Nonda — Restaurant in Brisbane City

I came here once for the lunch special and food was amazing despite the service was slow and waiter was impatient.

With the thought of that experience being a once off and for the good food, I decided to celebrate my birthday here again on 29/12/2024.

I booked a table for 6 and attempted to communicate regarding if there will be a complimentary cake on 21/12/2024 but did not get a reply until today. On 27/12/2024, I received an email to confirm the reservation and the occasion, which I edited that it was for a birthday. Yesterday when we went for the lunch with our own cake as there was no confirmation, we were told that they would charge us $4 each to have the cake there. The Japanese waitresses were nice and could speak friendly, however, it seemed that they escalated this matter to their supervisor (a blonde Caucasian female). I showed the blonde lady my chat history on instagram with their restaurant and she initially said that she does not know and after reading, she said that we should contact them by their number. We decided to not have the cake there and just stored it in the fridge while we dined.

During our whole dining experience, there was no one who said ‘happy birthday’ a single time or apologised for the inconvenience and misunderstanding caused by their miscommunication. In the end, the blonde lady decided to advise us one more time that we should call in the future if we have any questions.

We went to another restaurant afterwards and had our cake there for free.

Nonda has really nice food and the Japanese waitresses are usually friendly and nice even whoever is running their instagram account as they did come back to me eventually even though it is too late and there is discrepancy in the information provided online and in the restaurant. However, I would say their service and communication definitely need to be improved to create memorable experiences for guest in a...

Tucked into the vibrant Gasworks precinct in Newstead, Nonda delivers a contemporary Japanese dining experience with a touch of bold creativity and an East-meets-West flair. We visited on a bustling dinner service, and while the atmosphere was lively and upbeat, it was clear the team was under the pump. Service was friendly and attentive overall, but moments where things felt a little rushed – likely due to a shortage of floor staff. There were noticeable gaps between drink orders and meals arriving, but the team did their best to stay on top of things. Despite the minor delays, the experience as a whole was very good. We kicked things off with a few cocktails from the intriguing list – clever blends with a Japanese twist – before settling in with a bottle of Domaine des Fonds Fleurie, which paired beautifully with the food to come. Starters included a sashimi taco with avocado cream and cucumber – a fresh and vibrant bite with a perfect balance of texture and flavour – and the prawn toast with yuzu mayo, which added a indulgent fried crunch. For mains, we shared the wagyu chuck flap tail, served with an incredible teriyaki butter sauce and enoki mushrooms – easily the highlight of the night. The steak was cooked perfectly, striking a beautiful balance between Eastern flavours and Western-style execution. On the side, the charred broccolini and crispy potatoes with nori mayo were great complements – simple but well-executed. Of course, we couldn’t say no to dessert. The matcha tiramisu was a standout – rich, earthy, and just the right amount of sweetness – and the Mont Blanc cocktail was a creative and satisfying way to round out the night. All in all, Nonda brings a lot to the table – both literally and figuratively. While the pace of service could benefit from a few more hands on deck, the food, drinks, and overall vibe make it a solid choice for a night out in Newstead. Would...

The menu features a mix of creative dishes and familiar flavors, with many incorporating common Japanese elements like miso and teriyaki. While this approach works well in some cases, I think there’s an opportunity to take things a step further by reimagining traditional Japanese dishes in a more modern way—perhaps drawing inspiration from kaiseki (various small elements and flavours rather than just adding "Miso" or "Teriyaki" to a dish and calling it a day) and to create a more distinctive dining experience.

The presentation and delivery of the dishes suggested a shared-style dining experience, which we appreciated. However, the order in which they arrived felt a bit awkward. We received the sashimi and fish tacos first, which made sense, and both were incredibly tasty—the fish taco had a great balance of flavors, and the sashimi was fresh and well-prepared. The smaller dishes—cauliflower and tempura eggplant—came out before our two main meat dishes: the crispy pork and barramundi. While each dish was enjoyable on its own, they might have complemented each other better if served together, especially given how rich and salty the mains were. The tempura eggplant, in particular, was delicious, with a great texture and flavor.

Portion sizes were generally well-balanced, except for the barramundi. While it was cooked beautifully and tasted fantastic, at $38, a single fillet felt a little on the smaller side compared to the rest of the meal. Additionally, the mains didn’t come with any carbs, which made them feel slightly unbalanced - we ordered a bowl of rice so we had no issues with this.

That said, the service was attentive, and the ambience was fantastic, creating an overall enjoyable...