Paperplanes

It’s been two years since I visited PaperPlanes and like catching up with an old friend, things quickly fell back into place. The purple lighting, skateboard paraphernalia and Tokyo pop kitsch are all still there, and the menu remains largely unchanged. We munch on some Edamame with Chilli Salt ($6) a perfect match for the dizzyingly sweet cocktails: Tokyo Pop ($16) with popping candy for an extra sugar high and the Chee Chee Mule ($16), a cheeky lychee-based mule. Two perfectly formed Lettuce Cups ($5/each) loaded with roasted duck go down a treat. As does the Pork Belly Bun ($6.50), a standout dish and my hot tip for the next food craze – the humble bao. Cho Cho San may have made Japanese buns cool again, but you had it here first! Of course you cannot go wrong with sushi and the Teriyaki Chicken ($15) brings it home. If you really love it, grab some friends and share a skateboard deck’s worth of Sushi ($160/50 pieces). My old favourite, the Gyoza Pan-fried Dumplings ($16) with creamy lemon wasabi foam and crushed wasabi peas, stands the test of time, still with the high notes of drunken karaoke. It just goes to show, when you’re onto a good thing, why change?

Paperplanes
Shop 15, 178 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach
Ph: (02) 9356 8393 paperplanesbondi.com
Modern Japanese $-$$