok, not choke to death but still choked and spluttered everywhere and gave the rest to me coz it clawed her throat out. Yay!

Enclosed within a layer of golden crumbs with a little protruding crab claw handle are thin threads of silky white crab flesh, still burning hot with a whiff of steam escaping when you bite into this ball of heaven.
M: "Man, it looks like white worms in here. Seriously, LOOK!"
*Shoves silky white crab flesh slithers in my face*
Ok. Heaven feeling gone. I was now eating worms.
 

Irish Luxury

With a belly full of food, it now cried out for a refreshing cold liquid on this dry, hot, sticky summer day. The coins that were saved because of that broken ticket machine now went to an especially expensive one on the Rokeby Road outdoor carpark. Sigh at ticket prices and SIGH at needing money in general to be able to live!

We ventured into Brownhaus and its surprisingly brown themed interior and got the Irish Luxury costing around $6.50 from memory. It's a delicious blend of espresso shot, irish cream, hazelnut, milk, cookies and cream ice cream and belgium chocolate in a delicious looking chocolate swirled cup, complete with a frothy top.

And if you're anything like me, you'll scurry about and scrape at the sides to get the solidified chocolate off and look like a loser.

...

I always thought Toraya was the place opposite Hans Cafe in Subiaco. Having been there once I didn't know what was so good about it, remembering the steep prices and small-ish servings that came with that big-ish price. So I never really went about looking for it, until this day. And it was only this day, where I got a bit excited and all woop-dee-doo about finding Toraya. Can't believe I thought a restaurant named Satsuke was Toraya. How much dumber can I get...

So yeah, I was glad I let my initial skeptism go and found this little beauty of a Japanese restaurant. I think its not like super in comparison to every other Jap place but because I've heard good about Toraya and upon trying it, it didn't fail my expectations, so I've given it thumbs up. Pretty much from the moment I lay eyes on it. Talk about judging a book by its cover :P

It was an epic hot day so naturally indoors is more attractive than the outside seating. Lunchtime meant pretty much all the tables were taken except for a lone one outside, which we also had to abandon because of the heat wave outside. Patrons are accomodating even inside a relatively small space inside, especially when everyone is dying from the heat and body heat all around makes it worse. I could probably recite the whole conversation from the next table if I needed to!

Staff work pretty quickly and came round to our table 2 or 3 times, ready to take our order when we weren't ready to make our order. Interior is simple and complete with Japanese screens on tiled grounds and packed seating. Takeaway orders seem to be the prominent choice here in the hustling, bustling suburb of Subiaco as the sushi fridge was close to being emptied at the beginning of lunch hour.

Serving sizes were pretty good and we ended up having to take away a few pieces of teriyaki chicken that we struggled to swallow but couldn't. But...that didn't stop us from heading to Woolworths next door and buying a whole box of Red Rock chips and Oreos and drinks and a load of other stuff to stuff ourselves with for the rest of the week day.

I was with the best friend at the time.
"I want something to chew on"
*Walks into pet aisle*
"Want Schmackos?"
Cause you know, a dog is a woman's best friend :-)