Perth Voice Interactive

On a Tuesday lunchtime, some suburbs resemble a scene from The Living Dead, but the Albany Highway in East Vic Park is always teeming with life.

I’m not saying it’s Beverly Hills, but sometimes the unhinged energy of a place can make it exciting, unpredictable and lots of fun.

Many moons ago I used to live in St James and would enjoy my Friday night stroll down the Albany Highway – a multi-cultural hub of restaurants, cafes and bars.

Today, I was going to Shokudou, after hearing good reports about the Japanese joint from various friends.

It’s part of a group of eateries outside the Park shopping centre, so it’s pretty easy to get parked in the Centre car park (finding a space on the Albany Highway can be a bit of a lottery).

Shokudou is a cute little eatery and looks like what you think a tiny Japanese eatery should look like.

Lots of wooden beams, sliding partitions, pretty bottles of Sake and pretty Japanese decor.

The facsimile was so authentic, I almost removed my shoes and sat cross-legged on the floor.

The display counter had a lovely range of poke salads, sushi, sashimi and rice bowls.

They put in a serious shift at Shokudou and the place is open from 9am-7:30pm with a dinner menu that includes ramen, don, udon and agedashi.

I kicked off with some tuna and katsu chicken sushi (both six for $8.90).

Recently I’ve had poorly-made sushi with too many fillings – the soggy wheel of rice falling apart after the first bite. 

Thankfully theses were both tightly wrapped and perfectly made, holding together firmly until the last mouthful.

The highlight was the tender chicken, which was moist and had a nice crispy batter.

Across the table my wife “Special K” was tucking into her teriyaki chicken ($17.90).

“I like the sticky marinade, it’s salty and moreish, but not too over the top,” she said.

“The chicken is really good quality. Sometimes in teriyaki it can be dry or tough thigh meat, but this is tender and succulent.

“It’s a good serve with lots of rice and a nice fresh salad on the side.”

Even though the warmer weather has arrived, I still enjoy a good chicken katsu curry ($18.90).

It’s the ultimate comfort food, fusing Japanese and Indian cuisine.

There was plenty of crispy chicken and the all important sauce – a dark brown murky affair – had just the right level of heat.

There were some carrots lurking in there, but some cubes of potato and a garnish of fresh herbs would have given the dish some extra zing.

It was a tasty katsu curry – the chicken was high quality – without hitting the heights of some others I’ve had.

There was a good buzz to the eatery with people sitting in the alfresco and a steady stream of folk coming in and out for lunchtime treats.

Once the summer really gets going, I’ll be back to try their colourful poke salad bowls, which looked super fresh and vibrant.

Shokudou is a cute addition to the congested dining scene in East Vic Park and great for a takeaway or pitstop.

If you’re shopping at the Park Centre, then definitely give it a go for lunch or dinner.

Shokudou
20/789 Albany Highway, East Victoria Park
facebook.com/shokudouvicpark

by STEPHEN POLLOCK