OCha-Cha, Cairns

With Japanese gossip magazines and tabloids lazily draped over the lovely hardwood furniture, lower tables for those wishing to sit on the floor and an order at the counter/pay before you eat system, this intimate and unpretentious Japanese restaurant is hidden gem, tucked away upstairs at Palm Court. The serenity inside belies the large, bustling and noisy Blue Sky Brewery which has recently taken the lion’s share of Palm Court square footage downstairs.

Barley Tea

Complimentary and self serve barley tea and water is available to all patrons.

The menu is written simply, no elaborate descriptions with items listed in both English and Japanese. We choose to start the meal with some edamame to share.

Edamame

The edamame arrive after a short wait. Oddly the soybean pods are very cold, hinting or blatantly telling us, that they’ve just been taken out of the fridge. There aren’t very many of them either, barely managing to cover the bottom of the bowl.

Grill Set Tray

We all opt for a grill dinner set option, which all arrive on trays, served with rice, a bowl of miso, a little portion of tofu and fruit.

Rice

Tofu

The tofu is silky and soft, served with a sweet soy sauce.

Grapes

Chicken Teriyaki

I was quite happy with my choice, the succulent morsels of chicken drenched with the teriyaki sauce. The meat was topped with finely shredded cabbage.

Japanese Hamburg (not a typo)

When Daisy Moo ordered this, I was pretty excited – I was almost going to get this myself and expected it to be a hamburger with rice patties substituting bun rolls. The hamburg itself is actually a giant beef burger. Unlike other burgers, which I would describe as heavy and dense, this burger was light and moist despite being cooked though. The meat was so tender it melted in the mouth and was served with some vegies and seaweed on top. Again, a side of finely grated cabbage was provided.

Grilled Salmon

ChocolateQueen went for this fish option. The fish pieces were quite fat, but seemed a bit dry to me. The fish was served with lemon and the obligatory finely shredded cabbage.

I found this place to be of outstanding value (all meals were around $10), and quite enjoyed the simple food combined with the relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

OCha-Cha
Shop F7-F8, Palm Court
34 Lake St
Cairns, QLD, 4870
Phone: (07) 4051 7055


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