This was very close to being a perfect suburban Japanese dining experience for me, with just a…read morecouple of small bumps keeping it from becoming my new local Japanese go-to. The dumplings were one such thing - beautiful measured tastes in the dumpling and sauces, but they were a little chewy and under-cooked. No such issues with the Tempura Calamari which was cooked nicely, as was the Nasu Dengaku (eggplant dish) which was up there with the best I've had. What a dish. The tofu was also fine, but got pretty soggy and lost its crispness pretty quickly in the sauce. The sashimi is where this place really steps up its game. Perfect melt in your mouth stuff. The sushi rolls that accompanied them on the platter we got were just ho-hum, but that sashimi was to die for. Next time we'll probably just gorge ourselves on endless plates of that. Service was again *almost* great. Lovely and attentive to our water, but they did give us prawn sashimi after we alerted them to not wanting it due to allergies. Lucky one of us could eat it, so it was all okay, but you lose a little confidence in them there. Overall though we really enjoyed it and will be back to give them a chance to nudge this 4 up to a 5.

After my favourite Japanese restaurant in Balwyn changed hands (and quality) I was desperate to…read morefind another venue to satisfy my craving for perfect tempura: crisp crunchy batter, with no taste of over-used frying oil and vegetables with some bite to them. Wa Fu fulfilled my requirements. Each succulent piece of the mixed vegetable selection (eggplant, zucchini, carrot and sweet potato) survived the 10 minute drive home in a brown paper bag and was complemented by the best Nasu Dengaku I have ever had: the deep fried egg-plant melted in my mouth, the miso sauce was perfectly balanced between sweet and savoury and left me feeling that this is a place to revisit! The warm welcome, the cleanliness and the ambiance further enhance my belief that I can stop searching for that perfect tempura! A very pleasant surprise from a suburban café.

This sushi and Japanese restaurant is a little gem and serves up authentic Japanese cuisine to the…read moreloyal clientele. It's tucked away in a little arcade so you'd be forgiven for not even noticing it. The setting is minimal and the overall atmosphere is simple and modest - Saki doesn't need a stylish interior or fusion dishes because it does honest food, and it does it extremely well. The food is delicious and very reasonable. There is a wide variety of fresh sushi, crispy tempura and rice and noodle dishes. I've been opting to pick up take away lately, as I've been busy studying. I usually start of with a serve of gyoza ($8) that are fried and oh so yum, followed by the whiting tempura ($10 for an entrée size, $16 for a main). The service is lovely, the girls who wait on your table and friendly and very welcoming - they also have some good suggestions about what you might like to try.

Update: been here a bunch since our first visit and food is always amazing - do lower your…read moreexpectations for the service though (it can be non existent at times!).

Third time dining at Toyama and happy each time. Service is good speed even when busy but didn't…read morefeel rushed to leave. The wait staff came by often to remove finished dishes and 2nd or 3rd round drinks appeared quickly after ordering. Soups came out together, a nice touch because three of our group were eating banquet style. Food quality and value was good as usual - delicious katsudon and too big to finish. Bathrooms clean, staff polite and seem to prefer cash lol, no eftpos but credit card okay for orders over $20. Not a fancy pants places, but yummy and reliable, good place to meet up with mates. Book a table as it can be quite busy! (Also if they have the Tsunami in stock, which they always run out of, try it, it's amazing!)

Amazing prices for good size dishes. Food is excellent, and consistently so as attested by the…read moreregular clientele (many are weekly visitors). The staff are always polite, happy and efficient. The previous owner, Michael, was great and his successor, Annie, is just as good (which is not the norm when restaurants change hands).

What amazing food. This is an unassuming cafe that didn't charge corkage, and provided delicious…read moreJapanese food I will come back for again. There are only a small number of tables, and a window bench for a few people. The chopsticks are disposable, and the service is cafe quality, but friendly and eager. The meals are a decent size for Japanese and reasonably priced (the Samurai Bento at $25 ish was plenty for dinner, and I am a big eater). Locals have been hiding this place!

Having lived in Japan for a full year (365 days), and Japanese cuisine being my favorite, I was…read moreexcited to try this restaurant And I have to say that my expectations were met It has a good amount of seats inside, and a few outside The look and atmosphere is typical Japanese, including with the open kitchen, loved it Staff is very welcoming The menu offers a good variety, with very different items that are popular in Japan, both in regular restaurants and street food/ good trucks type: gyoza, takoyaki, tempura, okomomyski (savory pancakes), ramen, udon, soba, katsu (cutlet), donburi, bento, teriyaki, curry, niku (BBQ), sushi, sashimi... As for drinks they have done typical ones, such as Ramune, which I ordered I was willing to have takoyaki and gyoza, and so I did But I also followed their recommendation and tried niku tadaki Good choice. You get your personal grill, allowing you to cook it exactly as you'd like. It came with green salad, miso soup, and steamed rice. A must try Just like this restaurant Recommended!

Enjoyed dinner here on a weeknight. Started with the appetizer of 6 takoyaki balls (octopus), they…read morewere a bit small from what I am accustom to, but were hot and delicious. My companion tried the Gyukatsu Tadaki (raw beef), which was grilled at the table on a small personal grill. Beef was fresh and tasty and he enjoyed the dinner very much. I ordered the Miso Ramen which had a delicious pork broth, however, I could not discern any miso in the broth. It may have been there, but it was a very mild miso flavor. Otherwise the ramen was very good and it was completely enjoyed! Service was very polite & attentive and they frequently refilled the hot tea and water. I recommend this Japanese restaurant with good food at a reasonable price, but I'm guessing there will a line at dinner time due to the small space.

Went here for a special dinner earlier this year, and thought it fantastic value for money. More…read moreexpensive than normal Japanese, sure, but well worth it for a sometimes splurge. We're just getting into Japanese lately, and wow, what an introduction. Went one of their banquet options to really throw ourselves in there, and there were just so many delicious dishes, too many to go through. Let's just say that we can credit Ocha for single-handedly making sashimi fans out of us - never had it anywhere close to as good as this (but as I say, we're just getting into it). Minor quibble: Didn't like how the banquet was itemised on the bill. Might be a common practice, or maybe some people like seeing the breakdown to know what to pick next time, but would have been happy not to have seen it. (I'm just annoyed at how expensive the duck was, perhaps, considering we're not duck fans.) Unless we stumble upon a new title winner of best Japanese in the eastern 'burbs (and I plan to try, purely for research purposes), we will definitely be back.

Hidden oriental gem in Hawthorn that I would confidently crown the best modern Japanese cuisine in…read moreMelbourne. I rave on about this place to anybody who contests that Nobu is the shiz. Every dish I've ever had oozes sophistication and elegance. The plating is delicate and reassures you that you're getting what you pay for. If you're ever stuck for date night ideas, I encourage you to splurge a little on Ocha. You're significant other won't be disappointed and maybe get them to try the "Gold Leaf" sake. This isn't a walk-in venue, I usually book 3 months in advance if I want to secure a Saturday night. They offer two seatings, 6:00pm - 8:15pm and 8:30pm - til close. I prefer the later of the two so you're not rushed.

I was a bit desperate for Okonomiaki and just passed by this little restaurant, and thought, why…read morenot? Had a mixed tempura and okonomiaki that were both very yummy. The service was great and the prices very reasonable. We spent less than $30 total for two people (but we didn't drink alcohol). Not sure if you can byo, but if you can, there is a bottle shop right next to it. We will be back try out more of the menu.

Ideal for dining in ! great service Walk ins was a bonus…read moreseated right away Great Japanese cuisine

Great Japanese in Station street! I am so glad my friend took me here last Friday. I was pleasantly…read moresurprised. Matsuya's is not pretentious it just serves tasty Japanese. We shared nearly all the dishes on the entree menu and were more than satisfied. The service here was excellent too. Matsuya's may not have all of the fancy decor but it certainly makes up for it with their food and value. I highly recommend this restaurant.

This is definitely a premium sushi experience similar to places that you can find in Japan. While…read moreit's not cheap, the quality of the sushi and taste of all of the dishes make it worthwhile. The omakase sushi pieces were excellent and details out exactly where the fish came from. One thing that can be a bit of overwhelming: I think they are a bit overstaffed on the service side. From what I can see, it was one person attending to just two tables - made the entire space feel somewhat cramped and intimidating (water cup was always topped up whenever you take two sips). I think they can dial this back a bit and still have a fantastic customer experience.

From the moment you enter, the atmosphere sings Zen perfection .... fresh ingredients, attention to…read moredetail, simplistic presentation, carefully considered preparations and plenty of add ons. Don't enter looking for an "economical" experience, prepare yourself to be carried away to a gastronomical wonderland and artistic food presentation.