What do Las Vegas, Dubai, London, Los Angeles, the Bahamas and the Gold Coast have in common? Apart from the obvious answer (giraffes), there is one other thing that ties these places together; food created by Chase Kojima.
Chase has lead kitchens at various Nobu restaurants around the world, and now has opened his own Japanese restaurant at the Gold Coast: Kiyomi. This is his second Australian restaurant, following the opening of Sokyo in Sydney.
Chase has lead kitchens at various Nobu restaurants around the world, and now has opened his own Japanese restaurant at the Gold Coast: Kiyomi. This is his second Australian restaurant, following the opening of Sokyo in Sydney.
Kiyomi is housed within Jupiters Casino on Gold Coast's Broadbeach. If the Blackjack table is unkind to you, at least you know that you can score a jackpot here in terms of top quality food.
To go with good food, you need good drinks and in this regard, Kiyomi really delivers. As I was driving back to Brissy after dinner, I made the most of the Mocktail menu. I did however, bring along a professional cocktail taster who strongly vouched for the beautiful blends on offer at the Kiyomi bar.
Below are:
Each of these drinks were stellar- if you only have time for a drink at Jupiters, this is the bar to frequent. The Kawaii Fizz came with toasted coconut on top which made for some great texture in the strawberries-and-cream-lolly-tasting drink.
To go with good food, you need good drinks and in this regard, Kiyomi really delivers. As I was driving back to Brissy after dinner, I made the most of the Mocktail menu. I did however, bring along a professional cocktail taster who strongly vouched for the beautiful blends on offer at the Kiyomi bar.
Below are:
- Kawaii Fizz: Coconut Cream, Vanilla, Strawberries and Lemonade
- Miyagi Mojito: Apple Juice, Passionfruit Puree, Lime Juice and Soda Water
- Yuzu Collins: Gin, Grapefruit Bitters, Shochu, Yuzu Juice
- Sake
Each of these drinks were stellar- if you only have time for a drink at Jupiters, this is the bar to frequent. The Kawaii Fizz came with toasted coconut on top which made for some great texture in the strawberries-and-cream-lolly-tasting drink.
If we thought the drinks were amazing, we were about to be blown away with the food:
The spiced edamame was moreish and worked well with the slightly salty bonito flakes. Everyone loved these, and the watermelon palate cleanser, with its creamy, zingy sauce.
The Hanaji Maki was truly decadent, with the watermelon complementing the wagyu surprisingly brilliantly. They were topped with foie gras, which I do genuinely feel bad about eating, and usually steer clear of ordering myself. This element of this dish did spark some conversation at our table which I think is a really good thing.
- Japanese Seven Spice Edamame, Soy, Bonito Flakes (bonito is a type of tuna)
- Watermelon palate cleanser
- Hanaji Maki served with Foie Gras, Wagyu, Watermelon, with Teriyaki.
The spiced edamame was moreish and worked well with the slightly salty bonito flakes. Everyone loved these, and the watermelon palate cleanser, with its creamy, zingy sauce.
The Hanaji Maki was truly decadent, with the watermelon complementing the wagyu surprisingly brilliantly. They were topped with foie gras, which I do genuinely feel bad about eating, and usually steer clear of ordering myself. This element of this dish did spark some conversation at our table which I think is a really good thing.
We then all put our gourmet seafood hats on for the next rounds of food to come:
The gorgeous presentation of the scampi was a bit of a show stopper. The shells were just for decoration so there was no need to do any peeling. The meat itself was sweet and delicate, as was the meat of the kingfish cerviche. I absolutely loved the crisp texture of the fried potato on top of this dish.
- Seared Scampi, Foie Gras, Apple and Mizuna (mizuna is kind of like a peppery cress)
- Hiramasa Kingfish, Miso Ceviche, Crispy Potato
The gorgeous presentation of the scampi was a bit of a show stopper. The shells were just for decoration so there was no need to do any peeling. The meat itself was sweet and delicate, as was the meat of the kingfish cerviche. I absolutely loved the crisp texture of the fried potato on top of this dish.
We were at the coast, so it was no surprise that there was more seafood to come:
As each of these dishes came out, we kept saying "this is my favourite," "no this is my favourite," "no this is my favourite."
A mouthful of the beautifully seared tuna with asparagus, mushroom and leek sauce was one you seriously closed your eyes to savour. There were a lot of flavours going on here.
The tempura moreton bay bug was again- superb, as was the toothfish. Both were perfectly cooked and paired with tasty sauces that weren't overpowering to let the sweetness of the seafood shine through.
- Tataki Tuna, Asparagus, Enoki, Tosazu, Leek Sauce
- Tempura Moreton Bay Bug, Grapefruit, Sambal, Mayo, Vinegar
- Dengakuman, Toothfish, Caramelised Miso
As each of these dishes came out, we kept saying "this is my favourite," "no this is my favourite," "no this is my favourite."
A mouthful of the beautifully seared tuna with asparagus, mushroom and leek sauce was one you seriously closed your eyes to savour. There were a lot of flavours going on here.
The tempura moreton bay bug was again- superb, as was the toothfish. Both were perfectly cooked and paired with tasty sauces that weren't overpowering to let the sweetness of the seafood shine through.
We then moved on to even more food:
If you are not necessarily a fan of Japanese food but you like a good steak- this wagyu is a must-try. It was crisp on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth on the inside. Served with crispy lotus root and soft eschallots, it's a plate that I will be having good dreams about for some time to come.
The mushrooms were beautiful too in the rich truffle sauce, and each of the sushi options on offer were again top quality. There wasn't one I disliked and it really put into perspective how not-great sushi from food courts actually are. Everything on this plate was fresh, fresh, fresh.
- King Brown Mushroom, Truffle Poke, Lime
- Wagyu +9 Striploin, Eschalot, Spicy Teriyaki
- Crispy Rice, Spicy Tuna
- Queensland Roll: Spanner Crab, Soy Paper, Avocado
- Toasted Nori and Kingfish
If you are not necessarily a fan of Japanese food but you like a good steak- this wagyu is a must-try. It was crisp on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth on the inside. Served with crispy lotus root and soft eschallots, it's a plate that I will be having good dreams about for some time to come.
The mushrooms were beautiful too in the rich truffle sauce, and each of the sushi options on offer were again top quality. There wasn't one I disliked and it really put into perspective how not-great sushi from food courts actually are. Everything on this plate was fresh, fresh, fresh.
Making it to dessert were were served these two gems:
The mochi in the mochi ravioli was green tea flavoured and was the best I've ever had- probably because it was the freshest mochi I've ever had (I've only eaten mochi from pre-sealed plastic wrappers in the past). Inside these little "ravioli" was a dollop of strawberry ice cream, which tasted just like a strawberry milkshake burst.
The final dessert was really one to behold. Everything was balanced perfectly in this dish. The black sesame ice cream and white chocolate mousse were creamy but not overly sweet, so you actually felt completely fine after eating this without a sugar high/low in sight. The tempered chocolate was rich and fine and just delightful.
- Mochi Ravioli (Mochi is a little rice cake)
- Goma Street Tempered Dark Chocolate, Caramelised White Chocolate Mousse, Black Sesame Ice Cream
The mochi in the mochi ravioli was green tea flavoured and was the best I've ever had- probably because it was the freshest mochi I've ever had (I've only eaten mochi from pre-sealed plastic wrappers in the past). Inside these little "ravioli" was a dollop of strawberry ice cream, which tasted just like a strawberry milkshake burst.
The final dessert was really one to behold. Everything was balanced perfectly in this dish. The black sesame ice cream and white chocolate mousse were creamy but not overly sweet, so you actually felt completely fine after eating this without a sugar high/low in sight. The tempered chocolate was rich and fine and just delightful.
If you find yourself at the GC, this restaurant gives you excellent odds on having a dining experience to remember. Fresh ingredients plus beautifully blended flavours and textures makes each dish at Kiyomi one to savour.
You don't have to go to Los Angeles to see a giraffe- there's one right here.
Tanya dinned as a guest of Kiyomi.
The Particulars
You don't have to go to Los Angeles to see a giraffe- there's one right here.
Tanya dinned as a guest of Kiyomi.
The Particulars
- Kiyomi can be found at Jupiter's Casino, Broadbeach 4218
- Open Tuesday - Sunday 5:30pm - 10pm
- Share plates $5 - $55