Food Adventure #19 | Ren Japanese Restaurant

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Last week, my family decided to have dinner at Ren Japanese Restaurant. Ren Japanese is located on the south side of Brisbane, very close to where we live, so it’s a wonder that we’ve actually never dined there before.

I’m glad we tried Ren Japanese as I now know where to go for a quick and easy Jap foodie feast. We each ordered our own dishes but I always take the liberty of trying everyone else’s food anyway.

Enough rambling for now, foodie talk and photos ahead!

As the Japanese would say - itadakimasu!

Cold Udon Noodles with Tempura

Cold udon noodles, tempura vegetables and ebi (prawn), dipping sauce

I have a love for noodles so I went with this recommendation from my brother and sister-in-law

The udon noodles were thinner than what you would normally expect when you think of “udon” but they were surprisingly al dente and perfectly cooked. They were served on a bed of ice to keep them cold. I normally prefer a hot meal for lunch and dinner but I thought I would try something different since the weather had been so warm and humid in Brisbane.

The dipping sauce was a bit light in flavour, but it still made for a refreshing meal. The tempura was fresh, light and crispy with a variety of vegetables and ebi (prawn). My favourite being the pumpkin and ebi. I’ve never been the biggest fan of raw capsicum, so naturally, I didn’t enjoy the tempura capsicum as it was barely cooked.

My only main fault is that there weren’t quite enough noodles for my stomach’s liking.

Note to self: order extra noodles next time.

Teriyaki Chicken Bento

Teriyaki chicken, mixed sashimi, steamed vegetables, rice and miso soup

Ben ordered the teriyaki chicken bento, which looked delicious and colourful, especially with the addition of fresh sashimi and a side of miso soup.

Lucky for me, Ben isn’t a fan of soups and can only stand eating a small amount of sashimi. It goes without saying that I stole his miso soup and happily ate some of his sashimi, which was fresh and delicious – perfectly matched with a bit of soy sauce and wasabi.

I didn’t try Ben’s teriyaki chicken but it looked a little pale for my liking, as if it had just been boiled then coated in Teriyaki sauce. Perhaps I’m just used to a darker, caramelised and grilled finish for teriyaki. Either way, Ben enjoyed his bento box and finished most of it himself.

Chirashi Don Meal

Assorted sashimi on vinegared rice, miso soup, Japanese pickles and chawanmushi (savoury egg custard)

My younger sister, Jing, has a love for sashimi rice bowls so opted for the chirashi don meal – served with miso soup, pickles and chawanmushi.

There was a nice variety of sashimi, with a mixture of salmon, tuna, kingfish and scallops. The mixed sashimi was very fresh and perfectly paired with the bowl of vinegar-infused rice.

The chawanmushi was a bit strange for my liking as it’s a savoury egg custard with mushrooms. I’d say it’s an acquired taste, especially if you’re like me and prefer sweet custards as opposed to savoury.

Pork Tonkatsu Meal

Japanese style pork cutlet, cabbage salad, rice, miso soup, Japanese pickles and toasted sesame seeds

Since you can’t go wrong with tonkatsu, my mum ordered the pork tonkatsu meal, which looked really appetising and crispy. Sadly, I was too busy slurping up my udon noodles to try some of mum’s meal.

I loved the freshly toasted sesame seeds that you ground in a bowl yourself, which smelled oh-so-delicious and nutty.

Overview

Food

I would like to try some of their other bento boxes as they offer a nice variety of dishes. If you enjoy sashimi I would highly recommend coming here as it was very fresh. Although, I would personally steer clear of the Teriyaki chicken as it didn’t look that appetising. If it’s a hot and humid day, definitely give the cold udon or soba dishes a try as they’re very light and refreshing.

Price

Average price for a dine-in Japanese restaurant with most main meals ranging between $15-$22 AUD.

Restaurant

Nice little joint located in Runcorn plaza, on Brisbane’s south side. The staff were friendly, the service was fast and we were seated straight away. The restaurant was quite busy when we arrived, which is always a good sign for delicious food.

Parking is usually not a problem, although it can take a bit longer on Friday & Saturday nights at peak dinner time.

Just be sure not to park beneath the trees filled with screeching birds. You have been warned, you will deeply regret it, and your car will most likely be covered in poop.