I can see that PaperPlanes is fun, the locals (I think they’re locals) seem to be keen on it. The cranes hung from the ceiling are lovely and the skateboard ceiling is seriously magnificent. The service was all smiles ands super friendly from the moment we walk through the door. PaperPlanes is  busy space down a lane to the beach off Gould Street next to Miss Chu’s.

Though I didn’t get to sample (FebFast) the steady stream of cocktails leaving the bar are popular. We started the night with the Chef’s 4 Selection of 16 Pieces of Sashimi. It was a lovely start to the evening with beautiful fresh fish that didn’t disappoint.

We then moved on to Pork Gyoza. When done well these little dumplings are quite the crowd pleaser for a Japanese dinner. The ones at PaperPlanes had a lovely pork filling however the cooking was a little bit off with the bottoms being slightly burnt and the dough still being a little undercooked. Rookie error in the gyoza preparation me thinks.

We made two selections from the Kushiyaki menu – the Eggplant with Butter, Red Miso Sauce & White Sesame and Chicken Thigh Fillet with Shallot & Truffle Glaze. I’m a sucker for food on a stick and both of these dishes were pretty tasty. I personally think they could have skipped the truffle glaze.

Our final dish for the evening was the Braised Beef Short Ribs. This is about as a pretty as a slow cooked plate of short ribs can get with the radish and pickled vegetables. The beef was beautifully tender and fall off the bone. The flavours were nice if not mind blowing.

PaperPlanes is not the best Japanese restaurant in town but if you up your cocktail to food ratio, I think a good night out could definitely be had.