Sansanni Izakaya

332A Clayton Rd
Clayton, VIC 3168
https://sansanni.2scaleup.net/home

I’ve been looking for a good go-to for cheap and easy Japanese near home, but I have to say, I sabotaged myself a little with the recent trip to Japan. All of a sudden, I’m expecting for Japan-quality meals for a tenner. After my expectations settled a little however, I decided to have another poke around, and that’s when I found Sansanni Izakaya. I’d be lying if I said the food was remarkable, but the variety is good, the space is low-key but cosy, and the prices are fairly reasonable. So, good enough!

Rating: 11.5/20 – cute lil’ local.
To order: NOT the grilled salmon and scallop roll, even though it sounded so good :(

The Takoyaki ($9, 6pcs) here are good, with a gooey centre and an exterior that’s not too heavily fried.

I love me an off-cut, so the special of Grilled Kingfish Head ($15.9) was a must-order. And for a fraction of the price of a fillet, you get two generous pieces of sweet, firm fish, edged with sticky collagen that charrs up nicely on the grill.

Tako Wasa ($9) is one of my sister’s favourites, and I finally consented to giving it a try. And you know what? It’s actually not that bad. The wasabi flavour wasn’t that strong, and I really enjoyed the chewiness of the fresh squid. My sister however feels that they have had better.

They’re pretty adept at frying here, and as a result, the Yasai Korokke ($8, 2pcs) was quite good. The coating was crunchy but not greasy, and really highlighted the fluffiness of the potato filling.

The Grilled Salmon and Scallop Roll ($23.9) sounded good, but don’t get it – it’s bland and tasteless. You’d be better off spending the money on one of their meal sets.

A much better use of funds is the Tofu Udon ($16), which comes with large chunks of deliciously wobbly silken tofu fried in potato starch, and some highly slurpable noodles.

The Chicken Katsu Curry Don ($16.9) isn’t too bad either, once again showcasing the kitchen’s skills with a deep fryer. The sauce is unfortunately not nearly as rich as what you’d get in Japan, but it’s adequate when you’re just after that home-cooked taste.