Cha Cha Japanese

Cuisine: Japanese

4/88 Surf Pde 

Broadbeach, QLD

Food: 7/10
Service: 4.5/10 
Cost: Cheap Eat
Overall dining experience: 7/10

After having done a strenuous kayaking adventure in the morning, we were extremely hungry and tired. Originally, we were headed to Broadbeach Mall (which we later found was actually deemed Oasis Shopping Centre) but in passing we laid eyes on Cha Cha Japanese Restaurant which we recalled having seen ranked highly on Urbanspoon so  we decided to give it a try. We were very iffy about the quality of the food due to the negative reviews recently but our curiousity got the better of us.

They appeared to have extended their territory to 2 shop spaces as we noticed that one side of the restaurant appeared to look more new and simpler in appearance. 

Michael ordered the chicken katsu lunch set ($14.80)  and I originally wanted to order the soba lunch set however upon ordering we were told that they ran out of soba. So after a quick reread of the menu I decided upon the chicken karaage lunch set ($14.80) and ordered a side dish of takoyaki ($6.90) to share.

Each lunch set came with a drink, miso soup, spring rolls, seaweed salad, dimsims and and rice. 

My peach tea came in a plastic cup with seal. The flavour was a bit too sweat for my preference but has a strong peach taste. Lemonade was a canned Schweppes lemonade. 

Our side dishes came first. The fried dimsim wasn't anything special, the type you get from the food court. Seaweed salad and miso soup also standard.   

We were pleasantly surprised at the large portion of food that came with the lunch set. The meat dish was quite large and both came with a large dollop of mayonnaise and mustard on the side which is great that it allows us to distribute the amount onto the salad and chicken to our liking. 

The thick cut of chicken katsu was perfectly fried and moisture of the chicken was kept intact. It was not greasy and batter felt light. Dipping it into the katsu sauce gives it the touch of flavour that makes it amazing.

Takoyaki did not disappoint. It was crunchy on the outside with a soft centre. Topped with an appropriate amount of mayonnaise and takoyaki sauce. The only downside (that we usually have with most places) is the lack of octopus in the centre to give it that extra texture however that is just our own personal preference. 

The chicken karaage appeared to be very dry, however, upon tasting it the chicken was moist. The lack of flavour was saved by the mayonnaise and mustard. 

Overall

The side dish of dimsim makes it appear to be non-authentic Japanese however, the dishes we ordered were textured beautifully. I can imagine that this place would be great for individuals who want a fast, filling and affordable meal. And be aware that there is a credit surcharge of 1%.