Everything here is 5 star worthy except the speed of service…read more The staff themselves are absolutely amazing and so helpful and friendly, the only thing letting the place down was how long everything took to come out. This wasn't such a big deal for us as we had a good group of friends sipping away at our wine which was only at a $10 corkage, so the time was well spent catching up. Food was the best Japanese I have had outside of Japan and would highly recommend to anyone who has been and knows what to expect. Will come back here for sure, just make sure you expect to wait a little bit longer for the food to come out as it must be made fresh to order which is a good thing :-)

This place is *the* izakaya place to be in Adelaide. The atmosphere is intimate and cosy, with…read morebar seating and tables inside, and a small beer garden out the back for warmer months. There is a great selection of Japanese beer, sake, and also shochu and Japanese whiskey to choose from. The highlight is the food, plenty of traditional Japanese fare in small tapas sized serves that lets you order a number of selections from the menu without overeating Yas, the owner is very friendly - towards the very end of the night, depending on the clientele present, you may get to hear a sample of the Japanese heavy metal music that he loves! I highly recommended you check it out, I doubt you would be disappointed.

Absolutely recommended! Even better than five stars. Friendly staff and professional chef. Fancy…read moredining environment and awesome food! Thank you so much for serving us today!

We had soft shell crab burgers, sashimi, frichicken, lotus chips, scallops, tofu, potato croquets,…read moreedamame, oysters, 2 lots of gyozas all for 3 people. Fast service. Polite staff. Quiet corner for us to chat about Adelaide. Worth coming back!

Such a hip and trendy place here and all meals are $6.80 each. We got a booth, with a Japanese…read moretheme booth and table, where the plates and cutlery were neatly presented before arrival. We sat on a flat cushion as the booth were made of wooden boards and the staff were friendly and nice. There were plenty of Japanese dumplings and over 80 types of dishes to choose from and I spent a little longer than usual, eyeing the menu as I was undecided what to order. At Gyoza Gyoza they use local produce whilst incorporating the traditional techniques of gyoza making to produce the freshest and finest Japanese dumplings. What we ordered: *Takoyaki - Traditional Japanese style street snack, deep fried octopus with mayo *Fried Kaki - Deep fried panko pacific oyster with Kushi sauce *Tori No Karrage With Mustard Miso - Deep fried bite size chicken pieces with mustard miso sauce *Wafu Steak - Grilled thin cut Porterhouse steak with wafu sauce *Crab Claw - Deep fried crumbled crab claw with tartar sauce *Gyoza (Panfried) *Salmon Sashimi *Kaisen Harumaki: Seafood spring roll wrap with lettuces and mayo *Green tea Soft serve with waffle cone $2.80 *Plum wine. Overall, I'll come back again to try more dishes. Thumbs up x 5

Been wanting to try this place for a while. Very close to my hotel (Adelaide Ibis) but almost…read morecouldn't find it as it is tucked into a small corridor within the Adelaide Arcade. It's a small space, seating maybe 20 or so. Got there about 10:45 so had to wait a little bit (it opens at 11am). Ordered the Tori Teriyaki set, which comes with miso soup, white rice, daikon, and the main plate with the teriyaki chicken, a few leaves of lettuce. I was the only one in the place so I wasn't expecting to wait very long to get my food. I was surprised when the server came out 5 minutes later with my meal. Japanese food is a favorite of mine, and this food was excellent and priced fair for the portions. I will definitely return on my next visit.

If you love some Authentic tasting Japanese food for lunch you can't go past here…read more Not an extensive menu, but what they make is delicious. My favourite is the Tori Teriyaki Set. Crispy Teryaki chicken with salads, rice and miso soup on the side.. There are a few sets as well as these stand alone and some Don dishes. Well worth a visit if you are nearby and love fresh (mostly healthy) tasty Japanese Food.

Walked in and was told that seating in the main dining area would take an hour. So we decided to…read moresit in the yakitori arena located just inside the main entrance and below the restaurant. Just have to say I'm very happy we made that choice. We ordered Wagyu, salmon belly, and chicken thigh. Everything was amazing. Also ordered off select menu for the area, the katsu sando, surprisingly good. The food was so good I decided to write this review before we finished eating.

Fantastic find! My husband and I had the 5 course dinner offered and it was delicious. I am…read morevegetarian and they catered to me as well as to my meat loving husband! We sat at the bar and were able to watch the food prepared. Would definitely recommend trying that. We did not have a booking so did not have a choice however it was a delightful experience. The food is not only has amazing flavor the presentation is just as amazing. The service is wonderful- very attentive! Definitely try it!

My son lives in Japan. I've had 15+ trips there. I love Japanese food and have tried nearly…read moreeveryone in Adelaide. We always come back to Hotaru. Good quality. Reasonable price and you can always get a table. Perfect

If you're stuck for somewhere new along Gouger, don't be afraid to venture a little farther west,…read morepast Morphett St. Hotaru is a solid Japanese offering. First off, ohhh jjjeeaahh.. they serve the best gyozas I've ever tasted. Hands down. Golden brown. And on the edge of being delicate. I could have kissed the chef! Dishes were perfect for sharing, they all came with even amounts of items (unlike Matsuri across the road, or Yakitori Takumi where things come in threes). Graceful vegetable tempura. Wicked good choice of sashimi, including: blue fin tuna, beef, scallop and clam. If you're not a fan of mayo, perhaps shy away from the rolls, or ask them to use a little less. They do some tasty lunch specials under $15 including bento boxes. Take away available. Atmosphere is average. Save room for the green tea ice cream!

I am never disappointed when I dine at Wasai. But, I know I have to book a table in advance as this…read moreJapanese restaurant is truly a local treasure and very popular. If you want quality Japanese and great value for money, this is the restaurant for you. Every time I go there I sample many items on the menu I am always shocked at the bill, it is very well priced! As for the best items on the menu, well it depends on what you are into. I am a huge fan of sashimi and aburi salmon, and they make both really well. Being located close to the Adelaide Central Market I think really impacts on the freshness of the fish and dishes. The sashimi is cut with great precision, not to thick or thin. Go for the sashimi boat if you want a wide selection, it is really well presented, good for groups and great value for money. If this is first time to Wasai I should probably tell you to order a boat. It is a great way to sample the menu, also you will probably get jealous when you see them delivered to other tables. Save yourself the trouble in choosing what to eat. Then fine tune your choices later, as I will guarantee you will be back. Last thing to mention is the karaage chicken. You must try the Wasai version if you like this dish. It is a lot lighter than other versions, almost like a tempura batter but with the flavoursome karaage seasonings. Sometimes you just have to treat yourself to a little JFC.

As I have a huge love of all things Japanese, and a love of all things food, then you would think…read moreJapanese food would be the ultimate draw card. Well, you would be right! After wanting to try this place for so long, I finally managed to try it a couple of times, and holy sashimi I was not disappointed. I will even be back there again within the next fortnight, you can't keep me away! The first time I was a poor student, with another poor student, but we shared a few dishes and a drink each and it came to a measly $20 per person! And these weren't miserable, bland and small dishes either. Instead, these dishes were incredibly delicious and filling, leaving us satiated and shocked at how small the bill was when it arrived! The second time was my birthday and my Dad was paying (so still a poor student technically). We got the famous sushi and sashimi boat, after first enjoying some entrees and drinks. My absolute favourite Aburi Salmon Roll was devine, but the Takoyaki (Octopus Deep-Fried Balls) and Chicken Kaarage was also melt-in-the-mouth delicious. The sashimi and sushi was so fresh, and thoroughly impressed my Tasmanian father who's only past experience with Japanese cuisine involved a tiny take away store in Launceston (not that there is anything wrong with that)! We did find the restaurant a tad noisy, as it was very full with lots of large groups and other birthdays being celebrated, however the fast service, amazing food and cheap prices for the quality Wasai serves up makes this observation pale in comparison. Also, and this is VERY important, book a table! As every other review on here says, you might be waiting a while if you don't book, and that will be a very sad thing indeed with such lovely food so close by.

One of if not the best japanese restaurant in Adelaide, Matsuri is where I go when I want good…read moreauthentic japanese food. The entrance to the restaurant is a sliding door and when you walk in you have the option of two rooms. The first is the standard dining area where you can sit at a table and the second is the room where you have to take off your shoes and you can sit on the floor. For those of you who don't feel comfortable with sitting cross legged don't worry. This is the non traditional version of sitting on the floor where the the area for you to place your legs is built down into the floor so that you can sit how you would normally sit on a chair. My friend Ryota used to work here and he was the one who introduced me to this restaurant its owner George who is japanese but grew up in Australia. Most of the serving is done by waitresses dressed in traditional kimono's and service is good and very professional. Most if not all of the staff are japanese as well which adds to the atmosphere of the place. Wood dividers are used to separate tables so that you have the privacy of enjoying your meal without encroaching on the conversation of neighbouring tables. The prices are reasonable for a restaurant of this standard and the food never disappoints. For people who are used to sushi train and aren't sure how to navigate the vast menu of japanese dishes presented before them, I recommend trying out their sashimi and sushi boats which comes in 2 sizes depending on how hungry you are. This is like a tasting platter served on a literal small wooden boat and on it are a variety of different sushi rolls and a selection of fresh sashimi. For me, Matsuri scores high in terms of food, atmosphere, presentation and service. If you're looking for a good place to have japanese food in Adelaide, Matsuri is definitely the place to be.

I loved everything about this restaurant…read more The busy vibe. The private sunken booths. The friendly service. The shoeless section. The menu. The specials board. THE FOOD! Our waiter was so helpful and accommodating, he talked us through each of the specials (& not in the "automated could be pre recorded" way you get at so many restaurants) and he was more than happy to answer all of our questions about the specials and the full menu. All of the seafood was just perfect - fresh & tasty. The sushi boat is a great option to be able to share a little of everything. The seared tuna was perfection and I am still salivating over the roasted eggplant. Suitable for Japanese first timers up to Japanese expats themselves. Strongly recommend booking.

This lovely Japanese restaurant is a few stops on the tram from Rundle Mall…read more The staff were friendly and helpful, seating was wherever we wanted to sit and tables were spaced out enough that wherever we sat we would never feel on top of others! We had the Feed Me Menu and every course was beautifully prepared and delightful, lots of popping bursts of exciting flavours. Excellent desserts. Good selection of wines and beers. No delays in service all arrived just at the right times. Would recommend and return. We took the tram and then walked back to our hotel!

Mimasu have only been open for a week. They are closed Sunday and Monday, the do Lunch and Dinner…read moreTuesday to Friday and dinner on Saturday. The space is small but they have quite a bit of seating and it is spaced out so you don't feel as though you are sitting on top of your fellow dinners. They have booth, bar, bench and table seating options. It's a very nice space. Sleek and contemporary. We started with two cocktails. A Lychee passion one and a sloe gin and whiskey sour. My sour was served in a martini glass which while was pretty, was not the right glass for the drink. A sour should be served in a rocks glass, over ice too, which mine was not. I liked the variation of flavour but I still prefer the right glassware to be used when drinking cocktails. The food was good, however a few dishes were flawed in particular the snapper which was either low quality or cut incorrectly as it was quite chewy. I love the burst of salmon roe and the fresh heat of jalapeño was nice. The seaweed and lotus root salad was a fantastic side and unlike the ones you get at sushi train restaurants ( the green "noodle" type). This has, I would say close to five different types of seaweed. The lotus root also added a fantastic crunchy element. The charred King Prawns were so good, the panacotta sauce was delicious. It took will power not to lick the plate clean! The sashimi was good, but once again the snapper was a let down. We also asked for more ginger, but we do love the stuff. Also as a side note, It would be nice to see Mimasu make their own pickled ginger rather than using the fluro pink ginger most other places use. The presentation for all of the aforementioned meals was very nice, you see for yourself in my pictures. Now the finish to our meal was a true let down and almost inedible. Myself and my friend are huge sweet tooths but could not finish the Chocolate Ganache and Yuzu tart with salted caramel ice cream. The ice cream was overly salted and not well made, it was icey in texture and too hard from the freezer. The tart was a sugary mess, the taste of yuzu was lost in the filling which was far too gloopy and grainy to be enjoyable. I think Mimasu want to be fine dining but their approach is too casual. It took a little too long to be greeted when we entered and this was not for lack of staff or that they were busy, I feel that the floor staff are a little too green and inexperienced still and management is not taking enough care to mentor their staff or even monitor their guest experience. Our waiter took our order on scraps of paper, which was cumbersome for her and not a very professional look. I would recommend that they either remember the order (a very old fashioned method I know, but still a smooth touch) or buy some small order or note pads. I also felt that they weren't really enthusiastic about where they were working, they didn't offer up any suggestions on what to try, if our ordering would be enough or too little or ask for feedback on the meal when we settled our bill. It didn't feel very personable. This place is not cheap. We spent $140+ for two. I expect too much perhaps? Mimasu held such high hopes for me, since I had been sneaking glimpses inside over the last few weeks, when I noticed the space take shape and bright led sign go up. I was expecting that this would be a 4 or 5 star experience but it is more of a 3 or 3.5 one that I experienced tonight.

Bring on the Ramen! I have always been a massive fan of Ramen. I read some history on Ramen and it…read moreseems that a lot of Japanese Chefs have experimented with the concept over the years. So you will probably find that each restaurant will have a different version. So, keep this in mind when you are making comparisons. Now... the moment you have been waiting for! How was the Ramen? Well... I think it is one of the best ones I have had in Adelaide. I ordered the Umami Chicken Ramen. This has a clear style broth, chicken, boiled egg, a bit of veg and noodles. It was not a complicated dish. But I think that is what I like about it. I wanted to see how good this restaurant was at making a simple broth and I was very happy. The chicken tasted like it was lightly grilled before placing in the soup. I could take a little smoky flavour. Love that! As for the venue, it is lovely. Decorated in wooden panels, with a large wooden bar and two separated dining areas. I did have my eye on the lampshades above the bar made from paper. I would love those at home! If you love watching a chef work, take a seat at the bar! The sushi prep station is there and you can watch them work while you dine. Also to note is that there is a separate bar menu to the main dining menu. So, if you are after a small dish, this might be a good option for you. If you are a fan of all things Sake and Japanese Whiskey, you will find a very impressive selection on the bar. Have a read of the drinks menu for tasting notes. If you love cocktails, there is a range of very well priced cocktails. I tried the Calpico Chuhai which had a Soju base. Yummooo!! I'm impressed with this new edition to Japanese Restaurants in Adelaide! Woo hoo!

Before going into the review I need to thank a certain friend for introducing me to this place…read more I've been 2 times in the past 2 weeks and I plan on visiting again sometime soon. The first thing that sets Himeji apart from your average Japanese that it's an Izakaya, a place where small plates of food are served to accompany drinks, although they serve ramen and other dishes as well. The decor is absolutely amazing, with an open bar where diners can watch the sushi chefs work. Onto the food. The first time I ordered the Kokuryu Himeji Tonkotsu Black ramen. The broth was thick, which is the polar opposite of the thin broth most ramen places use. And it was delicious, rich and I was able to taste the garlic, black sesame and miso...so much umami. The noodles had a nice texture and were really thin, reminds me of soba noodles ( i ordered the noodles a bit harder than usual). The thin sliced pork belly, egg and veggies were good but the highlight was the broth. It's decently priced, $15 or under, which I think makes it better than similarly priced competitors. I also ordered the pork belly bun since I've never tried the tawainese 'gua bao' or its vietnamese equivalent. It's alright, nothing to write home about. Hard bun, doesn't really stand out. It's pretty small as well so that was a miss. Second time, I ordered the Kinryu Spicy Miso Tonkotsu. It was great as well, had the thick rich broth, sliced pork belly, egg and cabbage and other veggies. We also ordered a plate of karaage fried chicken, gyoza and takoyaki. The gyoza were tiny and really not worth the price, but the filling was alright (I still prefer chinese pork and cabbage dumplings, they cannot be beat), the kaarage was a bit too salty but fine, takoyaki was good. This place is still quite new and so are the wait staff. Not that this is a bad thing, because they didn't lack enthusiasm and were friendly, it's just that lacked some experience. So, definitely come for the ramen and drinks. I'll try the sushi and sashimi next time, but this place is awesome for ramen. I think it stands out from the recent influx of Japanese restaurants in the CBD.