Nonbei Sake Bar & BBQ

So much meat!!! I love it.
I’ve only ever had the BBQ option and haven’t ordered off the menu so this is always a very big eating event that requires preparing the stomach for the feast.
A great place to gather with friends and have a grand old time cooking for yourselves with some quality ingredients. It took me a little bit to get used to the picking your food off tickets system but I really like it. My friends have a process of ordering a whole heap of pork belly and wagyu to start and then, with a good dose of meat in our stomachs, we assess the many options and try to sample as many different things as possible before finishing on an un-​needed final challenge plate of pork belly and wagyu.
I like to challenge my palate with things out of my comfort zone and this establishment has been the home of many firsts for me. I ate my first oyster here (well first oyster I’ve finished without spitting it out) it was very good and helped be discover I only like cooked oysters, tried some ox tongue that was provided to our table for free and while not great wasn’t bad.
Only complaint from me is with all that meat, I drink my beer pretty quick and drink service hasn’t been quick enough — petty gripe, but I like to have a lot of beer with my bbq.

An impromptu decision to go to Nonbei for dinner didnt disappoint.
I’ve always walked past here thinking it would be something to try and trying to peek in the window for a better look.
Service was fast and friendly and the waitstaff actually kneel or sit at your level not hovering over you which i always appreciate.
We ordered off the menu to get a feel for the place, we both had hot stone bowls, which neither of us jad experienced before.
Our meal came out neatly presented and then we were asked if we wanted oureals stired! Hell yeah, stir away!
My server was quick enough to save a piece of pork trying to escape my bowl from hitting the table and my kimchee was stirred through thoroughly.
Heads up if you’ve never had kimchee before, its spicy but totally worth it! Im usually not a fan of spicy food but in the spirit of trying new things i gave it a go and enjoyed it thoroughly. My partner who is a lover of all things spicy was impressed too!
Drinks appear to be on the pricey side on the menu but once you see the size of them you quickly change your mind. It was a school night so we only had juice, but i want to go back and try saki!
We walked out spending less than $ 40 for 2 people including drinks and a shared dessert.
I’ll be going back!

Nonbei Sake Bar & BBQ is far more than appearances suggest. Located on Ann Street, just around the corner from Chinatown, you’d be forgiven that it was a cheap themed japanese restaurant that was more flash than substance with its built in BBQ tables and vinal bench seating.
Let me be the first to apologise and recommend that you dig beneath the surface and try this place out.
For our first visit we ordered from the menu as we didn’t have time to linger over our meal. The quality, texture and flavour of the food was sensational. My poached eggplant with homemade miso was divine with hints of green tea and something equally creamy and almost buttery without being overly salty. A mouth winner for sure.
Our other choices included karage, aburi salmon, pork gyoza and edamame beans. The pork gyoza were perhaps the dissappointment of the night, but only because they were so plain when compared with the amazing flavours and textures of the other dishes. Even the condiments of homemade sesame chilli sambal and a beautiful soy blend were something we were prepared to beg the chef for the recipe to attempt to recreate at home.
The amazing thing is that with a bottle of sake and 5 dishes we walked away with a bill of $ 50 for two. An absolute winner and we’ll definately be back and perhaps next time to try out the BBQ option.

This place is pretty awesome and I’m pretty surprised that it’s not more popular in Brisbane. Not only is it easily accessible from Fortitude Valley but it’s also pretty great value for money. I went with my girlfriend and both of us walked away satisfied.
For around $ 40 you get an endless flow of meats that you get to grill on a personal Korean/​Japanese style grill plate. You also get a very exhaustive list of appetizers, salads, gyoza and desserts (also fruit!).
I don’t exactly remember the cuts of meat that we had but it was a mix of beef, pork and chicken. All of them were well marinated and absolutely delicious. I wish I had a taken a picture of the cooked meats and then also of the aftermath but honestly I was too stuffed to make any attempt at phone operation.
We also got the cabbage salad which has a very nice dressing of light Japanese mayo and crunchy Panko crumbs. We followed that up with some gyoza, chicken karage, agedashi tofu and sweet and sour tofu. There were maybe 3 – 4 more items that we had that I’ve now forgotten and we also didn’t order everything off of the menu.
We topped off the meal with some pastries shaped like fish that were filled with red bean paste. They came cold so that we could lightly grill them on the hot plate. It was an incredibly satisfying way to end the evening.
The only reason I’m not giving this place a 5 star is because of the price. I think this place is perfect for a special event or important occasion, but it’s definitely not too suited for just a casual dinner. Don’t let that be a mark against the restaurant though. I still highly recommend this place and would go back again!