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Just open: Motto Motto, Garden City

Natascha Mirosch

Casual offering: Teri-teri chicken and soft shell crab.
Casual offering: Teri-teri chicken and soft shell crab.Supplied

Garden City's food court has a new tenant. Motto Motto (meaning "more and more") Japanese Kitchen opened quietly last week, joining Hatch & Co. and The Palms, among others, at the Westfield-owned shopping centre at Mt Gravatt.

The eatery is the fourth venue for William Liu, the owner of Sono in Portside and another in the CBD as well as Nogomi on Eagle Street.

So why the move into a suburban shopping centre? It's all part of a bigger strategy, Liu says.

Crispy prawn roll and fries with seaweed salt.
Crispy prawn roll and fries with seaweed salt.Supplied
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"I believe Westfield own the best shopping centres in Australia and our aim is to expand the Motto Motto brand," he says.

"And we are an Asian restaurant and Mt Gravatt and Sunnybank have strong Asian communities."

In keeping with the shopping centre location, the fare on offer is far more casual than its Sono siblings and features seven "bowls", from wagyu beef to saikyo yaki fish and pork belly with vegetables as well as ramen.

There are also bread rolls with Japanese-Western fusion fillings, supplemented by sides such as fries with seaweed salt, gyoza and miso soup.

While it's designed to be fast and value for money, Liu says there's been no compromise in the standard of food, with he himself having taste-tested each dish "at least" 50 times.

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The drinks menu includes Japanese ciders, Sapporo and Kirin Ichiban – as well as a special Belgian-style white beer and umeshu.

The restaurant seats about 50 and has been designed around the concept of origami, with the entrance and counter tops reflecting folded paper.

And if fancy learning how to turn your napkin into an origami cow, paper-folding instructions are projected onto the wall.

Motto Motto Japanese Kitchen, Shop 2011, Westfield Garden City, Corner Logan and Kessels roads, Upper Mt Gravatt, Brisbane, (07) 3216 8866, mottomotto.com.au

Open 11am-9.30pm every day (last order times may vary)

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