This place is the perfect Japanese food experience! I've never been out for Japanese food in a…read morerestaurant before but this place really showed me the ropes! The platter was great, a lot of variety and things to try if you're wanting to experience different times of sushi. The Pink Dragon drink was awesome! Very cool concept. We also had popcorn karagge chicken (garlic Mayo) which was great. I highly recommend you visit here! Beautiful atmosphere and food.

After a weekend of lackluster dining experiences, Matsuri was a welcome relief. Arriving at 6:15,…read morewe were the only table for the first half hour, and from ordering to receiving our meals of chicken katsu curry and yakiniku chicken took only 15 minutes. Both of which were well above average and came with delicious miso soup--much less salty than is typical. With two glasses of house wine, the total was roughly $55. Light jazz played in the background, servers were attentive; and before I knew it, I looked up to a full restaurant and a full belly. I would strongly suggest you make a visit here, but come with friends so you can try more than one dish!

Ate here with 2 of my homegirls when I was in town, I guess she picked it cus it's rated really…read morehigh lol... it's actually really good and of course I ate most of it. It was really good Japanese food. The sushi rolls, to some of the raw fish, and even the karage was just really textured well. It was exceptionally good for being a in a low key quiet area on a

Mid-high end Japanese restaurant, located in the same building as a hotel (Hyatt I think?)…read more I went there for a weekday lunch, as they do lunch specials. I went for the sashimi and sushi set ($48) which was good value for the amount of food you get, but the quality of the sashimi and sushi was average. For the set, you get quite a bit: chawanmushi, miso soup, a yakitori skewer, pickles, and the food you order. Extremely good value for the cheaper sets (I think like a bento for 20-30?) The sashimi and sushi set was a bit disappointing. The fishes given for the sushi and sashimi were on the cheaper end. I don't think there was even a tuna. They did give two pieces of scallop, which was tasty. Overall, I would have either expected one or two pieces of pricey fish, or a few extra pieces of sushi or sashimi. The rice was also cold, rather than slightly warm. Overall, it felt like an average sushi lunch, not fitting the mid-high end positioning they are going for. Tip: don't forget they have 20% off on EatClub; which if you use with the lunch offer, is great value for money.

It was a little tricky to find the restaurant, which was on the first floor of the complex, and…read morethen we were happy we did find it. There was no wait to be seated, the staff were very sweet, service was quick, and we enjoyed eating the sushi as we watched it be prepared in front of us.

This place is alright, not the best not the worse. Quite cheap $3 a plate. but not sure if this is…read morea promo price cus it's new. Try the scampi iniri and the seared scallop! Pretty awesome!! Tip: always ask to b moved if ur seated in front of the fryer on the sushi train. Tip: beware of the hungry sushi chef. Was there on thu 25 Feb 2016. I couldn't believe what I'd witnessed. The dude knew he got caught out n pretended nothing happened. I was sitting at the sushi train / bar he had food handling gloves on and for whatever reason he decided to eat one of the scallops. His gloves touched his lips etc. he then used same hand to plate up!!!! Eeeew!! I left not long after.

So happy to finally cross Gypsy & Pig off my list, a Japanese pork speciality spot in CBD that I…read morehave been eyeing on for a while. Hidden in plain sight, precisely located in a tiny corner, down one end of Hardware Lane with no obvious signage - do look out for a piggy sign and you are at the right place ;). The restaurant might have small physicality, but the decor is simply adorable, black loving interiors surrounded with pig ornaments to match the theme - A porky heaven! Oink~ Their menu is specialized in Katsu of different variants. Not the healthiest indulgence, but for me there is something utterly satisfying about biting into crunchy katsu. And for my first visit, I was excited to order their special mix fry: kurobuta cheese Hamburg, eyefilet, crabmeat croquettes and Anago (sea eel). Best of both world!! As much as I wanted it to be good, everything was underwhelming. The unagi has many small bones in them, making it so troublesome to eat. Adding to that, the Kurobuta hamburg with cheese had this musty smell that's so unpleasant. I was hoping the crab croquette would save the day, but sadly the texture was so soggy it completely threw me off. The stuffed chicken wings appetizer, however, was quite delicious and worth ordering a second. The service, was also quite impressive. All smiles and making sure that you are taken care of the moment you stepped in the door. In addition to that, they also pride themselves on using the highest quality Kurobuta pork... which then resulted in their premium prices. Overall, I love Gypsy & Pig for their venue because the space is so cute, authentic and really sets the mood! In terms of the food, sadly it just doesn't strike a special chord with me, well at least on my visit... :)

Make sure you make a booking because this place is cozy. It's small. You will get table seating if…read moreyou are a group of four or more otherwise you sit at the bar and watch the chef cook. This place is known for their kurubota - or black pig meat. It is recommended by urbanlist that you try their katsu curry, their scotch egg, and their green tea cake/pudding. We had the katsu kurubota curry, the scotch egg, some sushi, and the kimchi kurubota eggplant hotpot. My food came in a steaming hotpot duh. The fermented smell was heavenly. The kurubota was so tender. It was such good meat - meat that I had never tasted before. The eggplant - well, you couldn't even tell it was eggplant. The rice was seasoned and I enjoyed having it on its own at the end. All three of us loved our meals and can't wait to come back for more. Great portion sizes. Split bills accepted and attentive staff.

In my never ending quest for amazing Japanese restaurants outside of Melbourne's CBD, I decided to…read moretry Akita Japanese restaurant in North Melbourne. ~ What's with the small menu? Honestly, there were six mains. Their "specials" menu was larger than their regular menu by a long shot, and I was kind of disappointed they didn't have a more diverse or comprehensive selection. ~ VEGETARIANS BEWARE. None of the mains were vegetarian compatible; they all had meat/seafood in them. Even the vast majority of the entrees were meat based. This is particularly peculiar for Japanese cuisine. When we asked what was on offer for vegetarians, they recommended three dishes, mostly from the specials menu. The only positive I can attribute to Akita in this respect was that the waiter did come back a few minutes after ordering to confirm that egg was okay in the vegetarian dish. But I probably wouldn't come back here with a vegetarian person; the difficulty of working out what is edible and the severe limited choice makes the whole thing too much hassle. ~ From the outside, the door is somewhat hidden the place looks relatively small. When you look around the main entrance, you also get the feeling of smallness. However, there is actually a labyrinth of seating areas, all hidden away in their own rooms. In this respect, Akita reminds me a lot of Stalactites in the city, except more enclosed. This causes the environment to feel more intimate, and probably reduces noise too. The atmosphere was of a high calibre here. A++. ~ Overpriced. We all know that Japanese cuisine is expensive, but even for Japanese standards this place was overpriced (especially for its location). If you can, check out the photo of the entree sashimi to this venue. You can get better quality fish at a cheaper price than $18 from elsewhere. ~ Forgot the drinks. Unfortunately I forgot to check the bill to see if they had charged us, but we ordered tea twice and we didn't end up getting it either times. ~ No ginger with the sashimi. What! For a so-called *authentic* Japanese place you kind of expect them to provide some ginger with the sashimi; they didn't, which was a little disappointing. Upside was that they gave me so much wasabi. Overall the food (albeit small and expensive) and atmosphere were good. The location is convenient for drivers (heaps of parking), and the staff were kind (although they forgot drinks). Would I be back? Probably not -- the limited menu is a dealbreaker.

I was craving food so I did a quick search and found this establishment closeby! I love Japanese…read morefood so I was good to go. Ambiance: Very very good. The restaurant is large and spacious with a series of different dining rooms. It has an old feel to it, but very clean and modern at the same time. They have light Japanese music playing which makes for a really incredible dining atmosphere! Customer Service: The servers were very polite, courteous, and attentive. However, I do have to remark that the kitchen staff is a bit slow. The wait time for the food is EXTREMELY long. Food: One thing I have to note is that this place is probably good for large groups, but I would avoid it if you're only going by yourself or with 2 people. The menu comprises of large platter-like dishes of sashimi and sushi rather than anything that is convenient for an individual set. The only thing I pretty much can order is Nabeyaki Udon Soup (udon noodles with tempura shrimp, egg, veggies, thin slices of beef, and mushrooms) for 12 dollars and a plate of Gyoza for 8.50. Like I said, the wait time is long. I ended up getting my Gyoza after my main... when Gyoza is an entree. What's up with that? When I picked up a piece of Gyoza, I thought to myself "This better be worth it". It was good... but not worth the 30 minute wait. The Gyoza wrap was very thin, which is a bit unique I suppose but I prefer thick wraps. The Nabeyaki Udon Soup at first glance was rather tiny - so it was very alarming. However, it was absolutely delicious! Probably the best Udon Soup I have ever had. The meat was good, tempura soft and tasty, and the egg accented the dish really nicely. I absolutely loved it. Things they can improve on: ~ Adding more variety to their menu. Where are the bentos? The ramen? And donburi? Everything is pretty much just a platter, which excludes the people who just want individual meals. ~ Upping their efficiency! I'm not sure how exactly they can do that, but at least bring out the Gyoza before the main so my stomach isn't growling like mad. Overall, I did enjoy my meal - the atmosphere was great, the service was nice, and the food was tasty. However, 1 star off for the lack of variety and another star for the horrid wait time. I would come here again, but only if I'm with a large group of people ready to order some platters.

Always had a good experience here. Friendly staff. Good food. Nothing flash but good fresh food…read more Great place for quick bite to eat before heading to the Palais.

Oki to go, oki to stay, oki any time of day! The freshest, most appetizing sushi is at Oki 2 Go. I…read moreguess they've no excuse for not having the freshest seafood, after all they're on the doorstep of the bay but seriously, this is good stuff. At first glance Oki 2 Go may look like your typical walk in-walk out questionable sushi joint, but take a closer look and a step inside and you'll realise its actually quite an upmarket place. The lighting and red colouring of the decor adds to the authenticity of the Japanese restaurant. Larger than it appears, open til late seven days per week, BYO wine, dine in and take out options, Oki 2 Go won't disappoint. Selecting where to eat can be a hard choice when in Acland street but trust me, Oki 2 Go certainly holds its own in the dining mecca of St Kilda. Tip: If you're a fan of bento boxes, choose the Oki Bento, mmmm oishii!!

If you love Japanese food you will be in love with hinoki Japanese pantry. Walking through the…read moreglass doors you quickly learn that this is no ordinary ethnic supermarket but rather an ode to Japanese cuisine. You can get everything from sake to soy sauce, soba to sashimi and everything in between. There is a delicious range of freshly prepared sushi and sashimi as well as everything you would need to take home to make your own. All the packaging is in Japanese so you may need some help from the staff. They are super friendly and eager to help. Loves: 1. Assortment of products 2. Freshness 3. Value for money - quite inexpensive 4. Staff picks and suggestions - help you navigate the different brands

What a great find! I've been here a few times for a quick sushi lunch and it's a bonus it's also a…read moreJapanese convenience store. (This is where I'll pick up some frozen udon, soba noodles and sauces). The good thing about this place is that it's got variety, from sashimi to different sushi rolls, even seared ones too. The sauces aren't too over powering as other sushi joints may smother mayo all over the sushi! There's only been one time that sushi I ordered there wasn't as good, salmon was a bit chewy. I recently ordered a platter for dinner and it was ready to be picked up in 1hr (called to order). Great presentation for a dinner party or if you just want to indulge in a sushi platter for dinner.

My wife and I are visiting from the States. We love sushi and were lucky enough to find Shoya on…read moreour first night. The fish was incredibly fresh and delicious. We sat at the sushi bar and watched Chef Shigeo work. What a treat! The man is wizard with a knife. I think we're going back tonight.

We would never have discovered Shoya at all had it not been for the small write-up it received in…read moreThe Age Good Food Guide. So off we ventured to Melbourne's Market Lane one Friday night with a strong craving for good Japanese food in our bellies and our minds. Shoya is a large, multi-levelled restaurant so there's never much trouble getting a table. We opted for a regular table rather than the horigotatsu style (sunken tables) or seating by the sushi counter. I have now been to Shoya twice and the only seating I've yet to try is the by the sushi counter, but I can tell you that the sunken tables are more fun than the regular ones. Their sake list is excellent and I really recommend overlooking the wine list for a good sake (not that the wine list isn't good, but you know, when in Rome/a Japanese restaurant...) or placing your order with your very professional waiter and letting them match a sake to the dishes you've selected. By the way, if the menu gets to be too much, there is no shame in opting for the degustation or omakase. This way you know you're letting the chef show-off his best and finest dishes to you. Order from the menu though and you will be rewarded with immaculately clean and balanced flavours. Try the agadashi dofu and the Hokkaido spider crab legs (lightly battered and fried, and to die for).