Edamame, St. Lucia

Our first post (hooray) though not our first visit is, to this popular japanese restaurant near the University of Queensland.  Having studied at the university we both have visited this little restaurant often.  Grabbing a bite to eat between those long class breaks or meeting up with friends at night, this is a great place to grab some tasty japanese.

The menu is comprised of cooked japanese dishes so if your looking for sashimi or sushi rolls best head elsewhere.  You can find appertizers such as edamame, grilled skewers, okonomiyaki and teriyaki chicken wings to main meals of noodles (ramen) of various soup bases and an assortment of rice dishes such as teriyaki, curry, tonkatsu, tempura etc. There is also Asahi on offer too if you feel like a quencher.

On this occasion we ordered the teriyaki fish fillet rice ($11.90) and the chicken katsu curry rice ($10.80). First things first, Edamame takes great pride in presenting their dishes and they have maintained this since they first opened doors a few years back. Going back to the dishes, the fish was skillfully cooked, it was moist and flaky and had a few streaks of good char (aburi style) on them. The teriyaki sauce is unique and is unlike your typical teriyaki flavour you find in standard food court fare or bottled sauces. It has somewhat of a worscestershire tang to it and there is a pool of this flavoursome sauce to go with the generous serving of sticky jap rice.



The most important thing about a good curry rice is the sauce. Edamame has created one which really hits the spot! The sauce has that perfect amount of spice and heat which doesnt overpower you in the first couple of spoonfuls, but as you eat the heat slowly builds up in your mouth.  Making that Asahi the perfect accompaniment.  I love the use of chicken thighs in the katsu as opposed to chicken breast as there is so much more flavour in these tender morsels of meat.  The panko crumbs surrounding the thighs are well seasoned in spices and are light and crunchy. 

The food here is always worthy of a return visit but there a few things to note.  The food tends not to be served at the same time so you may have to watch your companions dig in first. On average it takes more than 20 minutes for the first dish to appear. Also, the seating is a little crammed and is only ideal for small gatherings.

Edamame

2/224 Hawken Drive, St Lucia Brisbane QLD

Open for lunch & dinner 7 days a week