Motto Motto Japanese Kitchen, Macquarie

Date Visited: Saturday 27 November, 2021

Japanese is one of my favourite cuisines, so it’s no surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed this spread at Motto Motto. It seems many others had the same idea of dining here – the restaurant was very popular during our Saturday lunch, though not unexpected given Black Friday weekend sales. Motto Motto launched their brand new menu late November 2021, so I was definitely excited to try some of the new additions.

One of the highlights on the new menu is the kaisen donburi, featuring sashimi grade salmon from southern Tasmania, seared scallops, prawns, fish roe, avocado, edamame, and more! It was so incredibly fresh and you could really tell the ingredients were of high quality. If you love sashimi seafood you will definitely enjoy this bowl, and eating this made me feel super clean and wholesome. The side of ginger along with the miso soup also helped make this such a nice cohesive set meal.

Kaisen donburi – $19.9

I also tried the karaage chicken donburi and look how impressive it is! I love good karaage chicken and the serving portion was spot on – there’s enough pieces to make this bowl incredibly filling for the vast majority of diners. The runny egg here was absolute perfection too. Egg yolk and rice is always a heavenly combo – if you agree then this is probably the don for you.

Chicken karaage donburi – $15.9

Japanese inspired burgers are another exciting addition to the menu and this lobster and prawn number was definitely tasty. The lobster and prawn croquette went really with the yuzu Japanese mayo. The amount of mayo was super generous – almost too generous – so make sure you like mayo if you decide to order this one.

Lobster and prawn burger – $16

If you prefer something with a bit of a kick, the spicy chicken karaage burger would be a great option. Featuring hot and spicy Japanese fried chicken with spicy Japanese mayo, it had a nice amount of crunchiness and different textures to keep it interesting. It was indeed a bit spicy for me, but my spice tolerance level is extremely low – so it is probably not too spicy for most people.

Spicy chicken karaage – $14

I always love pork gyoza and these were absolutely delicious. The filling was so juicy and bursting with flavour. One of the recommended sides to order here for sure!

Pork gyoza – $8.9

We also had some good old edamame as a really nice fun snack on the side. Very good portion size and something that’s easy to keep going back to throughout the meal.

Edamame – $5

You can never have enough karaage chicken so I like that you can also get this as a side dish. I find that juicy crispy chicken always tastes so good with a little dip in the mayo. Always so satisfying.

Chicken karaage – $6

Lastly, you must order the soft serves here! They had black sesame and matcha during my visit and I loved both. The flavours were perfectly prominent and balanced well, and the amount that you get for the price is such good value. These soft serves are the best way to finish off your meal here.

Black sesame soft serve – $3.5 (left), matcha soft serve – $3.5 (right)

Also enjoyed these lychee drinks. Both the lychee soda and lychee ice tea were super refreshing, and I was told these are two of the most popular drinks here. Playing with the glass marble in the lychee soda bottle is also extra fun.

Japanese glass marble – original lychee – $4 (left), Pokka lychee ice tea – $5 (right)

Overall, I absolutely love Motto Motto – their menu has an excellent variety of classic Japanese favourites and exciting creative dishes, the ambience is super cosy and the service was prompt and friendly. On a previous visit I’ve also tried the ramen, other donburi and Japanese fries, and can vouch for these being delicious too. Would happily recommend dining at this Japanese eatery whenever you’re in Macquarie Centre or around the area, and they also have locations at Castle Towers and Marrickville Metro.

Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of Motto Motto Japanese Kitchen, but all opinions and photos are my own. Thank you to The Atticism for arranging the invite!

Motto Motto | Shop 3444, Macquarie Centre, Corner Herring and Waterloo Roads, Macquarie Park NSW 2113 | Website | Facebook | Instagram

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