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).

Kappo is located on the ground level of Hihou - same entrance. When I came in intending to eat at…read moreHihou, it was explained that Kappo offered an omakase or chef's selection option, compared to the sushi menu of Hihou. My partner and I elected for the omakase menu paired with sake. Immediately I was fascinated by the restaurant when we were asked first to select a sake glass. There were eight ceramic cups presented, each with a unique shape and colouring. It felt like we were taking a personality test. Then we were asked to select chopsticks. Again, what could this all mean? It was exhilarating and entertaining as we embarked on our culinary journey. There were three options for the omakase menu. 5, 7 and 9 courses. We opted for the middle, 7 courses, which I remember hoping at the time was going to be enough. Mind you, every course came with a different sake pairing, and there were many courses that they left us with more than just one cup to taste. The waiter did an excellent job explaining each type of sake, answering questions and also asking our preferences when selecting the bottle. The courses were extraordinary. It was a mix of light bites such as a raw oyster with light seasoning, salad with crunchy tempura bits and a soy sesame dressing, and thinly sliced sashimi. Then came the sushi, perfectly cut melt in your mouth fish, a selection of three, scallops, octopus and other treasures from the ocean. There were hearty courses like soup, baked pumpkin, and warm crab. I purposely did not take any photos aside from a sake bottle I really enjoyed. The pairings were perfect and the food overall was so exquisite, it's hard to find the words. It was truly a magical evening, from start to finish. The ambiance is intimate yet there were enough people there for a quiet hum between courses. I have yet to try Hihou but would highly recommend Kappo if you are looking for an authentic, unique dining experience guaranteed to awaken your senses.

This would have to be one of the most memorable Japanese dining experiences I have had! From the…read moremoment of entering the restaurant from Flinders Lane (the doorway can be quite easy to miss), which almost feels like you are entering a private residence, and being ushered through to the bar area, which is small and intimate. The restaurant itself only has a limited capacity so recommend booking well in advance, especially for weekends. As far as I am aware, degustation is the only dining option, and the number of courses (5, 7 or 9) needs to be selected in advance when the booking is made via the website. There is also the option to have matched sake/wines with each course, which is highly recommended. We went for the 7 course menu, and each dish was spectacular - the flavour combinations and freshness of the produce was outstanding. Due to the restaurant having such a small and intimate feel to it, they request that flash photography is not used inside. This is actually a breath of fresh air, not being surrounded by people taking photos of their food for once, and actually just savouring the flavours!

What a surprise! I was looking for a bite to eat late one evening and happened upon this wonderful…read moresushi restaurant in CBD Melbourne. It wasn't obvious from the sidewalk a night, and I wasn't sure what I'd find as I walked down the steps to the basement location, however I was amazed at the size and cool vibe as I turned the corner into a large and modern restaurant. The food and service were great, Including offering to provide 1/2 servings because I couldn't decide between the two recommended main dishes. Definitely an "I'll be back" experience.

Disappointed with this choice. hard to find with just a simple easel sign in an office type…read morebuilding entrance. Absolutely empty on this Tuesday night. Red flag. No one at the sushi bar or anywhere else. Moldy smell throughout which is a problem since this place is below ground. But to save a star, a great selection of sake. Menus are dirty and disorganized. Not easy food selections. Food was just ok. Too many other better options in the areas.

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.

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!

This place gets 3/5 from me because I had a special -50% discount on TheFork. At full price, it is…read moreprobably a 2/5 for me. Japanese restaurant by the harbour. Most of the dishes were good, except for the sushi. The fish was fresh, but the rice was falling apart, indicating that the kitchen didn't have a good sushi chef. Service was also incredibly slow - took ages for food to arrive. What should have been a fairly quick lunch meal stretched for more than 2 hours. Worth going if there's a good discount available on TheFork, otherwise I think it is slightly pricey for the quality and the service levels.

Sometimes there's those restaurants that win you over in a quiet, subtle, way. The ones you find…read moreyourself daydreaming about when you're at your desk at the end of the day and thinking ahead to dinner... the ones that have menu items that keep you awake at night wondering how they get the flavour and the texture just so perfectly right. For me, one of those places is Akachochin. I've been here a number of times in the last few of months. Dinners, lunches, a quick snack and glass of sake before heading to other places. Every time I've left feeling happier than when I walked in. Satisfied, but not stuffed. Content. It's open and bright, clean and slick without being too minimalist. The food is presented on beautiful crockery, your chopsticks rest on what looks like a pebble but is actually a beautifully moulded piece of clay. Sake is drunk from pretty glasses that look like something from deep inside the ocean. Before I even eat anything, I already feel better about the world. For the most part the service is unobtrusive, gentle even. I always feel taken care of at Akachochin, which of course is what service is all about but most places don't have the inexplicable magical touch of giving me everything I want and need without making me feel like I've been "worked". Some of the waiters here get it right better than others and I almost feel like I should make my booking especially when I know my favourite, Mason, will be working. (Would that be creepy?) The food? Oh yes, let's get to that shall we? The Hiramasa Namerou (a chopped kingfish tartar) is the stuff that keeps me awake at night. Even after attending a lunch where Chef Kengo Hiromatsu taught me how to make this dish, I still can't quite put my finger on why it tastes so amazing. There's spring onion, wasabi, miso, seasame seeds and other goodness in there... it's such a perfectly balanced dish and texturally rocks my world with the crunch of the accompanying home made rice crackers. This is one of those dishes I could eat multiple times in a week and never tire of, though I suspect the magic ingredient is all about having Kengo prepare it for you. Also on the menu is a very fine selection of sushi and sashimi, and if your'e lucky you can score a seat at the chef's bar and watch the masters at work as they slice your fish, form your nigiri and plate everything in an artful way. It seems a shame to eat the resulting masterpieces. There's grilled items, Udon, slow braised meat dishes and all manner of vegetable items. It's easy to order a few items and then order more as your stomach demands. Come at lunch time and enjoy a $20 bento that is generous and delicious. With multiple choices available, you could be eating Chicken Udon or Grilled Pork or perhaps fried tofu with mountain vegetables. Each bento also comes with some sashimi, rice and pickles. Yes, I have a bit of a soft spot for Akachochin and hope you will too. .

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!

Edo House is great if you are in the mood for a quick & tasty Japanese Lunch or snack…read more They serve Sushi of all kinds and have quite an extensive hot food menu. The great thing is that you don't have to wait too long either. Right now I can't resist Tamoyaki, so of course I had that and was not disappointed. The Chicken Terriyaki Bento box is great too and packed full of flavour. Too much flavour maybe? I was really pleased with Edo, it's no high end eatery but it does a great job in filling up your tummy!

I adore this place. Good food, good service, good prices, good set up. Lots of options. I can't…read moreturn down a bowl of udon myself and my fiancé loves the sushi and amazingly fresh sashimi. Been going several times a month now, even taking my friends! Cannot recommend highly enough. Always more than satisfied. A little gem!