Kukan Izakaya (Northbridge)
Our favourite modern Japanese restaurant in Perth which punches way above its weight class.
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Before reading ❗️
Who is this suited for?
Guests who are after one of the best modern Japanese restaurants in Perth that punches much above its weight class - if you like Nobu, you'll like this.
What type of food is available?
Modern Japanese food with a number of Asian and Peruvian influences.
What should I order?
We suggest ordering 2 - 3 dishes per person.
- Cold dishes: salmon truffle plum & octopus shiso
- Transition dishes: spinach miso salad
- Hot dishes: beef tenderloin, duck breast & Hokkaido scallop
- Dessert: miso creme brulee.
How much will it cost?
We dined with a group of 4 and spent around $80 per person.
- Cold dishes range from $18 - $23
- Hot dishes range from $12 to $58
- Desserts range from $3.5 to $12.
Where is it?
In Northbridge, around the corner from Holey Moley.
The details 📝
This is a longer article, so feel free to use the links to navigate.
Our favourite modern Japanese restaurant is Kukan Izakaya. The menu can be thought of modern Japanese meets Nobu meets Korean. Over the handful of times we've visited Kukan's execution of food has remained consistent and rivals that of Nobu. A testament to Chef-owner, Evan's experience.
Chef Evan has previously worked at a number of establishments, most notably Nobu Perth - where he rotated through the sushi bar, hot kitchen and teppanyaki. After leaving Nobu, he spent time at Bistro Guillaume and Heno & Rey (InterContinental Perth) before opening Kukan in 2019.
Fun fact - Kukan was actually our first post over on @pekopeko.eats.
Food at Kukan is sent out in an order that follows coldest to hottest and lightest to heaviest flavours. To make it a bit easier to follow, we'll break this article up into cold dishes, transition dishes, hot dishes and dessert.
Cold dishes
First served were the cold dishes. The cold dishes perfectly encapsulate the Japanese fusion aspect of Kukan and showcase Chef Evan's experience working at Nobu's sushi bar. Each dish has many elements which are best enjoyed together.
The kingfish yuzu is a take on Chef Nobu Matsuhisa's signature yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno and opens up your palate quite well. As divisive as it is, be sure to pair each slice of kingfish with coriander, to enjoy the intended flavours.
The salmon truffle plum was refreshing. The dried olives and plum cut through the fatty salmon slices.
The jalapeno kingfish was punchy on the palate.
Paige's favourite dish is the smokey octopus shiso.
Kukan's beef tataki is probably one of the tastiest renditions of beef tataki we've had.
Transition dishes
Transition dishes are the dishes we had between the cold and hot dishes.
Fans of nasu miso (eggplant glazed miso) or Nobu's signature black cod miso, will enjoy the crispy eggplant miso. Typically, we're not big on eggplant, but this dish does it for us.
Salads are something we don't normally order when dining out - with the exception of Kukan's spinach miso salad. This one's a must order.
Crispy crablets are a newer addition to the Kukan menu and paired well with beer.
Hot dishes
The hot dishes showcase Chef Evan's skill working in Nobu's hot kitchen and teppanyaki.
The duck breast and beef tenderloin are staple orders, every time we dine at Kukan. Both are cooked to perfection on a griddle. The duck comes with a refreshing sauce on the side, in addition to some pickled vegetables.
The beef tenderloin is served with a side of Kukan’s spinach salad.
The Hokkaido scallops were creamy and ever so slightly sweet savoury.
Dessert
Without fail, we order Kukan’s miso creme brulee every single time we dine at Kukan. In 2019, it rated in our top 8 eats for the year. To this day, we still love it as much as the first time we tried it back when Kukan offered teppanyaki at their old venue.
The brulee itself is garnished with seasonal fruit, which helps to balance the slightly creamy custard which has a hint of saltiness from the miso. Puffed buckwheat on top adds a layer of crunch to the dish. A large serve comfortably can be shared between two, and a smaller sized serve is also available.
The churro bites are perfectly fried and coated in a delicious sugar and pairs well with the yuzu caramel sauce. We do wish they still had the matcha sauce though!
We don't have photos of it - but Kukan offers a range of delicious ice-cream flavours (check their dessert menu on the wall). Our favourite flavour is their soy sauce is cream. We're big suckers for sweet savoury salty stuff!
Before visiting 🚙
Anything else I should know before visiting?
Go with more people so you can try out more things on the menu!
What's the address?
Where do I park?
At time of writing, selected CPPs offer free parking after 6PM (Kukan is next to CPP Aberdeen Street). A number of other paid carparks are in walking distance and some street parking is available.
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