TL;DR: It is a hole in the wall, and it is down a lane, all of which does not diminish how good Doujo is, but conversely only adds more to its character. This has got to be some of the best Japanese food in town, and when it comes to the el cheapo variety, than that quality and how commendable it is only grows more apparent. Every nook and cranny of each item was at such a level of perfection, that is is nigh impossible to fault. Hopefully this finds a lot of love in the near future.
The new kid on the block in the continuously burgeoning area of Stone's Corner, Doujo goes in a similar vein as trying to be a cool kid with the funky aesthetics and everything. That is what can be seen from an image search of the place, and with it being hidden down the lane-way, it is the more reclusive and introverted kid on the block which nonetheless has its own kind of vibe that still fits into the general outlook of the Stone's Corner dining precinct.
The new year had already started, which often means a few things to each person. Work may be on, there could be effort underway for the resolutions, but let's not get on too much of a tangent here. Each new year comes out the hype for whatever the fandom may be, and for this little black duck that is the next lot of wrestling PPVs that is upcoming and they it often hits the ground running with the hype in January. This year though, it happened faster than usual for a very big reason.
It is without any denying and qualms that each time the WWE Network releases a PPV, it is onto the food delivery site to get some grub to eat while watching it. That same gist applied this time around, but instead it was with New Japan's Wrestle Kingdom event - which is basically its equivalent to WrestleMania. The primary that I decided to log this in (as it possibly was with many other folk around the world) being that WWE darling Chris Jericho was having a match with NJPW darling Kenny Omega. Suffice to say that the hype surrounding it all was massive then, and going into it it all paid off ... oh, and the food that I got was really good as well.
Without any doubts, I knew exactly the kind of fare that was set for the night - Japanese cuisine. All that took was to go onto the UberEats app, type in the right address and utilise the search term "Japanese". Not a whole lot in the area that fall under that, but a modest selection nonetheless; most of them had already been gotten to, and Doujo had been in the recesses of my mind for a few months. That was namely due to it being a local, and the whole idea to go out and support the locals when they open - having it here was more or less the meal ticket to trying it out.
Service here must have been some of the quickest that has ever happened with delivery that I have experienced, notably with the location being a fair bit closer than usual but also with the difference between the initial time that was estimated for arrival, and the actual time that it showed up at the door. In fact, I was pretty engrossed that the first sign that it was beyond preparation and on its way, was hearing a car door out the front and checking the tracker on the app - there must have been less than ten paces between the courier and the door when I opened it. So in other words, kudos for the quick and efficient service.
They manage to keep a fairly simple and concise menu, choosing a small variety of options from a number of staple mainstays in Japanese cooking. A whole lot of izakaya is here with bits of tempura, gyozas et al, different types of sushi including rolls, and sashimi. plus yakitori. After that, a few big meals are available - the usual curries are there, plus some teriyaki, and other kinds of donburi.
When dining in, the menu expands into having a generous drinks menu. They have plenty of tea, some beers, a wide range of different kinds of sake, and soju along with the usual sodas and such for something non-alcoholic. With the arrangement that they have, it has carved a bit of a niche where it is sort of nice, but kind of laid-back as well - quality remains present regardless.
Starting it all off, the house mate was given the usual chicken katsu curry (as always, it pleases him), and the one I had was a beef teriyaki don. To start off with these meals, the portion size is considerably generous, and even more so for the fact that the bowl is not mostly rice either. Combined with the beef - in which there was not just a small bit of, but plenty that it took up a good percentage of the bowl - was a nice mixture of vegetables cooked just the right amount of time, with a texture that was still crunchy yet the vegetables did have a bit of time to sweat in their juices. We had carrots, capsicum and onion from memory. All of this in a dark sauce, complete with a rich and complex array of flavours and aromas.
Also, on behalf of my house mate, this was one good chicken katsu curry. It is pretty hard to make a bad one, but if it really impresses him like it did here, then it is apparent that we have a good place on our hands. And it only gets better from here.
After getting a couple of the big meals, it was onto getting a bit of this and a bit of that to fully see how capable they were in making the food. Selecting from the list, the reliable takoyaki went into the order without hesitation, followed up by a large order of nigiri sushi topped off with tempura prawns, and the house specialty which is the chi chi roll. None of the items are being singled out on their own with the basis of quality; this one is getting a special mention since something unusual was attempted which absolutely worked. This was one of those fusion rolls, with the meat of the roll being some chicken schnitzel, which after being rolled in rice was topped off with a scorched cheese mayonnaise.
After being to many sushi trains, sampling a lot of izakaya and whatnot, it is no small feat in saying this. Each one of these items ordered was pretty much on point of excellence and perfection. Heck, even the aesthetics part of how they were served was given some attention and made for a nice touch. None of the crappy, transparent plastic containers almost synonymous with takeaway sushi, but actual patterned plates. That gave it a good presentation, and kept the food looking really aesthetically pleasing.
When it comes to takoyaki, it is pretty straightforward to know how good they are. As of yet disappointment has not come, and this is remaining so for now. That is because of how moreish it was from a few simple aspects - the creaminess inside, plus tender bits of octopus, those which get surrounded by a crispy coating. On top of that is the characteristic sauce and a whole lot of shaving on top. As per usual, brilliant.
Then it was onto the nigiri tempura prawn sushi. Not too much else here, just a few simple aspects which meld together making a tasty morsel of food. The prawn meat was tender, and super fresh, the tempura batter was piping hot an smooth, with the rice also a key aspect having a small bit of vinegar to give it flavour and moisture. Not many cuisines do simplicity as well as Japanese, and here is exhibit A on that.
But as it was said, the best one came in the form of the chi chi roll. This is simply worth traveling the distance just to order and see what I mean. The bit of chicken that they used was tender and juicy, with the coating around it being crispy and very hot, it was the key aspect of a well-put together sushi roll. Around it, the rice was well steamed, combined with a seed of some kind, and also a bit of vinegar to give it that same texture and moisture. Topping it off was a cheesy mayonnaise sauce that could only be described as absolutely delicious - if only I knew the recipe ... that is how good we are talking about. These three components combined beautifully to make what would have easily been the most memorable part of the night (food wise) if it weren't for the substantial, and filling main meals. There was not a chance on God's green earth that this morsel was going to be skipped out with how tasty it sounded, plus how unusual. Clinching it all, it was in UberEats' popular items section - that was the sign to order it straight up.
What we have ourselves here is another winner. Honestly, when it comes to Japanese cuisine they are on fire at a consistent level. Some cuisines have to be taken at a more fancy level to work, and Japanese does that in its own unique way but it also manages to come down to the ramen bars and hole in the wall places like here. There is not one complaint that I have, not even a gripe to infer, that could be attributed to any of the food here - all of it was good, the curry going by hearsay from my house mate - and filled the lot of us up for an eventful night in. The average output for Stone's Corner has just been raised yet again. Again, this is merely some delivery/take away that is being judged upon, so it is with just a small taste of what the place has got in store as an overall experience. Being optimistic as I am, if this is the standard that they have with their food then it is safe to say that future diners here are in some good hands.
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