Just finished a quick lunch at my favourite Japanese joint. I'm a big fan of their bento box…read morespecials for lunch, at $18 I haven't needed to go any further. The Tempura bento is great, with veggies and seafood tempura, miso soup, sushi & sashimi, rice salad and a small starter it's bento heaven. The ingredients are fresh service is friendly and fast, making it a great place to eat. The volcano roll at $17 is a little pricey but just about my favourite sushi. Yeeees

I went to Hibachi for lunch after seeing its 5 stars on Yelp. And what a disappointment it was!…read more I'm vegetarian, and restaurants can usually cater to me pretty easily. But not at Hibachi: the waitress repeatedly asked me if I was allergic to sea food. No I'm not, but being vegetarian should be reason enough not to put fish in my dish! The chef couldn't whip up something without fish stock in it, making me question how fresh things really are there... I ended up having a vegetarian roll, which was quite good but cost me 18$! My friend had a bento menu and was not that amazed by the flavours, although I have to admit there was a lot of food on the tray. One place I'm sure I won't go back to!

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.

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.

This place is an extremely confusing From start to finish I…read morewas a bit complexed about what this place was trying to achieve Came here drawn by the nice aesthetic and vibes good mood lighting and big sign saying Veganism outside Sitting down we were given a menu with WAY too many menu items - this is usually a recipe for disaster but once again it was confusing in how it didn't disappoint but didn't really blow us away either ... The dishes we ordered were massive servings but while they were good in some areas like taste perhaps, it failed poorly in areas say how well the dish was put together. Eg the laksa was tasty but way too rich, the Udon was nice in balance but lacked flavour in the soup Super confusing Extensive drinks menu (very extensive) And a bit on the more expensive side but definitely portion sizings to match Very interesting and confusing :D

Updated review after eating there a second time. I was a bit overzealous the first time whilst in…read moregood company and enjoying a couple beers. This time I came in for lunch and was greeted with the same fast service. I tried their signature tonkatsu shio ramen, which was as described as a milky broth with a decent amount of toppings. However the broth could have had a bit more pork taste, not sure how long it is cooked to really draw out the flavour. I was a bit disappointed when enquiring about condiments commonly found on every table in a ramen shop, there was none (chilli oil, pepper, sesame seeds, etc.). They were going to charge $2 for chilli oil. What?! I accepted the togarashi red pepper instead for free. Thankfully the beer I ordered was up to par. Their selection of craft beer is quite uncommon for most ramen shops and is a definite draw here. I still feel it's a decent place for entrees and ramen, especially standing out amongst the long road of Vietnamese shops.

Fast, cheap and tasty! What else do you want when you want a naughty lunch at work?…read more The sushi is not world class but it gets the job done, the meals are a good size for the average cost of $10 and the staff are super friendly. You'll find all your favourites here, Katsu curry, The Dons, Teriyaki and everything in between, and of course as mentioned they have a sushi bar. There is a minimum of $10 on EFTPOS, which super annoys me, but what are you going to do, right? Right?! All in all, swing by and grab a bite!

With the amount of quick & easy sushi spots on Chapel Street this place ain't anything special…read more They have the usual pre made sushi rolls & boxes available for a quick & easy lunch if that's what you're after, you can't go too wrong. I have to say it was relatively fresh & there was a wide variety & supply of brown rice varieties which I award a star for. The usual Japanese hot dishes are on offer but they failed me on my favourite Agedashi Tofu. Cooked to order but the lack of soupy sauce left it crispy & deep fried & completely lacking in flavour. A staple for these fast food sushi joints & they failed miserably. But on the flip side if you're in the vicinity, starving & need something quick then ear at your own risk.

I was excited to try this after reading the reviews but I'm afraid it didn't quite live up to my…read moreramen standards. It might be more fun when drinking beer or sake but it was quite sobering otherwise. The okonomiyaki on a stick was good. It wasn't amazing but a nice start to the meal. I suggest getting one per person next time as it would have been easier than sharing. The shoyu ramen had all the right toppings but the broth lacked real flavour. Even after adding spices I still felt like it was just average. The pork, whilst tender, was bland. It could have used some braising on the grill. I would rather take a trip to the CBD for better ramen options but perhaps their other broths would provide more reason to return. Overall the portion size was worth the price.

We used to live around the corner from here and frequently dropped in. I'd never even heard of…read moreramen before coming to this venue. The bowls are a decent size and there is a range of delicious ramen flavours. Also they do edamame like no other place in the world. It's delicious and you will find no equal, a unique blend of salt, garlic and chilli, it's crunchy and tasty. The karaage chicken or JFC is really good as well. There is a cute courtyard out the back that is nice and quiet most of the time. The restaurant itself is quite popular and can get busy around dinnertime :)

We had the gutan (oxe tongue), buta no shogayaki (pork ginger strips) & katsu nabe (fried pork…read moresoup). The last two were excellent, on par with the best i have had in japan. At these prices together with friendly service, clean and japanese styles setting what more could you want?

A great find for a sneaky Wednesday lunch. We (a table for two) shared a hotpot. It was spot on…read more Lovely food and lovely service. Thank you!

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).