sono japanese restaurant

1.5.2022
phuong and i visit for sunday lunch at 1pm and we are promptly seated at the last vacant table. service is slow and cold water is provided after 20 minutes when we place our lunch order. our cocktails and oysters eventually arrive followed slowly with the rest of our order.

the oysters served on crushed ice are small but exceptionally fresh. sashimi platter is nicely presented and every item is fresh, however, the serving size is small. tempura scallop sushi roll is a tiny serving lacking ingredients. rice and miso soup are served hot!

overall, an enjoyable meal at this beautiful restaurant. wait staff are friendly and helpful.

best japanese. would beat any japanese resto anywhere in australia, except sydney. fantastic surrounds and service. seated by the window so had a commanding view of the river on a sunny autumn saturday. their sushis--i had duck breast and swordfish ottoro--are surefire palate pleasers. loved the tempura moriawase and unagi, though the latter was a bit overseasoned. good selection of sakes and japanese beers, as well as european and nz tipples. the mains were good-sized and well-priced. in my opinion, better than ocha or shoya in melbourne, so easily would be two hats!

food served lukewarm, overall unimpressed, won't return.

i'm not entirely sure if it's fair to be writing a review based on a function dinner. i've been to sono previously for a la carte before (also for a birthday dinner) and perhaps because it was too long ago or other factors that may have affected my experience it never left a great impression so i've never been tempted to go back on my own accord.

last saturday however, a friend had organised a birthday dinner there and i might say this has been one of my best dining experiences this year. 

the atmosphere at sono cannot be faulted. i always love sitting in their faux tatami rooms. maybe it's a bit kitsch but who cares, get into the spirit. service was impeccable, again i can't be certain that wasn't due to the event but our designated waitress was attentive, informative and very tolerant. 

food. was amazing. we had their tasting course and that was truly such a good showcase of their menu. i never think you can go too wrong with sashimi as long as it's fresh. so i never judge a japanese restaurant based solely on that. but the sashimi at sono blew me away. some stand out items from their tasting menu in my opinion was: oyster with lime sauce, snapper carpaccio, crab croquette, salmon belly. the duck main was also very well done.

not bad. ate here twice, enjoyed it but perhaps a bit too exy for servings

dumplings galore! image courtesy of broadsheet.com.au ever since tom and i returned from hong kong we have become obsessed with dumplings. chinese, japanese..we aren’t choosy and with the recent explosion of dumpling restaurants around brisbane we are clearly not the only ones! so i’ve compiled a list of brisbane’s best joints to grab yourself a gyoza. happy little dumplings with multiple locations around brisbane, happy little dumplings have you covered with a range of gourmet and vegetarian dumpling options, vietnamese rolls and steamed buns. i normally hit up the barracks location (why leave your suburb if you don’t have to) and the service is always quick and friendly. the chinese chilli duck dumplings are to die for and you can follow up your dinner with a scrumptious mango pancake. can you say yummo! brunswick social cocktails, beer and wine? check. dumplings for all occasions? yup. a an utterly adorable resident pooch called mr chow? why of course! brunswick social is one of bri

expensive, but worth it for a special occassion. sono is arguable the most authentic japanese restaurant in brisbane. adding to that is the spectacular location, overlooking the brisbane river at beautiful portside. the price renders it somewhere i would only go on special occasions, but when i do i always leave feeling as if i've had not just a meal, but a foodie experience. we usually have the 25(approx) piece sashimi platter as well as the tasting menu. the sashimi is some of the freshest i've tasted and is beautifully prepared and presented. if you are going, my recommendation would be to book weeks in advance and request a table by the window overlooking the river. it is a far more intimate setting compared to elsewhere in the restaurant where the lighting is quite bad (our first visit i had a spot light shining into my eyes the entire time) and it is a lot noisier.

a bit expensive, but so delicious food and fantastic service! a must try

delicious courses. this place is simply divine!
the food is to die for, the service is superb and the atmosphere elegant

only catch is it is quite costly..

the worst japanese restaurant in brisbane. lack of organize. i ordered my entree and main at the same time, but the entree arrived when i already started my main. doesn’t matter if other food, but having sukiyaki as a main and grilled king prawn with avocado (entree) come half way... taste weird!!
worst thing was the grilled king prawn come out cold, so guess have been ready for a while in the kitchen but didn’t serve!! (have enough staff for sure)
last was, 4 of us ordered green tea, they give us a small tea pot to share, so it wouldn’t even fill 4 cup, so i requested a bigger pot. the waiter come back and give me 2 pot, when i check the bill, they charge double... 2 x tea pot $16! so double tea charged for each person. first i only requested larger pot, second this was not explained to me, they say is noted in the drive menu, but when i request tea, they already took the drink menu away!!!! last, last time i come they got large pot for 6 of us.... is this a new way to earn more money?!?!
would not recommend to anyone!

this is one of my favourite places to eat. the service is great and i can never fault the food. i go here on every special occasion.

amazing experience. this is our favourite restaurant for special occasions, all round great experience each time we go, have never had a dish we didn't like.

excellent. delicious food, great ambience and good service.

not much else left to be said about sono portside really - pretty much one of the best fine dining japanese in brisbane imo. we've been there for many years and the food and the service have never disappoint.

no frills japanese this place is not perfect for special occasions or a fancier friday dinner with special someone. sono will sure make a great impression :)

came on saturday for lunch, i made a reservation as i have been to the one in city and i've been disappointed before as it is usually a full house!

was surprised by the light atmosphere, and it had a very nice feel in the huge restaurant. compared to the one in the city, i can already safely say that the one at portside appeals more to me!

the service was fast, we were seated immediately and the servers took our orders as soon as we were ready.

i ordered the chirashi set, it cost $38 but boy was it delicious! generous servings of fish, as well as miso soup for a side. i have no complaints with the fish as each slice tasted super fresh, there was no bad after taste. i am a mad chirashi lover and i like how sono's chirashi has about 5-6 kinds of fish. the only thing i wasn't satisfied with was the rice, the rice could have been better - it felt a little dry to me.

other than that, great service and great food, i will definitely be back to try out their lunch specials beginning in july this year!