sono japanese restaurant

best japanese. would beat anyjapaneseresto 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 andjapanesebeers, 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!

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 ajapaneserestaurant 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.

expensive, but worth it for a special occassion. sono is arguable the most authenticjapaneserestaurant 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.

the worstjapaneserestaurant 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!

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

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

arguably the bestjapaneserestaurant in brisbane. the food is exquisite and authentic. the atmosphere is amazing, perfect for a special night out.

due to covid, sono has decreased the size of their menu. but doesn’t change the fact that their service and food quality is still one of the bestjapaneserestaurants in brisbane. exceptional customer service and great vibe. will definitely come back again

bestjapaneserestaurant in brisbane,service and food best and that's not first time we been at sono and wouldn't be the last so will highly recommend it

i’ve been twice now. both times were outstanding. the best qualityjapanesei’ve had in brisbane. although quite expensive, it’s well worth it. staff are all so lovely.

one visit was for my brother’s 18th birthday. i let them know when i booked online. they surprised him (and me!) when they brought out dessert while singing happy birthday. the dessert even had a sparkler on it.

the aburi platter is a must. i don’t usually eat much wagyu but the wagyu aburi was just incredible. the teriyaki and karaage chicken dishes are so tender - easily the best i’ve had.

on a different visit, i shared a bento box with my cousin, along with a few other dishes. every mouthful was divine. i love how many different flavours and dishes come on the bento box.

i’m looking forward to going again!!

sono is one of the highest rated restaurants in brisbane and the bestjapaneserestaurant i’ve been to. this fantastic restaurant has been a place i’ve wanted to visit for a long time and with their beautiful atmosphere, friendly and efficient service and the quality of food it’s no surprise how that they’re so highly rated over with over 1000 reviewers.

i booked through zomato with an instant reservation two days before i came and was seated immediately upon arrival. our waitress was lovely and perfect with her service as well as the other staff that brought our food. we ordered the lai chi cocktail and a glass of prosecco. the cocktail was fantastic coming in a jug to pour into an adorable small glass and i loved the flavour of the prosecco.

our entrees were so flavourful and the tofu was perfect in crispness with the sauce as well. for the main i had the braised beef which was cooked deliciously so it fell apart and had a side of rice as well and we also ordered the special which was an australian wagyu that came with three dipping sauces. then for dessert we ordered the special chocolate and caramel mousse and the dessert platter. they also presented it with a sparkler and writing on the place with our waitress being so sweet to sing happy birthday to me as well.

after all our food it still only totalled to around $200 so not only was it a great experience with delicious food it was also very fair in pricing at around $100 a perfect for three courses and a drink. i cannot wait to attend sono again for another special event or just because there is so many other items on the menu i’m interested in trying.

sono is a really fantasticjapaneserestaurant. i believe it deserves the title of one of the best restaurants in brisbane. i come to here several times per year and all the experiences are satisfying. when people ask me aboutjapaneserestaurant in brisbane, i will recommend them sono. the sashimi was so fresh and sukiyaki hotpot was much more delicious than other restaurant.this year i celebrated my birthday here in august, and the waitress prepared a little surprise for me. it was so sweet! it will be my first choice ofjapaneserestaurant!

the sono dining experiencejapanesecuisine at its finest, modern contemporary and traditional.the freshest produce beautifully presented to tempt the most discerning palate and visual senses, complemented by an excellent international wine selection andjapanesesake from our cellar. the tranquil surroundings with a texture featuring a mixture of wood, stone and water feature, all serve to enhance the overall lunch and dinner experience.our tasting course with matching wine selection is exceptional or for a change of pace, we offer teppanyaki, where interaction with the masterful chef is totally encouraged.with seven private tatami rooms, some featuring audio-visual capability, sono is ideally set up for sales presentations, birthday or engagement celebrations, or any important event. exclusive use of the restaurant can also be arranged for cocktail parties up to 250 people with our dedicated events coordinator, we can accommodate all your specific needs.to enjoy an intimate dinner for two, ourjapanesestyle seating by the window with river views is an ideal choice.

we went here for our wedding anniversary, as we heard good stories about it. great luxurious ambiance and solid high quality food to match. beautifully presented in a way that makes it worth every cent. service was better than excellent.japaneseis my wife favorite, so brownie points for me.

only one comment, the aircon was blasting at high on a cooler night. which gave the service trouble in lighting the wagyu beef dish. 

also book well in advance for the in ground window seats. we'll be back.

yes, the food is pricey but the quality and taste makes up for it. this is one of the bestjapaneserestaurants in brisbane hands down. wish i can afford it more often.

this is my second time going to sono for dinner.

first time being my anniversary with my boyfriend and second time is for my graduation celebration dinner.
we made it a point that we will always go back for sono for special occasions as i’m a huge fan ofjapanesefood.

but my second visit especially with my whole family has been really really disappointing. when the waitress took our order, it seems like she was rushing us to take our orders. but maybe cause the restaurant was busy, that was alright to us.

but the latter part wasn’t.

one of the waitress spilt soya sauce all over my boyfriend and grandma when she was cleaning the table after we finished our sushi. without any apologies, and she just walked off.

second time was, they cleared off my unfinished chawan mushi without asking if i’m done, and you could clearly see there was still half of it left. for a serving of (i think) 18$ steamed eggs, i think it doesn’t take much effort to ask your customer if theyre done with their food before taking it away. i was sharing sukiyaki with my brother at that time hence looked away from my side and by the time i turned by head, the chawan mushi was gone.

a f&b business is genuinely about 70% service and 30% food. i’m genuinely disappointed at my visit this time.

also, would be nice to teach your staffs to not discriminate and choose to provide only good service selectively.