Kido’s

Okay… Wow! I was driving by when I saw the A Frame for Japanese so I turned around and popped in for lunch. Only to find the BEST Japanese I’ve had since being in Perth! The teriyaki Salmon lunch set was delicious.

Although it may not look like much from the outside (and indeed it’s hard to find) Kido’s is probably the best Japanese food I’ve had in Australia.
Having lived in Japan for a year I have a keen eye for what is and isn’t Japanese. Some of the main «Japanese» places I’ve been to are really Chinese places in disguise, so I was very happy to find this little gem.
The miso soups is some of the best around. It has a tanginess to it that other places can’t replicate. It’s pretty hot when it’s brought out but cools to an enjoyable temperature pretty swiftly.
During the lengthier than usual wait time between the miso and the main, Storm (my dining companion) and I were able to cast our eyes around the place and take in the décor. Old Japanese advertisements and Japanese art hang on the walls, including some incredible calligraphy.
In addition to the proper, clean dining tables there’s a proper, long Japanese-​style table (one that you kneel at). It seats a large group and adds to the general atmosphere along with the Japanese-​style bar area. On one wall is a shelf full of Japanese books. The entire atmosphere works to put you in the proper mindset for eating Japanese food.
When the food came it was in a proper Japanese bento box. Both of us had the katsu chicken lunchboxes, the vanilla ice cream changed to green tea ice cream (for an 80 cent surcharge) and half of a dorayaki. This came to $ 23.80 each.
The food was well worth it, though. The oolong tea was chilled and tasted just like the things I used to drink in Japan. Unlike many other «Japanese» restaurants I’ve been to, Kido’s used proper, sticky, Japanese rice. It stuck together nicely and made eating easy and enjoyable.
There were a few things wrong with the food, though. First of all, the wasabi was very hot. Too hot for Storm and too hot for me. This would have been fine had it not been smeared on some of the chicken. Second of all, I found what I believe to be a hair in my food. It wasn’t a big deal, though. My main complaint is that the katsu chicken came with tomato sauce instead of kewpie mayonnaise.
These problems were negligible, though, and hardly detracted from the overall eating experience.
The staff were friendly and it was clear that they were trying very hard (and succeeding) to keep the patrons happy. They also spoke Japanese, which (surprisingly) isn’t as common as I would have thought in Japanese restaurants. They were able to think of how best to serve the customers and acted on their thoughts rather than just doing everything by the book.
If you like fantastic, authentic Japanese food then this place is a must! ⁴⁄₅.

Kido’s was the first Japanese restaurant I went to in Perth (this was four years ago) and at first glance I was a bit apprehensive because of how it looked like from the outside and from the inside. The décor unfortunately is not very appealing and is very outdated however once you look past that, the rest of the experience is a lot better. The service is always friendly and swift (your meal usually takes about 10 – 15 minutes), the food is always fresh and tasty; I specifically love their 25 piece sushi platter and the price is relatively reasonable (about $ 25 a head).
The best thing about Kido’s is that if you go in a big group you get to sit on the floor around the long wooden traditional Japanese table which makes the meal a lot more social and fun. Another thing I found cute and very thoughtful was that they have arranged a whole lot of coloured paper cranes on their front desk which you are welcome to take on your way out, I have collected my fair share of paper crane souvenirs that always remind me of an excellent meal.