Ichi Ichi Ku served unique Japanese food, they also have a coffee window for quick take away…read morecoffee. They also have a delivery service for places around their restaurant or pick up services and catering for corporate or special events. Their service was as friendly, attentive even though sometimes on peak hours, the food preparations can take longer than expected Come early to avoid the crowd cause the restaurant is often crowded and operates on first come first come basis. Ichi Ichi Ku is a perfect place to escape from the city busyness without having to travel too far away from the city.

After a run around the tan my ravenous friends and I decided to check out the breakfast menu at…read morethis cute little hideaway and it did not disappoint. After agonising over the choices all of which looked delicious we went for the chai Bircher, which was amazing almost like a dessert with poached pear and raspberry syrup, the pulled pork which comes with perfectly poached eggs in Panko crumbs and the cheesy polenta porridge, all of which were amazing. We were tempted to stay for lunch or at least try the desserts but decided to leave it for another visit of which I hope there will be plenty :)

As this is a review for the food/service/ and ambiance, I shall discuss all of these different…read moreissues. I recently visited Kazuya Cuisine and I wish I could go back to December. The service was so bad, it was like they had bad blood with me. They never gave me a reason for the way they treated me. They just acted like I was invisible. They made me feel like I was the last great American dynasty, but not in a good way. The quality of the food was poor and not at the correct temperature. It was a cruel summer for my taste buds. The dishes were bland and boring, nothing like the sparks fly I expected. They served me cold as you sushi and wildest dreams noodles. The restaurant was not clean and well-maintained. It looked like a place where the lovers go to hide away. There were stains on the tablecloth and dust on the shelves. It made me feel like I was in exile. The atmosphere was dark and gloomy, like a haunted house. The lighting was too dim, the music was too loud, and the design was too cluttered. The restaurant lacked a clear brand story and personality. It did not impress me with a great view or a remarkable ambiance. I would not recommend this restaurant to others. You need to calm down and find a better place to eat. Don't say yes to this place, just run away now. You deserve something better than this. You belong with me, at a restaurant that makes you happy. A place where you can shake it off and have fun. A place where you can see the daylight and feel the love story. A place where you can be fearless and speak now. A place where you can be yourself and not worry about anything else. Kindest Regards, Vishkuma Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour - Melbourne Night 2 and 3 atendee.

Seriously great Japanese. I came here on many…read morerecommendations from work colleagues. We had an an assortment roll selection, tempura prawn bento and chicken teriyaki bento. All absolutely fresh and super delicious. Probably the best Bento I have ever eaten. The chef is super nice and will make anything you like really. My friends always have the chicken katsu don and they love it. This place will definitely be our go to place for Japanese now. They don't deliver but you can order ahead online and pick up later.

Great place for sushi!! Found this on Yelp of course and had to try it. My first time in Melbourne!…read more Very impressive menu and reasonable prices. There was a nice selection of sushi, sashimi and hot dishes. See my pics of the menu! We tried the Sushi and sashimi special combination first. Everything was excellent. I also ordered some yellowtail nigiri and salmon. Service was prompt and friendly. It wasn't too busy when we were here but when we walked past later it was packed. They have indoor and outdoor seating. Will definitely be back next time am in town!

I had a highly enjoyable experience eating at Kanpai Japanese Restaurant. It all began with a quest…read moreto find a decent Japanese place near the city -- but not too close to the city that parking would be impossible. I think Kanpai is in a great location for the perfect balance. ~ Inside, its dimly lit, warm atmosphere is relaxing and the staff are welcoming and understanding. ~ The drinks come in big glasses, the food is well presented, and orders come out quickly. ~ The open kitchen style is nice, albeit not particularly unique, finding comforts in the more traditional teppanyaki-styled Japanese restaurants. The downside of this is that when the restaurant is busy, I imagine the kitchen sounds could get quite noisy for the seating environment. ~ The restaurant is open 'late' on some nights -- and they mean it more than other restaurants in the area. Kanpai was actually my second choice of places to try, however arriving at the first restaurant at 10.15pm on a Saturday night and finding it closed made me give Kanpai a try. On the Saturday night I was here, the kitchen closed at about 11pm. ~ Sadly, the entrees and mains did not come out at the same time. It's a little pet peeve of mine, but if I'm eating with someone else and my entree arrives ten minutes before theirs, I have the choice of either being rude and gobble it up without waiting for theirs to show, or allow it to go cold while waiting for my dining partner's dish. Overall, the food was tasty, the environment was quiet and clean, the experience was positive, and the staff were kind. I even had a laugh at the waiter who I witnessed using an array of chopsticks and sticky-tape to rescue a receipt that had fallen behind the fridge. A positive dining experience. I will be back.

Food fight, food fight, food fight!!!…read more As the other reviewers have pointed out, Tokyo Teppanyaki is not your regular upmarket meal. In fact you could even say that it is 70% entertainment and 30% eating. The first time we went here I had no idea of what to expect. I didn't even know what Teppanyaki was (The word teppanyaki is derived from teppan, which means iron plate, and yaki, which means grilled, broiled or pan-fried - so wikipedia tells me). It gives your cook the opportunity to cook in front of guests. Having no idea what to expect probably heightened the experience for my first time. So just go there and don't read on. STOP READING NOW! If you've decided to find out more then you can expect plenty of the following: - the bowl and rice catch - the egg in your face - more comical events The food itself is actually really good. And you don't have to work for it every time. We ordered sashimi on the side which was also really good. Starting at $65 this isn't a cheap meal. But it is definitely worth the experience if you want an amusing night. It is really the chefs who make the experience and they might be from anywhere in Asia but all have the common thread of being a riot! I think they must get personality tested before getting this gig. I forgot to mention... our Korean chef told me I looked like a white version of a famous Korean movie star.

I've had better teppanyaki, but I do like the effort this place put in. We had a birthday party…read morehere and the service was good. The servers were always refilling water and our drink orders and the chef "Crazy John" was hilarious. The downside was that the food was overcooked and often burned. I ordered the Osaka Set for $65 and hubby ordered the Emperor's Set for $100. He said afterwards that it wasn't worth the $35 extra. He got half a lobster tail, wagyu beef, scallops and a dessert for the extra money but the lobster tail was actually a crayfish and was very overdone. Seafood in general should only be cooked for a short period of time, but most of it was rubbery and overdone. Hubby said that my steak for the $65 set was better than the wagu that he received. They do all the fancy grilling/chopping/throwing of food, which was very well done and then moved us to another table up front for the birthday cake and tea and coffee. The reason I'm not giving a meh, i've had better is that they give you really nice service and a birthday photo for you to keep at the end. The details are nice but the kids birthdays, (screaming, bumping of chairs) and the actual food isn't as good as other places. It's good for a group but not for a date night. NB, the better teppanyaki places I've been are: Burwood Teppanyaki in Melbourne, Kobe Japanese Steak House in Maui, Kobe Japanese Steak and Seafood House in Vancouver and Showchef Teppanyaki in Sydney.

It was quiet during the normal lunchtime rush so I enjoyed an eclectic mix of music as I sat in a…read moredimly lit room. Probably the first thing I noticed after the casual and natural art decor was that Yoku Ono is staffed by all females. It was quite uplifting to see! Having heard about their ramen, I went with the spicy miso with pork belly. With only three to choose from, I hoped they knew what they were doing. They sure did! It was a beautiful presentation in the bowl, with heaps of toppings. Four thick slices of pork belly, half an egg, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and nori. Not to mention all the slightly thicker made noodles. I'm not generally a chicken broth fan but they did well to season it with black sesame oil. I will say there was absolutely no spice. I'm not sure if they just served me with the regular miso ramen in error. It was still a tasty meal! I would return to try the tan tan men or something else from the menu. They have an impressive sake list and bar seating along with upstairs seating for the busier times.

With a distinct lack of real ramen on this side of the city I was pleasantly surprised to discover…read moreYoku Ono. It's a welcoming restaurant with nice ambience. The chicken karaage was enjoyable and well presented. At around $17 the ramen was fine, not in the class of some of the popular ramen joints in the city. I found the broth lacking in the depth of flavour I crave for in a bowl of ramen. The noodles were not to my liking and did not taste hand made. I also found the pieces of pork mostly consisting of fat. If you need ramen on this side of the city, it's the only real choice, personally I'd prefer to frequent some of my favorite ramen businesses in the CBD.

For a place that serves quality small plates I'm surprised it doesn't get that much business…read more Everything was simply amazing. The sashimi is so soft and flavorful rich. I'm still baffled at the salad that was served with raw meat and a tiny quail egg. I thought I tried everything Japanese by now, but that was new and amazing. The one thing that wasn't good... matcha beer. It's not a good idea, don't do it. Also wish they served their matcha without soymilk.

From the owner: Gyoza Gyoza, a true unique dining experience of Japanese Izakaya style eatery with over 80 dishes…read moreall from $6.80 per dish.

If you think that Japanese food is about something more than sushi then this is the place for you…read more Friendly atmosphere, intimate dining and an excellent menu that is regularly updated. The sake is excellent and if you need advice ask the staff. Well worth the effort.

As much as I prefer the contact of wait staff when I order there is a novelty and some advantages…read moreof the iPad menu and ordering system. Worth a go. I'm a big fan of the mix on this menu with sashimi, off the grill and classic Japanese favorites. Absolutely delicious and easy to over order, which really isn't a problem as far as I see it. The drinks list is one you want to work through for obviously sake but also beer and cocktails. I indulged in the beer list as you'll see with my pics cos I got too excited and forgot to take any photos of the food.

We came here after we were blown away with with Niku Ou, their sister restaurant located in…read moreMelbourne CBD. In fact, Wagyu Ya is the first branch! They have similar menus but over here, they cook the meat inside and not on the table.  The chef was very kind and suggested that we order the foie gras fried rice to try and it absolutely knocked our socks off because it was literally one of the best things we've ever eaten. You HAVE to try it at least once in your lifetime, we HIGHLY recommend it!

This venue just opened, steps from Cafe Republic. Downstairs serves standard sushi and similar…read morefare, upstairs is the grill tables. We chose the grill and were seated at a pleasant two-person table. We had arrived early for dinner and the room was mostly empty when we sat down, but it rapidly filled to capacity as we ate. And ate, and ate, and drank! We started with edamame and marinated wasabi octopus. The octopus was lovely, as the Aussies like to say. Next we has a small dish of Unagi, which is my wife's favorite sushi. It was quite good, on par with other fine sushi shops I have visited. For mains, to be self cooked on the charcoal grill built in to the table, we had Ox shoulder, fillet, and sirloin, with a variety of small vegetables and corn coblets. All of the meats were excellent, along with the selection of dipping sauces that were provided. Cooking the food in the table grill was a bit of fun and the very attentive wait staff helped us thru the process. We finished with black sesame ice cream with almonds, which was exceptionally good. All of this was washed down with an excellent bottle of sake. This restaurant is a welcome addition to Toorak Road!

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!

I have eaten a lot of poke having grown up in Hawaii when it wasn't the latest fad but a way of…read morelife. Fresh fish. Different spices. Great flavour. Poke Me delivers more than just the seafood aspect of poke but an array of toppings to make it a great meal. For starters, I like the minimalist decor. It's almost easy to miss walking by as the new kid on the block, if it weren't for all the people shovelling down the goods. Walk up, order and wait for your name to be called. (Note: Only cards accepted - no cash!) The assembly line is more like a fresh deli, with big jars and bowls full of fresh veggies and proteins. You pay a set price depending on the protein you order - tofu starts at $12, chicken, salmon and kingfish are $14, tuna is $15. You follow the easy instructions above starting with the base - rice or salad, then protein, two long lists of toppings, and then your sauce. They have Korean rice, so yummy! Even their toppings go the extra mile with red pepper edamame, pickled cucumber with ginger, Kimchi, wasabi tobiko, two kinds of sesame, flavoured mushrooms, the list goes on. You can have it all! The portion size is extremely generous. I was super hungry and still could not finish it. Easy take away for a second meal! Fish quality was good for what could be called 'fast food.' Their sauces are spectacular too - traditional poke is shoyu style, but you can get two types of mayo, jalepeno, a total of five or six to choose or try a few. I'll definitely be back as this is the perfect summer food, leaving you feeling healthy and happy. :)