Aka Tombo. Just wow. I was incredibly impressed with the quality of the food here. Ended up coming here out of chance -- I was in the area and looked up nearby Japanese restaurants on Yelp and this one stood out. I'm glad I decided to check it out!
~ The staff are amazing. Inherent to legitimate Japanese restaurants, all the staff welcomed us when we entered. The young boy who served us was professional and courteous. My dining partner is vegetarian and questioned whether one of the items on the menu were was meat-free, and ultimately decided to order something else because it wasn't. Then, the waiter came back a few minutes later to let him know that the other item he ordered also contained fish, wondering whether my partner would like to change his order. This attention to detail is what more restaurants need.
Similarly, when presenting us with edamame, the waiter asked us if we knew how to eat it properly. Being Japanese cuisine experts, naturally we did. But it was a nice thought anyway, and the fact that the staff are prepared to teach customers how to eat the cuisine in a traditional fashion is noteworthy.
~ Each table had a candle. I love candles. I love tables with candles. A+.
~ As mentioned above, the staff here are legitimately Japanese. There seems to be an increasing trend in Melbourne for quasi-Japanese restaurants that are actually run by Chinese or some other oriental people assuming that no one would be able to tell the difference. This is not the case at Aka Tombo, and you can certainly tell by the quality of the food, the presentation, and the mannerisms of the staff.
Downsides:
~ Pretty expensive. Japanese food always tends to be on the higher end of restaurant pricings, but just be warned: I had the chef's special (5 best pieces of fish that day) I feel that $21 for five pieces of sushi is quite pricey, and it wasn't particularly satiating.
~ Small food portions. For the price you pay, the serving sizes are horrible small. Amongst getting quite a few dishes between the two of us (and simultaneously breaking the bank) we still left the restaurant feeling like we could eat more.
If you are an authentic Japanese experience, this is the place. But be prepared that it will also most likely break the bank. A great place to bring a friend or go on a date -- the atmosphere is divine. Not sure how well this place would be able to manage a group, though.
NB: Came here at 20:00 on a Saturday night and there was only one other group of two people here. Not sure about Samantha H.'s comments about "bookings necessary" , but we certainly didn't need one and from my experience you won't need one either. read more