An evening feast at Sono Portside

Japanese food has always been a favourite of mine and Sono has definitely been on my must-eat list. Having received the numerous awards over the years, I really was looking forward to our meal. The Portside location is indeed breathtaking. The interior is spacious with plenty of seating and a beautiful view for the lucky few seated by the windows. The staff were pleasant and polite, adding on to the already bustling atmosphere in the establishment.

We started off with a small Sashimi Combination Platter. Presented beautifully, the slices of fish were very fresh and had a good firm texture.

We also ordered a serving of the Unagi Nigiri an absolutely loved it! The eel was meaty and very flavourful, with a portion thick enough for bite. It was so good that we decided to order the Unagi Kabayaki.

Which was a little disappointing after the nigiri sushi. The plate of eel was not as delicious as that of the nigiri sushi, lacking the bite and thickness of the former and too much sauce for our liking.

The weather had just started to warm up a little and we thought some Tenzaru Soba would be better compared to a hot bowl of noodle soup. The noodles were refreshing and tasty when eaten with the hot and crispy tempura. The prawn and fish tempura were a delight to munch on and a definite must order the next time.

While it may seem silly to order fried chicken at such a high end establishment, we really wanted to try Sono's Chicken Karaage and see if it would wow us.

And wow us it did. The chicken pieces were cooked perfectly, moist and juicy, and had incredible flavour. It is delicious by itself but I was very happy that I did try the dipping sauces provided. The dish is accompanied with three sauces - garlic mayonnaise, chilli tomato and ponzu sauce, and the chilli tomato sauce is the clear winner. A whole combinatiom of sweet, tart and savoury, it complements the chicken wonderfully.

Craving fish, we also placed an order for the Black Cod Saikyo Yaki. It was a beauty to look at, a whole piece of cod cooked beautifully that had a delicate miso flavour. I secretly wished we had ordered nothing but a few portions of this as our whole dinner!

And finally, I could not leave without having the Sono Tonyu Soup. I have been imagining it in my head from the moment I have seen it on their website and am glad to have ordered it. The seafood soup in soy milk was warm and soothing, and certainly comfort food. The price tag is indeed a hefty one (aud$12) for an individual portion, but a good occasional treat.

Did we overeat? We surely did but I was happy we made the trip to Sono. The entire dining experience was great and we will definitely be back!