Sasuke Japanese Takeaway

Nestled among other more vibrant, more populated and overall more enticing strip of eateries, I never
gave more than a second glance at Sasuke. Truthfully, ok not even a first glance. Its less-than-attractive
existence just didn't entice me like a usual Japanese restaurant would have.

I should have known from theory that the more simply non decorated places are the ones who serve
mind blowing, amazingly delicious food because they focus on this strength. And so they should, a
restaurant's main job is a food provider after all. Sure, a feast for the eyes is great but a better feast for
the tummy is greatest!

Teriyaki Chicken - $8.40

Seeing meals for less than $10 is hard to come by these days. Fortunately, coming to Sasuke makes that an easy task. Their menu features many dishes at yummy prices. Can't remember if takeaway prices are different to dining in prices, but they should sit pretty close if they weren't the same nonetheless.


This token Teriyaki Chicken meal features tender bite sized chicken thigh pieces liberally drenched in sweet teriyaki sauce, which spills over as a flavoursome rice marinade. Served with a side of edible garnishes of cucumber and finely shredded cabbage and carrot makes for a good lunch option.

Gyu Don - $9.40

Ginger makes me want to throw up and cry. But this very dislike of ginger made me choose the Gyu Don, laden with the yellow stuff. It smelt, tasted and even looked so strong of ginger. WHAT THE HELL is wrong with me? The 40 degree heatwave must have fried my brains.


But even though I think ginger is putrid, eating stuff cooked with it is quite alright. Eating the thing itself is not. Food cooked with it adopts some of its sweet, slightly spicy undertones and is actually quite...edible. This bowl looks more like stir-fried onion and ginger over rice with a garnish of beef, but actually reminds me of home.


The meat lacks the overall sweetness and juiciness I imagined it to have. Thinly sliced rump steak gets its flavour from a soy-based sauce, and coupled with mass amounts of onion and ginger, I am a bit psychotic to order this.

Katsu Curry - $9.40

Less than 24 hours later, I dragged my cousin back here to try some more of their cheap and cheerful offerings. After extensive, overboard, annoyingly indecisive perusal of the menu, she finally came to the conclusion of something like, "I still don't know what to get!" Apparently one time, her friends had ordered, paid, and were eating their meals while she was still deciding on what to eat.

I digress. But seriously, her deliberation over the menu is like she's having her last supper and is choosing her last meal on earth. Something like that.

So it is with considerable improvement that she chose the Katsu Curry within 15 minutes or so. A typical dish of Japanese curry is served with rice with your choice of crumbed chicken breast or fish. It's good the sauce doesn't flood the rice and chicken, allowing the chicken to retain its freshly fried crunch but its dryness permeates through.

It also comes with a side note stating *No extra sauce*, which I thought a bit restricting. But I'm cool with that, I wouldn't want more of that sour! tasting curry sauce anyway.

Raw Salmon Sushi (10 piece) - $9.50

After being advised I couldn't choose any beef dishes that day as they had somehow ran out of that meat, I reluctantly jumped over to their sushi options. I thought this was a safe choice as they seem to promote this choice with freshness and efficiency, only being freshly rolled to order.

Sadly, freshly rolled means thrown together quickly and a rushed compilation of a sushi roll. The ingredients fell apart easily at a touch, before getting anywhere remotely near your mouth. Yes the sushi rice was sticky, but only because it was mushy. The salmon didn't taste that fresh and seemed to have watery content within it, which spoils the whole mouthful really. Proportion wise, the abundance of rice to salmon content seemed to be imbalanced.

I sound so angry. And no, I'm not done yet with my gripe! I sound like someone who hasn't taken their anti depressants. But really, life's too short to waste calories on bad sushi. And plus, charging extra for including avocado in my sushi was a bit annoying, being a pretty standard ingredient in sushi. It's like buying a sandwich and needing to pay extra for the lettuce inside it.


BAH, I don't think I've had such a negative reaction before! I'm okay with whatever and won't make a fuss even if I saw a live bug still in my food (which actually happened at a restaurant I probably won't ever return to again. It's not so much the bug that bugged me, but rather the manager's indifferent attitude to, HELLO THERE'S A MOVING INSECT ON MY PLATE?! It's like it was my fault that I spotted the bug. Grrrrr!)

Raw Salmon Sushi

I usually see the glass half full, but this time, I have to say Sasuke's glass was less than half.


At least it looks nice?


But like the phrase that's been used to death by society (who don't necessarily follows), looks aren't everything. You have to taste them first ;) It's the inside that counts.
These insides fell apart. You can't EAT presentation per se.


...


I thought I had found a local Japanese place that could provide me with regular dinners and satisfy my urges for Japanese...(food). After the little sushi incident, I had second thoughts about giving Sasuke a second glance. Not to say it has completely thrown me off, everyone deserves a second (third in this case!) chance to redeem themselves. I do like the place, considering I went back for breakfast the day after the first time I visited!


Menu wise, they go beyond the usual Jap dishes but still within the Jap cuisine. Fried rice, soup dishes, stir fried dishes, ramen are all available at reasonable lunch prices that extends to dinner. The choice to upgrade to a bento box is available for an extra $3.50 is an attractive option, which gives you the main dish, rice, salad, seaweed salad, potato croquette, 1 vegetable spring roll, and either 1 inari (sweet bean curd pouch stuffed with sushi rice) or 2 sushi (however $2 extra). All these extra surcharges! They have a full page in their takeaway pamphlet dedicated to all the extra charges for condiments. Even soy sauce. Gripe.


It's good that the charges aren't hidden, all the options and separations are considerate but mind boggling. Those who want to alter their dishes and are intolerant of gluten and animal consumption are punished by having to pay extra money for requesting for dishes prepared to be gluten free or free of animal product. It's a nice gesture, but is tainted with the attached price tag!


Presentation food wise, good. Presentation shop wise, could do with a makeover. Limited seating probably makes takeaway a better option, since there's not much to look at inside or outside the restaurant, being pleasantly situated in and with large glass windows overlooking a very potholed carpark!


Portions are decent but if you're a big eater, you're not going to be full. I wasn't full.
We craved sashimi (FRESH sashimi) and got ready to drive to a different Japanese restaurant right after finishing Sasuke. Unfortunately 3pm is Perth restaurants' resting time and everywhere is usually dead.
I even left with my own souvenir of this place, casually thieved a spoon in my hand as I walked out. Accidentally.


(I gave it back though).


***
(08) 9445 7831


Mon - Thurs: 11.30am to 2.30pm & 5.00pm to 8.30pm
Fri: 11.30am to 9pm
Sat: 11.30am to 8.30pm
Closed on Sun and Public Holidays
*During Winter Months (Jun, Jul, Aug), Friday's Opening Hours are 11.30am to 8.30pm


***