Izakaya Publico — Restaurant in Brisbane City

From being sat at a small table at the very back corner wall which was poorly lit/very dark, when there was plenty of other free tables out in the main dining area in better lighting. We had trouble reading our menus and seeing the food in front of us. The drinks were decent but the cocktail menu lacked any original “specialty” cocktails to the venue or anything “Japanese inspired”. The food was very average at best! And overpriced for what it is. The food seemed to be rushed out to the table once it all started coming out (some people love that), but we try to eat slowly and it becomes hard when we were running out of room on the table. We gave feedback to the manager to pass onto the kitchen. The Katsu Sando was extremely salty and the fried tofu was very bitter. The wagyu steak skewer was overcooked and very chewy. Not to mention the fact that, for a Japanese restaurant, with a sashimi platter on offer as the first item on the menu and for $70.. We were very surprised to see that the mains that we ordered last off the menu (Katsu sando and karaage fried chicken) came out first and we didn’t get the sashimi platter until halfway through. (Was also disappointed to see that some of the sashimi wasn’t even cut properly, it was still all joined together as one stack, so obviously the chef isn’t cutting and placing individual slices on top of each other). Unfortunately this really ruined the “authentic Japanese” style restaurant that we were expecting to experience for the price that we paid. Most of the food here was good/ok and not terrible, but still just average for a pricey menu.

On the plus side of things, the staff were amazing and so was the service. The food came out relatively quickly (minus the sashimi) and the staff were doing their best to check up on us and ask if everything was alright and as I said the manager at the end did genuinely ask us to provide...

I recently saw a recommendation on Instagram for Izakaya Publico, located in the city center, so I decided to give it a try. However, my dining experience was somewhat disappointing.

Food Quality:

Sashimi Platter: It wasn’t particularly bad, but it didn’t impress me either. It’s on the same level as Sushi Hub. The oysters, in particular, were not fresh and quite disappointing. Tomahawk Steak: The presentation was great, and the sweet potato puree had a unique texture and good taste, but the steak itself was very tough and hard to chew. Edamame Fried Rice: It lacked seasoning and was only flavored with salad dressing. While unique, it tasted bland.

Service:

Although the staff were polite, their service attitude and efficiency were lacking. Here are the specific issues:

• We waited 10 minutes to receive the menu. • It was hard to find a waiter to place an order because they were all busy clearing tables, even though there were many other empty tables. • When we called the restaurant to ask about parking, they provided information about a nearby parking lot, saying it cost $36 to park but didn’t mention that using their discount code （BATMAN) would reduce the price to $10. • At the end of the meal, they didn’t give me my change.

Environment:

The restaurant’s interior decor was nice, with large paintings on the walls that added an artistic touch. The dim lighting created a romantic ambiance.

Drinks:

The drinks were quite good. I ordered a peach cocktail that came with an orange peel ice cube, which was a creative and worthwhile combination.

Summary:

This dining experience was very disappointing. Izakaya Publico’s food quality and service did not match the expected standards for the price. If you’re looking for an authentic and reasonably priced Japanese dining experience, there are many better options available for...

What was planned as the start of a good night out, turned into something nothing short of very disappointing. Having both lived in Japan for many years and frequented numerous izakaya, we were excited to see Izakaya Publico established. We booked in advance for a 1730 seating before seeing a concert later in the evening. We were the second table seated and placed an order for drinks and starters shortly after, Edamamae and 2 orders of skewers, 2 of the simplest dishes to prepare. Our drinks arrived within a reasonable time. We then waited and saw numerous other guests be seated, order and have their food delivered, including food orders delivered to the bar upstairs. All of the wait staff walked past our table when returning to the pass to collect more dishes for delivery. A couple seated 10 minutes later, sitting next to us received multiple dishes while we waited.

We finished our drinks, and had the glasses removed with no offer of an additional drink order. After waiting 40 minutes we enquired about our order. There was some discussion at the pass and our Edamamae arrived, followed a while later by the skewers. Still hungry, we enquired about a plate of Gyoza, explaining that we were due at an event. The wait staff said there wouldn’t be enough time to prepare them for us.

While waiting we admired the décor and commented that the atmosphere was very pleasant. However after the lack of service, for the first time in our lives, we opted to walk out. The couple seated immediately before us left just before us also with a disappointed look.

Can’t say we would recommend or return...