With the closure of Izakaya Goma in Maroubra, we have one less choice when we are craving for some authentic Japanese food.
Kinjo at The Spot could be the one to fill the gap.
I have been visiting Kinjo for a while as it is one of the favorite spots of one of my colleagues at the hospital. Usually during lunch period the service is quick and the food maintains a very stable standard.
The boutique nature of the Kinjo gives a very cosy feel for a few friends to just have a quick catch up without being too formal. I like the benches at some of the tables along the wall as you can actually feel relaxed having a drink while waiting for your food to arrive.
However, it is a restaurant, so it is about the food. So how does it stack up?
I mostly go there for lunch, so unsurprisingly, I would go for the lunch menu. My usual go for was the Bento Box A option as it has 4 pieces of sashimi and 3 pieces of sushi. However, if I was really hungry I would go for the Bento Box B because instead of 3 pieces of sushi you got 4 pieces of California rolls. A bit more rice in the stomach means a bit more rice in the stomach. J
So what’s in the Box? Basically you got your standard Teriyaki main with a choice of chicken, beef, white fish or tofu. I usually go for the beef as I think it goes best with the Teriyaki sauce. I tried fish once and found the sauce too overpowering and salty with the fish. The set also comes with rice and miso soup, which is quite standard.
Apart from the Bento Box, I sometimes go for the Udon Set. I usually order the set with both sushi and sashimi, as I really prefer to have some rice in the stomach. The udon though, is a vegetarian udon, so if you prefer some meat in your udon, this probably will not be your choice. Also some of the vegetables tend to be on the crunchier side, so if you really like your vege to be soft boiled, probably you need to talk to the waiter in advance. I personally like my hard vege crunchy so it is not an issue for me at all. Also I like the clear and not over-saturated taste of the soup of their udon as unlike ramen, I like a lighter palette for my udon.
If the sets are not enough to fill your hungry stomach (which sometimes happens to me as I really eat a lot…), you can always order additional sushi or sashimi. For me this is usually their strongest as every time their sushi and sashimi are very fresh and every bite of it has a refreshing feel to it. I think that is how sushi and sashimi should be. And so far I haven’t been disappointed with them.
As a boutique restaurant, service quality is extremely important. At Kinjo, staff are always courteous, mild manner and friendly. Also, they are extremely patient and ready to explain anything on the menu if they did not ring any bells to you. I always have very pleasant dining experience over there.
One thing that I should mention is that at Kinjo you can only use card when it is over $20 and there is no split bills. So if you are going by yourself for the lunch sets, you probably need to prepare some cash as none of them is above $20. However, if you order a set plus additional sushi or sashimi, you will be ok.
You can find out more about Kinjo on their website or visit them directly at the upper end of the SPOC towards the Randwick Junction.
