Kanta Japanese Kitchen and Sushi Bar is a cosy izakaya-style restaurant located next to Pharmacy 777 on Langford Avenue. It’s the kind of place that would be easy to overlook and drive right past; you wouldn’t expect to find an amazing restaurant here in this no-name shopping centre in a suburb not particularly known for its eateries. But Kanta deservedly has a legion of loyal fans who make it necessary to book a table if you wish to dine in at dinner time.
I’m at Kanta with Natalie for lunch. The restaurant is tiny, with seating for around 15 people. There are a couple of tables by the windows but the counter-top seats give bloggers and gluttons the added thrill of a front row view of the open kitchen. There are no secrets here, just serious, skilful cooking.
Natalie and I order several dishes to share. We always talk each other’s ears off (today is no exception) but as we chat, I’m also watching the baseball capped chef, who cooks with the fluent movement and serenity of an expert in perfect control of his work. He looks up and greets customers without missing a beat, breaking into a grin as he chats with the regulars. I watch our sushi being assembled from scratch, rolled neatly, then sliced precisely. I can’t wait to start eating.
The California roll (5pcs, AU$6) has an excellent filling to rice ratio, with generous amounts of avocado and omelette.
Chef and California roll (5 pcs, AU$6)
Next, we share the salmon shioyaki (salted grilled salmon, AU$9.80). The chef sprinkles salt on the salmon fillet before placing it on the grill to cook. We can hear the skin sizzling away, and by the time it’s served to us, it’s blackened and crisp, the salmon flesh still moist and flaky. Natalie asks for some mayonnaise to eat with the fish, and it’s cheerfully provided.
Salmon shioyaki (salted grilled salmon)
Salmon shioyaki (salted grilled salmon)
My pleasure and anticipation grows as I watch our chicken karaage (AU$7.80) bobbing in the bubbling hot oil of the deep fryer. The freshly fried chicken is tasty and juicy. Next time I’ll be tempted to order a serving all to myself.
Chicken karaage
As we finish each dish, the empty plate is removed by the efficient wait staff. In such a tiny restaurant, it seems excessive to have a chef, two wait staff who also assist in the kitchen, plus a fourth team member who washes the dishes, but somehow it doesn’t seem crowded. The food is prepared and served quickly, diners’ needs are attended to promptly, and there’s someone available to deal with the takeaway orders which trickle in steadily the whole time we’re there.
We also share a serving of beef teriyaki donburi (AU$9.80). The tender ribbons of beef are full of flavour, cooked with sweet soft caramelised onions and sprinkled with sesame seeds, served with steamed rice and cold mung bean sprouts.
Beef teriyaki donburi
Kanta Japanese Kitchen and Sushi Bar is another of Perth’s suburban dining surprises. The food is fantastic – well-priced, simply presented, fresh and delicious. This authentic Japanese kitchen is intimate and unassuming. I could sit here for hours, eating and watching.
For the more adventurous eaters, Kanta has some dishes on their menu that are presumably not that unusual in Japan, but unusual by Teriyaki Chicken Town Perth standards, including grilled beef tongue, chawan mushi (steamed seafood egg custard), braised fish head in sweet ginger soy sauce, yukke (Korean-influenced beef tartar served with apple and egg yolk on top) and homemade green tea ice cream, which can be ordered as part of a spectacular special – a mountain of green bean and vanilla ice cream topped with red bean.
I can’t wait for my next visit.
Kanta Japanese Kitchen and Sushi Bar, Langford
Kanta Japanese Kitchen and Sushi Bar
Open Tuesday to Saturday
Lunch 11.30am to 2.00pm
Dinner 5.30pm to 9.00pm
Kanta gets very busy at dinner time so it’s advisable to book. Reservations are not taken for groups of more than six people.
Thanks to reader Sandra for first telling me about Kanta (and all the other readers who’ve recommended Kanta) – I’m just sorry it’s taken me this long to check it out. I guess I’ll just have to make up for lost time.
Matt Moran autographed cookbook giveaway
Congratulations to the winners!
I'm TFP, a food blogger from Perth, Western Australia.
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
Another gem you have to try is buen 151 in st james, originally it was this amazing little restaurant on the other side of vic park near the car sales yards and they were called sushi station fuji but they moved location and changed name (not sure why) but their food is so amazing! You have to get the pork spare ribs which melt in your mouth and served with hot english mustard and also the buta don which is a pork rice bowl yummmmmm!!!
Shirley,
Thanks for the tip! Pork spare ribs and buta don sound fantastic. Have told Jac about your suggestion and it’s been added to our (ever long) list!
Now you’ve got me craving Japanese at completely inappropriate times of the night (gone midnight!). I’m not a massive fan of cooked tuna or omelette in sushi (although I could eat pickled ginger by the jarful), but that salmon looks so good! Weirdly, and I know it’s probably awful and carcinogenic, but I love burnt bits: salmon skin, potato gratin crusts, anything (well, maybe not toast)! :)
Chicken karaage is my must-have food when I go to sushi conveyor belts, thanks to the blog. Poppingly hot and with some mayonnaise – yes, please. I’d definitely want a whole serving of that; and probably the beef teriyaki donburi, too – I reckon I’d be up for slices of beef and caramelised onion. :D
Well, that’s that sorted: Japanese when I go into the city on Friday! :D
Jessi,
Haha, oops! :P
I love cooked tuna mayo sushi and I love tamago sushi. I rarely eat California roll because there are so many others on the menu I’d rather eat first! Natalie wasn’t as keen on the blackened skin but I thought it was delicious and couldn’t get enough of it. Karaage is one of my favourites too. Hope your Japanese was good!
More food porn! I love Japanese food and now I’ve got a huge craving.
Maureen,
Hope you got to feed that craving!
Im surprised by that salmon. Thats fab that they can get it so moist with such a black skin :) YUM
Nic,
It was excellent. I could’ve eaten the whole piece by myself. Will be tempted to order it eat again next time I’m there. It’s going to difficult to choose…
Kanta & food sponge used to be the best of friends. I would rave about their food to anyone & everyone for more than five years. However my last three visits have been disappointing: grumpy service & poorly cooked food. Sour, off tofu. My loyalty has ended unfortunately. Now I just drive a bit further down the road to Kitchen Inn & my beloved kolo mee. Othewise head to Kai in Bullcreek for seriously good quality & delicious Japanese food.
Food sponge,
That’s a shame. Grumpy service is not good and sour, off tofu sounds ghastly. We had a lovely lunch and I’m keen to try dinner there one of these days. It’s good you found other ‘friends’ to go to.
Wow, in Langford? I lived there some 15 years ago when I was still in high school, but it was a rather dodgy suburb, and needless to say our family moved out a few years later. I have heard that the image has improved somewhat in recent years, but I would never have expected good food – much less good Japanese! – to be had here. Might take a drive around my old neighbourhood next time we’re in Perth, and check out this little resto!
Expat Gourmand,
Haha, that’s pretty much the reaction of most of my friends! I didn’t want to make any disparaging comments about Langford, but it’s definitely not known as one of Perth’s ‘better’ suburbs. Which shows just how good this little restaurant is! Despite its location, it’s thriving.
Mmmm, all looks yummy. I had a California Roll back in October, when dining out with friends at a new Japanese restaurant. I’d order it again!
Cindy,
I can’t wait to go back for more. Just got to make a booking.
The meal looks really homely and therefore, yummy! I love beef rice bowls like that, all sweet and savoury and oniony and beefy. It’s comforting to eat. The chicken karaage looks delish too. I would love a whole bowl of that to myself, with some kewpie mayonnaise for dipping. Heehee.
Dea,
It was all so good. I don’t often order teriyaki beef as I prefer chicken, but this was fantastic. Reminded me of beef bulgogi – thin ribbon-style savoury-sweet meat, totally moreish and full of flavour.
That sushi looks so fresh and delicious! Serious sushi craving here now. :)
Caro,
Hope you got to eat some sushi soon after that craving hit!
Wow, I can’t believe you finally tried it! That was from the first time I commented on your blog, nearly two years ago :) What a nice surprise – really glad to hear you liked it. I actually had takeaway from there last night – salmon caviar don, beef tataki, and oyakodon…mmmm.
Am welcoming a surge of jap lunchbars popping up around – definitely Kai in Bullcreek as suggested by Food Sponge is awesome. Even tinier than Kanta, and always packed. Love the ramen there though.
mmm hungry now…
Sandra,
Yes…I’m sorry it took me so long, but I never forgot there was a Japanese place I had to try in Langford. A few readers have recommend Kai, and it is on my list. With luck, will get there much sooner than two years time!
{ 1 trackback }