Hosokawa Japanese Restaurant @ Racecourse Road, Brisbane

Hosokawa is a small and cozy restaurant and as the name suggests serves Japanese cuisine. If you are looking for a wide range of items and a more modern approach to Japanese food, you are knocking at the wrong door of Hosokawa.


What you will expect though is a small menu of classic items like sashimi, sushi, teppanyaki, tempura, teriyaki and a few more items here and there. Items that represent the core of Japanese cuisine and no more. However does the concise menu means guaranteed quality and taste?

Situated in Ascot in the higher end of the Hamilton suburb, the area is relatively quiet without too much noise.

We kicked off with the huge Sashimi platter for AUD32. Generous fresh portions of salmon, tuna, hamachi, squid and scallops. While I was happy with the portion, with any platter I expect a larger variety and a surprise or two which we didn't find.

The Miso Eggplant is a recipe that I have never succeeded in replicating and we gladly come back to have this instead. However that night, this eggplant took a good 40 minutes before it arrived on our table, not something to order if you are in a hurry.

< a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lotsofcravings/5636907708/" title="Picture 162 by lotofcraving, on Flickr">

There was perhaps one problem with the grilled sea perch; Saikoyoyaki, the size and the price. What looked like a portion that was no more than a 100gm was AUD18. While I think the response was the fish was good, it was overshadowed by the pricey price tag.

Thankfully, the Unagi came in the standard portion and it was grilled well with the compulsory sweet glaze.

My friend who thought the fish would suffice had to call for an additional order for chicken karaage. What we noticed was the use of chicken breast vs. chicken thigh. However it was finished in a flash so I guess the meat wasn't dried out.

Hosokawa is a place you want to go for some classic Japanese dishes, a haven to visit to remind you of home if you are Japanese. However if you are on the look out for modern Japanese cuisine and want your palate to be tempted with unfamiliar flavours, Hosokawa won't be for you.

Address and contact details:

Verdict: 4 stars out of 5 stars. Visit the place with expectations for classic dishes and Hosokawa will deliver. Good quality food with slightly above average prices.