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.serviceis 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.

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.servicewas 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.

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 theserviceis 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

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

only catch is it is quite costly..

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

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 theservicehave 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!

theservicewas 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, greatserviceand great food, i will definitely be back to try out their lunch specials beginning in july this year!

my score of 4 is actually food 5service3, like : we order wine, then change our minds and ask for the cocktail menu, and wine arrives before we can even find a waiter to order a cocktail. we ordered some sashimi, then entrees, then mains and one entree arrives first with no explanation, so we have to ask / start a complex entree before the beautiful simplicity of the sashimi. mains arrive with a small bowl of rice and we have to wave our arms like drowning not waving to order a second bowl.

other than all that?servicewas very polite, at times bordering on obsequitious.

the food more than made up for it - the (late) scallop sashimi starter arrvied prettier than a beauty pageant queen - all dressed up, fresh fresh fresh, wasabi that tasted like it had just been grated at the table.

entree of cooked scallops was gorgeous, little pillows of seafood, perfectly cooked. dito the waygu entree in a sesame sauce (last time i'll ever order waygu ... the dish was lovely, but i dont get the cost of this meat ... could have been any good beef)

onto mains and that black cod ... will think about it until we go back and order it again. nice portion, buttery, fall apart meat. a lick-the-plate-clean dish. and ditto on the eel - succulent, ther sweet soy just sweet enough to balance the fishyness (a word?) of the eel.

finished with a fun flight of saki's ...

a great evening, ambience fine if not impressive (simple, elegant, low key),serviceneeds a major tune up, but ultimately? delicious food ....

due to covid, sono has decreased the size of their menu. but doesn’t change the fact that theirserviceand food quality is still one of the best japanese restaurants in brisbane. exceptional customerserviceand great vibe. will definitely come back again

the food was good but certain not spectacular, theservicewas poor and made one feel unwelcome. the feeling from all four diners, two of which were celebrating birthdays was that they wanted the food out a quick as possible so you would finish and they could prepare for the next round.

sono is one of the highest rated restaurants in brisbane and the best japanese restaurant 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 efficientserviceand 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 herserviceas 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.

i came here straight from brisbane airport. it was the first thing on my to-eat list for brisbane. it was extremely impressive! the food itself was delicious. the tempura was crispy and light. my favourite dish was the agedashi tofu because it melted in your mouth. everything was plated with care and attention to detail. theservicewas perfect too. because we had booked in advance, we had our own room which gave us a lot of privacy. we spent $160 all together for 4 people and were completely full at the end. it was very good value for money. would be back for sure!

i love sharing my good dining experience with others and one of those is sono hamilton. i enjoy dining here and taking some friends for their special occasion. food great andservicegreat!

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.servicewas better than excellent. japanese is my wife favorite, so brownie points for me.

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

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

not the best tepinyaki i’ve ever had but def not the worst, luv luv luv it and a great location andservicewas top notch, will be back for a-la-carte one of the hammo hammers local favs