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.

My second visit wasn't so good as the first. We arrived at 8.15pm, they took our order 15 minutes…read morelater, then dishes came out in dribs and drabs in no particular order - first scollops, 20 minutes later edamame beans, 10 minutes later wagyu beef sushi, then the most meagre serving of tempura mixed prawns $18 arrived at 9.40pm and we'd grown hungry again by the time our sesame ice cream with a sad little bruised strawberry on top arrived. With a lemonade and Kirin beer, the bill came to $66.00, taken with a mild apology from the owners. I'm giving one star for location and atmosphere (quiet & close semblance of a restaurant we visited whilst in Osaka) and one star for the actual arrival of hot, reasonably decent "Japanese" cuisine.

I have never been to restaurant anywhere in the world, only at this Kanji restaurant, where they…read morewanted you to write down on a piece of paper your order. You wanted to go out and have a dinner to relaxed and be serve and not worry of anything but this restaurant is very horrendous, making dinner very laborious where they wanted you to write down all the details from their menu the item number ( which is several numbers), quantity and the description of the food. When they sat us down, we aren't even informed that we have to do it, they wanted us to figure out what are those small piece of papers on the tables are for. We are not aware and we have wasted lots of time, when we are ready to order, this waitress Tina, is very unpleasant and unfriendly and have the worst customer service ever, told us off that that's how they do things. We left and vowed never to go back on that place. That thing writing your order only serves those absolutely LAZY waitress. Worst customer service and HIGHLY NOT RECOMMENDED! BAD FOOD AND BAD SERVICE

Brown rice sushi. Three words that got me hooked on Izakaya…read more Not many sushi places have a healthier, yummier option like this. Of course, like any successful sushi place, they have other options too. I always say I'm going to try something new but end up with a brown rice sushi roll or three. Ask for wasabi and soy sauce and enjoy!

A nice grab and go. The sushi her is consistently ok. You can tell though when the sushi has been…read morein the fridge overnight because the seaweed is hard to rip through like sticky tape.

Was excited to try the food train for the first time. I found the concept to be very interesting…read more The food on the train keeps moving and we pick the ones that we like. Most of the food was sushi and the ones that we tried were all fresh and delicious! The premium ($8) items also were good. Staff were attentive and the place was well kept.

The other sushi trains in the city even the one in box hill is better. $$ for drinks are crazy and…read morehas too many sweet sauces. WIR?? No thank you. has promise and great location.

The service is impeccable here. I'd advise booking ahead on the popular nights like Friday and…read moreSaturday. The food was fabulous as well, hot fresh and tasty.

Being a fan of Japanese food I was very excited when I discovered Yokoso Izakaya in my local…read moreneighborhood. We ordered soft shell crab sushi roll which was delicious. When the waitress discovered we were sharing it she offered to to ensure the roll was sliced into six rather than five so we didn't have to fight over the last piece! We ordered a warm sake and were delighted when it came out in a cute little pourer bottle in the shape of a man. The food was fresh and tasty and we'll be going back for more!

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 :)

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.

Izakaya Chuji is a little gem! Izakaya-style dining, which is basically Japanese tapas, is…read morecurrently in vogue in Melbourne thanks to the Den, but Chuji has been kicking along steadily for more than 20 years regardless of fashion. Watching the chefs at the open kitchen in Izakaya Chuji is truly inspiring - they are super-fast and know how to handle a sharp knife. The food is traditional, fresh and beautifully presented. Don't miss the ika butter, which is squid cooked in butter. It literally melts in your mouth. These are the guys that own Nihonshu Sake bar on Londsdale, so Izakaya Chuji has a pretty impressive range of beverages. They do both warm and cold sake, beers and there's a big range of whisky. Izakaya Chuji can get pretty loud when it's pumping, but that's part of the fun - highly recommended!

I can't believe it's taken me this long to get to Izakaya Chuji! What a great little spot…read more The eggplant with miso sauce is the sexiest thing I've put in my mouth all month - it's silky and slippery, savoury and sweet all at once. I was sad I had to share it with three friends and considered trading their portion for my skewered beef with terriyaki, but then that was delicious too! It has a fabulous atmosphere perfect for a date or a catch up with friends over a bottle of sake and a bowl of edamame (which are really good!). I'm adding this to my list of regular mid-week haunts. Love it.

Lovely little Gyoza place. Huge variety of small bites and a great drink menu. My husband and I…read moresaw this gem and thought we'd give it a try our first night in Melbourne. Salmon tartare was my fav!! So light and flavorful, three delicate pieces packed in yumminess. We ordered a few more Gyoza appetizers and two drinks. The food is mostly $6.80 each for small plates which was perfect for a little nibble. Very clean place and friendly, helpful wait staff.

This Izakaya Style Tapas Restaurant is a great place to sample lots of small bite size dishes for…read morethe price of $6.80. Order a salad and then add to your order another four choices for a great affordable meal. The Gyoza here is a specialty. Order at least a couple of plates! The spicy chicken salad is very spicy Beware. After attempting to eat this my mouth was on fire. Pity as I usually like hot spicy food All dishes we ordered were very tasty and well presented.