Ken's Sushi - Bexley North

Hello fellow foodies!

How has everyone been?

I'm glad to say that as of the last couple of week, our schedule's been freed up enough for us to make another post a mere 10 days after our last!

We know consistency is the key so from now on we'll post content at least twice a week until we get through our small backlog. I won't make any promises on which days those posts will be made but we will definitely do the best we can to stick to a regular schedule.

This means tonight we'll be posting TWO blogs!

First up tonight is a local (Mr - Local to me anyway) favorite. I quite literally squeal with joy when I get to eat at Ken's. One of the biggest draws is that it's one of the best family run Japanese restaurants in the south side and the prices are reasonable (cheap when relative to the amount the Father-unit orders). I also appreciate the quaint and homey decor and friendly service.

Anyways, it was a standard Tuesday night a couple of weeks ago when the whole family decided to take a night off and go eat out. As much as we love dad's cooking, it's already his occupation and as much as he loves delighting everyone with his culinary skills, the man really needs to chill out and take a night off. We arrive at our usual dinner time and our table is already set for us as we've called ahead to make reservations (trust me, if you do not book a table you most likely won't get to eat there that night as they are regularly booked out)

We started the meal off with our standard fare of edamame and beef tataki. The beef was seared wonderfully and the appetizing tataki sauce complemented the fresh flavors gorgeously. I would definitely recommend two orders of this for any table larger than three as you may find yourselves fighting over the thin, delectable slices of beef.

Then came the sushi which is what they are known for (duh!)

Salmon nigiri is a crowd favorite. I mean, who doesn't love salmon? If you do not love salmon nigiri, we cannot be friends. But in all seriousness, Ken's does this dish really well in that the ratio of fish to rice is almost 50/50. I know the true sushi connoisseur will say that the rice is the main highlight of any piece of sushi but you can hardly argue against the proposition when the taste of pure salmon goodness permeates your mouth.

Ken's also does rolls really well. And when I mean well I mean look at the size of that thing! I've rather proud of the fact that I can finish most things in one bite but I tend to struggle with Ken's sushi rolls. In addition to that, notice that they do not stinge on the fillings which some sushi restaurants are very guilty of.

Although personally, the sushi is the highlight of the meal, their hot foods are definitely not to be dismissed. There is nothing I love more than good Tempura and Ken's certainly delivers on that. Abundant crispy nibbles of vegetables almost make me forget about that plump juicy prawn that's cooked to perfection.

It's a shame that they don't do Tonkatsu cutlets but as the mother-ship loves chicken katsu more than pork, we settle for that. But please do not mistake my meaning when I say settle as that definitely does not mean that this dish is lacking in anyway. The golden crunch of the breaded outside paired with that wonderfully juicy chicken is a delight and the sauce provided just bumps it up a level.

We did actually order a LOT more but as dad was hungry, we didn't get an opportunity to snap any pictures of the other items we ordered. Believe me though, with the amount we ordered, it's a welcome surprise our bill only amounted to so little. Overall, I would return again and again to Ken's sushi if not for their wonderful quality then for their absolute bargain prices and excellent service.

Would we return? Yes, again and again and again.

Recommendations? The Sushi platter. A little bit of everything you need. If you're feeling naughty, polish an order of Aburi salmon by yourself. I do that all the time.

Areas of improvement? I can't help but feel like if they chose to do Tonkatsu as well Chicken Katsu, they would do it really well too.