I love this restaurant! Run by owners and just like being in Tokyo! The food is so fresh and…read morefabulous!. Had tried it a couple of years ago but didn't like it, I think it is new owners as we have eaten there several times lately and it's been constantly good. Mid prices. I would definitely recommend!

In my never ending quest for amazing Japanese restaurants outside of Melbourne's CBD, I decided to…read moretry Akita Japanese restaurant in North Melbourne. ~ What's with the small menu? Honestly, there were six mains. Their "specials" menu was larger than their regular menu by a long shot, and I was kind of disappointed they didn't have a more diverse or comprehensive selection. ~ VEGETARIANS BEWARE. None of the mains were vegetarian compatible; they all had meat/seafood in them. Even the vast majority of the entrees were meat based. This is particularly peculiar for Japanese cuisine. When we asked what was on offer for vegetarians, they recommended three dishes, mostly from the specials menu. The only positive I can attribute to Akita in this respect was that the waiter did come back a few minutes after ordering to confirm that egg was okay in the vegetarian dish. But I probably wouldn't come back here with a vegetarian person; the difficulty of working out what is edible and the severe limited choice makes the whole thing too much hassle. ~ From the outside, the door is somewhat hidden the place looks relatively small. When you look around the main entrance, you also get the feeling of smallness. However, there is actually a labyrinth of seating areas, all hidden away in their own rooms. In this respect, Akita reminds me a lot of Stalactites in the city, except more enclosed. This causes the environment to feel more intimate, and probably reduces noise too. The atmosphere was of a high calibre here. A++. ~ Overpriced. We all know that Japanese cuisine is expensive, but even for Japanese standards this place was overpriced (especially for its location). If you can, check out the photo of the entree sashimi to this venue. You can get better quality fish at a cheaper price than $18 from elsewhere. ~ Forgot the drinks. Unfortunately I forgot to check the bill to see if they had charged us, but we ordered tea twice and we didn't end up getting it either times. ~ No ginger with the sashimi. What! For a so-called *authentic* Japanese place you kind of expect them to provide some ginger with the sashimi; they didn't, which was a little disappointing. Upside was that they gave me so much wasabi. Overall the food (albeit small and expensive) and atmosphere were good. The location is convenient for drivers (heaps of parking), and the staff were kind (although they forgot drinks). Would I be back? Probably not -- the limited menu is a dealbreaker.

I was craving food so I did a quick search and found this establishment closeby! I love Japanese…read morefood so I was good to go. Ambiance: Very very good. The restaurant is large and spacious with a series of different dining rooms. It has an old feel to it, but very clean and modern at the same time. They have light Japanese music playing which makes for a really incredible dining atmosphere! Customer Service: The servers were very polite, courteous, and attentive. However, I do have to remark that the kitchen staff is a bit slow. The wait time for the food is EXTREMELY long. Food: One thing I have to note is that this place is probably good for large groups, but I would avoid it if you're only going by yourself or with 2 people. The menu comprises of large platter-like dishes of sashimi and sushi rather than anything that is convenient for an individual set. The only thing I pretty much can order is Nabeyaki Udon Soup (udon noodles with tempura shrimp, egg, veggies, thin slices of beef, and mushrooms) for 12 dollars and a plate of Gyoza for 8.50. Like I said, the wait time is long. I ended up getting my Gyoza after my main... when Gyoza is an entree. What's up with that? When I picked up a piece of Gyoza, I thought to myself "This better be worth it". It was good... but not worth the 30 minute wait. The Gyoza wrap was very thin, which is a bit unique I suppose but I prefer thick wraps. The Nabeyaki Udon Soup at first glance was rather tiny - so it was very alarming. However, it was absolutely delicious! Probably the best Udon Soup I have ever had. The meat was good, tempura soft and tasty, and the egg accented the dish really nicely. I absolutely loved it. Things they can improve on: ~ Adding more variety to their menu. Where are the bentos? The ramen? And donburi? Everything is pretty much just a platter, which excludes the people who just want individual meals. ~ Upping their efficiency! I'm not sure how exactly they can do that, but at least bring out the Gyoza before the main so my stomach isn't growling like mad. Overall, I did enjoy my meal - the atmosphere was great, the service was nice, and the food was tasty. However, 1 star off for the lack of variety and another star for the horrid wait time. I would come here again, but only if I'm with a large group of people ready to order some platters.

Food - Best Japanese food ever, fried rice is amazing, and their prices are so good…read more service - Best service ever as well, both the service and the food made us come here twice during our holiday. Highly recommend this place. We weren't excited going here because we don't enjoy Japanese style dinner but this place is so good! Best Japanese restaurant to exist!

I really want to give this a two and a half stars. Well, another Scoopon stop for us. I think I'm…read moregetting to the point where these restaurants have been more disappointing than they have been 'great finds'. My son got the tonkatsu (breaded pork, but it had a slightly different name here). Normally this dish is served with a plum sauce, but not here. We did ask, but I'm guessing something was lost in the translation because they brought back the tempura dipping sauce. The dish itself was good. Our daughter had the tempura, which was ok. There was shrimp and veggies. The biggest problem with this dish was eggplant....the batter on these was undercooked....this was not pretty, and when I took a bite the oil just oozed out in my mouth. Our banquet included saki. My complaint here is normally this is served with the bottle in warm water to keep the saki warm, but this just came on its own. It wasn't long before the saki went cold. The soup was nice, the Goya was again, okay. The best part of e meal was our sushi....little California rolls and salmon. The salmon was just beautiful and the California rolls had different seeds on the outside that really gave it a nice flavour. The service was good, the food came out at a good pace. But overall they loose it in the quality of the food and preparation. With all the other Japanese restaurants around you can find a better place.

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).

Having been to this place maybe twenty times I am yet to have anything less than outstanding food…read morefrom these guys. I have gradually tried all the noodle soups. The spicy pork curry soba noodle soup (A name like that could be a Microsoft product) is just fantastic. Juicy curried pork shreds thru a miso-like soup. The Katsu curry is also well worth checking out.

Too delicious to be true. Went there Friday night with my wife and I conclude that I can never…read morejudge this little shop by the look from outside. Rice a bit too soft - just my personal preference on solid rice. Ordered a main and a side, both are above average standard. Main: Spicy Calamari Don (no regret!) Side: Gyoza (definitely not frozen/commercial prepared)- must try. Love this authentic Jap. Will I be back? For sure Yes. Thanks Mr Fusion! Jeng

My favourite place!! The food so yummy and it's cheap, fast…read moreand so satisfying! All meals are under $10 the are full of flavour and spice. They also give good amounts that won't leave you still hungry!

I was actually here for the opening (Well, promoted opening) of Hanaichi, where they were handing…read moreout free drinks to passer-byers (And yes i did indulge). I must say Hanaichi was a pretty good eating experience, there's a diverse range of meals on the menu - Tempuras, Curries, Ramen and more, there's a heap of different dishes to try. The meals are pretty large in size and i like the idea of the cardboard plate / bowl so you can eat in and take-away if you like. The Japanese cuisine here is quite good for something whipped up quick and take-away.

Always had a good experience here. Friendly staff. Good food. Nothing flash but good fresh food…read more Great place for quick bite to eat before heading to the Palais.

Oki to go, oki to stay, oki any time of day! The freshest, most appetizing sushi is at Oki 2 Go. I…read moreguess they've no excuse for not having the freshest seafood, after all they're on the doorstep of the bay but seriously, this is good stuff. At first glance Oki 2 Go may look like your typical walk in-walk out questionable sushi joint, but take a closer look and a step inside and you'll realise its actually quite an upmarket place. The lighting and red colouring of the decor adds to the authenticity of the Japanese restaurant. Larger than it appears, open til late seven days per week, BYO wine, dine in and take out options, Oki 2 Go won't disappoint. Selecting where to eat can be a hard choice when in Acland street but trust me, Oki 2 Go certainly holds its own in the dining mecca of St Kilda. Tip: If you're a fan of bento boxes, choose the Oki Bento, mmmm oishii!!

Just finished a quick lunch at my favourite Japanese joint. I'm a big fan of their bento box…read morespecials for lunch, at $18 I haven't needed to go any further. The Tempura bento is great, with veggies and seafood tempura, miso soup, sushi & sashimi, rice salad and a small starter it's bento heaven. The ingredients are fresh service is friendly and fast, making it a great place to eat. The volcano roll at $17 is a little pricey but just about my favourite sushi. Yeeees

I went to Hibachi for lunch after seeing its 5 stars on Yelp. And what a disappointment it was!…read more I'm vegetarian, and restaurants can usually cater to me pretty easily. But not at Hibachi: the waitress repeatedly asked me if I was allergic to sea food. No I'm not, but being vegetarian should be reason enough not to put fish in my dish! The chef couldn't whip up something without fish stock in it, making me question how fresh things really are there... I ended up having a vegetarian roll, which was quite good but cost me 18$! My friend had a bento menu and was not that amazed by the flavours, although I have to admit there was a lot of food on the tray. One place I'm sure I won't go back to!