TL;DR: It is funky, it is laid-back, it is audience pleasing, and it has all the usual attractions of a Japanese restaurant. At this moment, it has not been open for very long but it already has gained a reputation that it deserves. The food is of such a good quality, the service speeds up well, and it is suited to almost any kind of occasion - particularly when walking just off the street. This fits well into the vibe that is West End, and shall kick some more life into the suburb as we speak.
Another hit for the late night crowd on West End's rich Boundary Street area, MisoHapi brings about how the Japanese like to do both business and pleasure at the same time, and that is with some good and filling food. This is where they can be relaxed, where a good time is had by all due to its funky atmosphere, the plethora of options in both food and drink that is available, and the service ain't so bad either. To me though, the only real justification for there to be another ramen bar in Brisbane is simply because of how delicious and quick a bowl of the stuff can be at any given time - and MisoHapi is proof positive of that.
Going here was all a case of happenstance. The day would have usually had one errand, but another errand had popped up for later on in the day that was in the city, so to bide the time between them I thought before leaving the house to find a place to eat; it was not that far from West End, and it reminded me of a place I had thought about going. Or the simpler case is that ramen is one of my favourites dishes, and I knew I had to try MisoHapi out eventually. Around lunchtime, I ducked into here for a quick meal.
Walking in here, the imagery is really striking. On both side walls of the restaurant are cartoons that have all sorts of Japanese imagery such as Buddhas, cherry blossoms and samurais making it have a cute and fun aesthetic. The kids will certainly feel welcome with the appealing and colourful pictures on the wall. Plus the way it is set up is pretty efficient for what is a small space. The sushi train takes up the central area of the restaurant, and they have set up the tables and benches around them. A small ramen bar on two sides is there, along with multiple booths for the more social occasion. On each table and bench, there are the condiments ready to be used, as well as a box full of chopsticks.
We can't go on without talking about the service here either, which is good for the most part. They are attentive and really professional, having a keen eye out for timing with ordering, and beyond that more or less leave you be. Details for meals are paid attention to, and the delivery is quick from the ordering. At the end of the meal, they are very observant so nothing is gotten by them via all the plates and whatnot.
Can it be a first for this city? They get several of the popular modes of Japanese cooking around town - there is the sushi train, the ramen bar, the lunchtime rush of getting a Japanese-style curry, bento boxes and several kinds of izakaya. Regardless of what is chosen, what becomes apparent is that all of it is quite quick and freshly made. The selection of each one is pretty good, and the sushi is divided into the usual lots of fusion rolls, classic rolls et al.
They also have quite a bit to offer in the ways of drinks, and respect will go to them to offer stuff that is aside from the normal brands. This really gives it a touch that could have it be somewhere else (just making an assumption, I have been wrong before) - there are American-style sodas, Japanese beers, ciders and teas among many others. Also there is ramune, which is a good touch if you can get it to any Japanese meal. What is possibly the gold star with an attention to detail is the chilled mugs in the fridge for their specialty beer. With that said there, this seems to be a place to be for work after hours - a place open late. And you won't go hungry here either, no matter what you select.
As for me, like implied beforehand, the ramen was tempting me from the start - it has that allure to it. Out of the varieties, I the shio ramen, which is salty one. Choosing from either chicken or pork belly, I went with the latter, and the soup also had shallots and seaweed in it, with the noodles being thin flour-based ones. As a bit of an extra, I also asked for some egg. When asked about how I would like it with the spice, there is one answer to that and it is to be quite hot.
And this was exactly what I felt like at the time. The serving size was pretty generous - I have seen bigger - and the quality was really good with each component being noticeable. The broth had a slightly creamy consistency, which led itself to combine well with the spices used to make the soup spicier - they had a fiery aroma which created a good flavour base alongside the saltiness of the soup. As always, the pork belly was a great addition being all tender and moreish adding more flavour to the mix, and the seaweed is always great once it get soaked in the spicy soup. The egg on the side was also nice, soft-boiled then getting slightly harder while it swims in the broth. Most important are the noodles, which were tender and cooked al dente, and all these components meld together well when each one gets its deserved due care. And that is the beauty of ramen.
A couple of extras were selected for on the side, with one just wanting to get a little extra something so a better feel for the place could be possible, and another was choice and opportune with the sushi train right there. For the first one, it was the always solid choice of salt and pepper calamari, and without really thinking what is was - just grabbing what looked good and cheap - the second one was karage tempura. The karage tempura was crispy and had a nice hit of soy flavour to it, and you can never go wrong with the salt and pepper calamari. Particularly when it is in a generous quantity, and freshly cooked. All these little bits off the sushi train are an addition that gives brownie points to any good sushi place.
This is another place which I perceive I will visit a fair bit, and want to give it a fair enough go before ranking it too highly just yet. The attention to detail is certainly there, plus it has all the makings of somewhere which will be lasting for quite a long time. Sushi trains were probably first in Brisbane around here, and now they are starting to explode and expand going beyond what they were doing in the first place - the classic one now looks quaint after going here. For now the 4.0 score will stay put, but if the food continues to be up to the standards it was here then it may well get a higher score - or simply be a really strong 4.0 score.
West End has got itself one solid eatery here, that does everything that is right about the sushi train even better than it has been. It has the atmosphere to prove it all, having it be equal part funky, equal parts relaxed, so a good time is able to be had by all. The ramen is as good as almost anywhere else in the city, and it has the best atmosphere of them all to slurp down the noodle and soup combination. While it is standard procedure to wish the new kid on the block good luck, with this time there is an inkling that it will achieve that if it has not already (an advantage is its bright interior on a late night). From this visit, I have only scratched the surface and it is recommended highly to try this place out.
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