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    Cho Cho San

    4.4 (27 reviews)
    PriceyJapanese
    Open 5:30 pm - 11:00 PM

    Cho Cho San Photos

    CHO CHO SAN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Classy
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

    Recommended Reviews - Cho Cho San

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    Reviews With Photos

    Wai L.

    As good as promised. Very creative dishes that were delicious. We got the 8 course pairing for around 80 Australian. That's about $54 USD. We got reservations a few weeks in advance. The place was pretty packed on a Tuesday night around 6 pm. Highlights: Fried rice was perfect. Didn't know you could make rice to such a delightful texture. Salmon sashimi was like butter. yummm Chicken was so tender. Melt in your mouth. Black sesame ice cream mochi - good heavens. This is brilliant. Delicious. So so good. Other perks were there great service and clever cocktails. It's a nice walk also to this part of town. Very charming residential area!

    Katsu bun
    Daniel K.

    Absolutely loved our meal here. The ambiance was nice and cool, with dim lights, a modern look. We got seats at the bar, which you share with multiple groups. PRO TIP: When making reservations, place a request for table seating if you prefer to have your own space. Otherwise, no request means you're OK with, and likely going to be seated at, the bar. We started with the katsu buns. The katsu was prepared with shredded meat, so very tender with a nice crisp exterior. Really enjoyed this in comparison to traditional katsu in buns that I've had at other places. The tempura okra is exactly how you'd imagine. With a delicate tempura shell and well-prepared okra in the center. Very delicious! We probably enjoyed the onokonomiyaki the least as the seasoning seemed to overtake the dish. Really didn't get to enjoy the pumpkin in it as much. Finally ended with tonkatsu with curry. Really love how everything they fry here comes out nice and light, without being excessively grease-forward. Curry sauce and sliced cabbage come on side. Would recommend throwing in a bowl of rice.

    Victor J.

    4.5 stars. This is a beautiful venue for "semi-modern" Japanese cuisine. Mostly modern takes but lots of items which are still traditional like tempura and fried rice. I really liked the vibe and the food was generally excellent. I tried several things in the menu and found their take to be good. Things that were good: eggplant on a stick with miso (can keep on eating these things), pork on a bun (liked the momofuku one in nyc slightly better but still good. the tangy sauce is their take on this), mushroom in broth (one of the main veggie course), butter bourbon (cocktail was really good) Things that I didn't like as much: artichoke tempura (batter was a bit too thick and fried a bit too much that you can most taste oil), shrimp in butter (i'm mixed about this - like the idea about serving the head and you can eat the "fat" underneath but the butter was just too much after eating all three pieces maybe if you shared this and ate rice with it, it won't be too much butter left in your palate)

    Succulent charcoal chicken...
    Mick A.

    Five visits since my last review I can say with certainty this restaurant is world class. It is serving excellent food, indeed outstanding dishes. There are many that are great and here are some of my favourites..... - Porksteam bun...a signature... - Japanese bolognese - Crab omelette.....my favourite, stunning - Tempura bug....a special of recent times and many more.... A really professional restaurant at the front of delivering true excellence. A true recommendation.........

    Pork bun
    Eugenie C.

    Walked past this restaurant one day and thought the cute minimalistic stone themed decor looked extremely cute so I made a note to myself that I had to try it out (had never heard of Cho Cho San before I went but now noticed it's in all the food guides and my friends had known about it for a while!) The inside of the restaurant featured a long communal table and bar seats around the side of the restaurant. Sat on the bar seat facing the front floor to ceiling pane and did a lot of people watching. Food was amazing! Having never heard of the restaurant before I had no expectations. Food is tapas style so maybe order 3 dishes per person. Loved the wasabi peas.

    Pork Katsu bun
    Howard C.

    Finally ventured out to try this place. It's a modern Japanese joint that doesn't do anything extremely innovating, so if you've been to one before then the menu won't be anything too special, but they do old faithfuls really well. Service was great, they're really helpful and knowledgeable here and can give recommendations if asked. My one gripe is their booking system...I booked for a Monday at 6:30pm and they emailed back saying they might be able to do 6:15 but will confirm the day of. The day of I get a text saying we're booked for 5:30pm and to verify...uhh WTF? Who eats at 5:30pm, especially when we asked for 6:30pm? We got it sorted without issue, but it was just strange...especially since when we arrived at 6:30pm it wasn't packed at all, but maybe that was due to the weather. We started with a pork katsu bun, then onto Chicken Karaage, then moved onto the XO Noodles, and finished with the Teriyaki Beef Short Rib. The pork bun was pretty good, albeit expensive at $8. The Chicken Karaage was alright at $15, I've had better at cheaper places but it was a light and fluffy batter. The XO Noodles ($17) were on point, albeit portions on the small side...but the fried noodles were really chewy and tender. The Teriyaki Beef Short Rib ($42) was the star of the show, absolutely delicious. I would come back just for this...tender, juicy, and umami party up in your mouth. We ended with their dessert special, mochi black sesame ice cream which was really good. Total without drinks was under $100 so really affordable, if you have a big appetite I'd probably order 1 more dish. All in all a good experience.

    Krystal N.

    Finally got to try out this place!!! I didn't expect the space to be so small but regardless, the food was amazing. The ocean trout and pork loin were definitely highlights for me, not to mention the black sesame mochi that everyone raves about!

    Scallops
    Ravi B.

    Firstly I arrived at the restaurant, hyped up about the one hat rating, had a mellow atmosphere and then was let down. Don't get me wrong.. The food's fusion creativity I would give 5 stars and the menu changes so often which is good. The taste and flavour of some of the dishes need to be refined. It was either too sweet or a bit tasteless or too savoury. Most of the younger staff were friendly but the elder ones were rude. No apologies whatsoever. Normally I would tip the restaurant but I didn't.

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    1 year ago

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    6 months ago

    VERY GOOD! The food was amazing and so was the service if Australia had a Michelin guide this would definitely be on it

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    10 years ago

    Great service, got booking on same day, excellent food, particularly the sashimi platter and the green beans

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    10 years ago

    Tasting menu is fantastic. Liked the atmosphere and had a good vibe.

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    Rosan

    Rosan

    4.3(6 reviews)
    1.3 kmDarlinghurst
    $$

    An authentic japanese restaurant - delicious shabu shabu - small menu with many traditional options…read more(IT is not a Sushi place) and heaps of specials on a black board. Thé restaurant look and Feel is great - quiet, simple and elegant. And IT is great value! I will be back to try more!

    Really a hidden gem. One of those places that you'd almost rather not write a review in case it…read morebecomes too hard to get a booking, but this place deserves it. Recommended to me by a Japanese friend, it's leagues above your standard chicken teriyaki, nabeyaki udon, California roll sushi place. The secret typically is to order off the specials menu, any seafood they have there is usually seasonal and astoundingly fresh. Sea urchin, toro tuna belly, anything off that menu is usually delicious. Any sushi or sashimi is just excellent and comparable in freshness and preparation to places like Azuma but without the price tag. They do the "standards" well, too - chicken karaage has a real crispness and crunchiness to the skin, the wagyu beef is tender and served with a beautiful accompanying sauce. But it's also the food that's a bit off the beaten track that takes it to the next level here. The deep fried fish head (flounder from memory?), the duck pancakes, the miso eggplant that is served sliced in half and nestled in its thick skin. Service is friendly and efficient. I haven't tried much of the sake menu and I'm not a huge fan of getting stuck in the pseudo share table in the middle (not a lot of leg room due to the setup), but those are minor gripes for what is - for my money - the best value Japanese you'll get in Sydney.

    Photos
    Rosan
    Rosan - Shabu shabu

    Shabu shabu

    Rosan

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    My Zakaya

    My Zakaya

    4.7(6 reviews)
    1.6 kmSurry Hills
    $$$

    This place deserves the five stars others have given it, for the food…read more The service however made me lose 10 IQ points just being in the vicinity of the waitress who served us. If you want to use the toilet, you'll need a key ( if you can get the waitress to remember to get it for you) but then she will have to show you where it is, down a side alley at the bottom of a gimp dungeon style lock up garage. Shut the Front door! That was kinda freaky. We had a great selection of food and we had come here for the Sashimi after a friend from the Blue Mountains had bemoaned that you can't get good "raw fish" up there where he lives. Karage chicken was an absolute stand out. The Deep fried morsels on skewers were also delicious, although they had run out of Mushroom. which we wanted.. oh and they had run out of Pork Spring rolls. I guess it was a Sunday night. Edamame hit the salt spot and the Terriyaki Wagyu beef was quite delicious. This place is good for a Japanese fix if you cant be bothered to go into the city to Japan town. Good for smallish groups, I'd say no more than 4 or 5.

    I am not sure why this place is not on everyone's radar! It is quite special indeed. I frequent…read morequite a bit of Japanese around Sydney and feel that this place is a cut above the rest at just the right price. You have to try the King Prawn dumplings steamed. Ask for the Seared Atlantic Salmon Nigiri style its delicious (not on the menu) and don't pass over the Tataki Beef! Shhh keep it quiet because its a small restaurant but a MUST try.

    Photos
    My Zakaya
    My Zakaya - Edamame

    Edamame

    My Zakaya - Sake (handsome youth)

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    Sake (handsome youth)

    Motto - Chili Chicken Bento $10.90... Omg!!! Sooooo good! Just the right amount of spice in the chicken

    Motto

    4.8(4 reviews)
    2.1 kmHaymarket
    $

    Why no one's written a review is beyond me. But I'll gladly deflower, pop the cherry, take the…read moreV-card of this yummy establishment. Motto is the underdog of Japanese restaurants at Sussex Centre. Not only do they live in the shadow of highly rated Ramen Ikkyu, but Motto's location doesn't get the best foot traffic either. The escalators up from ground floor plop you out on the opposite side. This was my third time visiting Motto. Typically, there would be one or two very helpful and courteous girls who greet and coax you into checking out their menu. Thank goodness for picture menus! This time there was a dude by the of Chris working behind the counter. He first thanked me for stopping to look at the menu, then after suggesting that I should try one of the deep-fried options, he thanked me again for ordering. Genuinely courteous? Absolutely! CHICKEN KATSU PLATE ($9) OMG!!!! Best bang for your buck for suuuuure! The chicken is exactly how Chicken Katsu is supposed to be made. Crispy, flaky outside and juicy inside. If you've read my other reviews, you know I can consider myself a bit of a Chicken Katsu snob since that's my go-to-dish at Japanese restaurants. To top things off with this belly-loving dish, you get rice, a side salad w/dressing and miso soup... Oh and almost forgot THE BEST part - FREE ICE CREAM!!!!! Definitely coming back again to try another suggestion..

    Love this place! Had the chili chicken bento meal with a side of salad, seaweed salad, fried tofu,…read morerice, miso soup and refreshing tea all for 10.50!! And you get free icecream at the end. I asked them I make my chicken extra spicy and they definitely delivered! Love the spicy red sauce they had and it was a great portion size- just perfect for after a 3 hour bike ride around the city! Come discover this gem!

    Photos
    Motto
    Motto - Beef Bento w/Jasmine Iced Tea

    Beef Bento w/Jasmine Iced Tea

    Motto - Yay for picture menus!

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    Yay for picture menus!

    Cho Cho San - japanese - Updated May 2026

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