Absolutely recommended! Even better than five stars. Friendly staff and professional chef. Fancy…read moredining environment and awesome food! Thank you so much for serving us today!

This lovely Japanese restaurant is a few stops on the tram from Rundle Mall…read more The staff were friendly and helpful, seating was wherever we wanted to sit and tables were spaced out enough that wherever we sat we would never feel on top of others! We had the Feed Me Menu and every course was beautifully prepared and delightful, lots of popping bursts of exciting flavours. Excellent desserts. Good selection of wines and beers. No delays in service all arrived just at the right times. Would recommend and return. We took the tram and then walked back to our hotel!

Mimasu have only been open for a week. They are closed Sunday and Monday, the do Lunch and Dinner…read moreTuesday to Friday and dinner on Saturday. The space is small but they have quite a bit of seating and it is spaced out so you don't feel as though you are sitting on top of your fellow dinners. They have booth, bar, bench and table seating options. It's a very nice space. Sleek and contemporary. We started with two cocktails. A Lychee passion one and a sloe gin and whiskey sour. My sour was served in a martini glass which while was pretty, was not the right glass for the drink. A sour should be served in a rocks glass, over ice too, which mine was not. I liked the variation of flavour but I still prefer the right glassware to be used when drinking cocktails. The food was good, however a few dishes were flawed in particular the snapper which was either low quality or cut incorrectly as it was quite chewy. I love the burst of salmon roe and the fresh heat of jalapeño was nice. The seaweed and lotus root salad was a fantastic side and unlike the ones you get at sushi train restaurants ( the green "noodle" type). This has, I would say close to five different types of seaweed. The lotus root also added a fantastic crunchy element. The charred King Prawns were so good, the panacotta sauce was delicious. It took will power not to lick the plate clean! The sashimi was good, but once again the snapper was a let down. We also asked for more ginger, but we do love the stuff. Also as a side note, It would be nice to see Mimasu make their own pickled ginger rather than using the fluro pink ginger most other places use. The presentation for all of the aforementioned meals was very nice, you see for yourself in my pictures. Now the finish to our meal was a true let down and almost inedible. Myself and my friend are huge sweet tooths but could not finish the Chocolate Ganache and Yuzu tart with salted caramel ice cream. The ice cream was overly salted and not well made, it was icey in texture and too hard from the freezer. The tart was a sugary mess, the taste of yuzu was lost in the filling which was far too gloopy and grainy to be enjoyable. I think Mimasu want to be fine dining but their approach is too casual. It took a little too long to be greeted when we entered and this was not for lack of staff or that they were busy, I feel that the floor staff are a little too green and inexperienced still and management is not taking enough care to mentor their staff or even monitor their guest experience. Our waiter took our order on scraps of paper, which was cumbersome for her and not a very professional look. I would recommend that they either remember the order (a very old fashioned method I know, but still a smooth touch) or buy some small order or note pads. I also felt that they weren't really enthusiastic about where they were working, they didn't offer up any suggestions on what to try, if our ordering would be enough or too little or ask for feedback on the meal when we settled our bill. It didn't feel very personable. This place is not cheap. We spent $140+ for two. I expect too much perhaps? Mimasu held such high hopes for me, since I had been sneaking glimpses inside over the last few weeks, when I noticed the space take shape and bright led sign go up. I was expecting that this would be a 4 or 5 star experience but it is more of a 3 or 3.5 one that I experienced tonight.

I went to this restaurant yesterday and it was an amazing experience. The staff were so welcoming…read moreand friendly and the atmosphere was so relaxing. It felt safe and warm in there despite it being only a small place. The food is amazing, having a wide range of sushi's, rice, soup and so on. I had the karaage chicken with a tuna and avocado salad and I was not let down. The chicken was juicy and tender, the presentation of the food was beautiful, and my tuna and avocado was delicious too. Would highly recommend this place to those who love Japanese cuisine

I am never disappointed when I dine at Wasai. But, I know I have to book a table in advance as this…read moreJapanese restaurant is truly a local treasure and very popular. If you want quality Japanese and great value for money, this is the restaurant for you. Every time I go there I sample many items on the menu I am always shocked at the bill, it is very well priced! As for the best items on the menu, well it depends on what you are into. I am a huge fan of sashimi and aburi salmon, and they make both really well. Being located close to the Adelaide Central Market I think really impacts on the freshness of the fish and dishes. The sashimi is cut with great precision, not to thick or thin. Go for the sashimi boat if you want a wide selection, it is really well presented, good for groups and great value for money. If this is first time to Wasai I should probably tell you to order a boat. It is a great way to sample the menu, also you will probably get jealous when you see them delivered to other tables. Save yourself the trouble in choosing what to eat. Then fine tune your choices later, as I will guarantee you will be back. Last thing to mention is the karaage chicken. You must try the Wasai version if you like this dish. It is a lot lighter than other versions, almost like a tempura batter but with the flavoursome karaage seasonings. Sometimes you just have to treat yourself to a little JFC.

As I have a huge love of all things Japanese, and a love of all things food, then you would think…read moreJapanese food would be the ultimate draw card. Well, you would be right! After wanting to try this place for so long, I finally managed to try it a couple of times, and holy sashimi I was not disappointed. I will even be back there again within the next fortnight, you can't keep me away! The first time I was a poor student, with another poor student, but we shared a few dishes and a drink each and it came to a measly $20 per person! And these weren't miserable, bland and small dishes either. Instead, these dishes were incredibly delicious and filling, leaving us satiated and shocked at how small the bill was when it arrived! The second time was my birthday and my Dad was paying (so still a poor student technically). We got the famous sushi and sashimi boat, after first enjoying some entrees and drinks. My absolute favourite Aburi Salmon Roll was devine, but the Takoyaki (Octopus Deep-Fried Balls) and Chicken Kaarage was also melt-in-the-mouth delicious. The sashimi and sushi was so fresh, and thoroughly impressed my Tasmanian father who's only past experience with Japanese cuisine involved a tiny take away store in Launceston (not that there is anything wrong with that)! We did find the restaurant a tad noisy, as it was very full with lots of large groups and other birthdays being celebrated, however the fast service, amazing food and cheap prices for the quality Wasai serves up makes this observation pale in comparison. Also, and this is VERY important, book a table! As every other review on here says, you might be waiting a while if you don't book, and that will be a very sad thing indeed with such lovely food so close by.

Everything here is 5 star worthy except the speed of service…read more The staff themselves are absolutely amazing and so helpful and friendly, the only thing letting the place down was how long everything took to come out. This wasn't such a big deal for us as we had a good group of friends sipping away at our wine which was only at a $10 corkage, so the time was well spent catching up. Food was the best Japanese I have had outside of Japan and would highly recommend to anyone who has been and knows what to expect. Will come back here for sure, just make sure you expect to wait a little bit longer for the food to come out as it must be made fresh to order which is a good thing :-)

This place is *the* izakaya place to be in Adelaide. The atmosphere is intimate and cosy, with…read morebar seating and tables inside, and a small beer garden out the back for warmer months. There is a great selection of Japanese beer, sake, and also shochu and Japanese whiskey to choose from. The highlight is the food, plenty of traditional Japanese fare in small tapas sized serves that lets you order a number of selections from the menu without overeating Yas, the owner is very friendly - towards the very end of the night, depending on the clientele present, you may get to hear a sample of the Japanese heavy metal music that he loves! I highly recommended you check it out, I doubt you would be disappointed.

The staff were wonderful, polite, they came and took our order at the perfect time, and we didn't…read morehave to call them over! They were amazing multitaskers, with 99.9% efficiency. Only took 22 minutes for our meal (Keep in mind we ordered about half the menu, as I am trying Japanese for a trip in October 2024) at a peak time! When the food arrived, it smelled amazing! The food was properly cooked, smelled and tasted AMAZING (and it was not expired). The noise was calm and peaceful, everyone was quiet. The little girl that I think is one of the staff members daughter was amazing, polite, helpful and overall amazing. She would make a good manager in the future. Everyone who sees these bad reviews, I have busted them for the sole purpose of enjoyment, and I recommend going if you are considering it!

It was a stinking hot day, 2pm, without lunch in my belly and I was getting really hangry…read more Using my trusty Yelp App and monocle function (check it out if you haven't already), I looked around to see what options I had for lunch. Ah ha! Japanese, oh yes the only cuisine that shall not only satisfy, but also work well with the heat. There were smashing reviews of EN Izakaya Japanese Bar & Restaurant. So I could not say no. The front of the store is a little misleading, because when you step through it is a really lovely designed restaurant. What I love about Japanese restaurants and cuisine is the attention to detail and great customer services. EN Japanese have laid out the restaurant in a wonderful way sectioning off an area for groups and an intimate back bar section. Oh, and what a bar! The bar top is one long single cut slice of red gum. So gorgeous! Also, to my surprise it features some acrylic resin in a hole in the wood with opals and rocks set into it. Again, there is your attention to detail. The menu is expensive, many options inclusive of traditional Japanese dishes and modern twists. But, I knew what I wanted before I even walked through the doors. Sashimi and seaweed salad with ice cold green tea. And like any good Japanese restaurant, it was on the menu and very affordable. My dishes presentation was beautiful. Wasabi was high quality and placed carefully on top of a leaf. All seafood was brilliantly fresh and cut in well measured slices. The seaweed salad was also fresh and well portioned. As for the staff, well I was very fortunate enough to have a chat to he chef and was looked after very well by the waiter. They both were super friendly and happy to talk about their restaurant. Lovely experience just for a quick lunch. I will be back with others!

We had soft shell crab burgers, sashimi, frichicken, lotus chips, scallops, tofu, potato croquets,…read moreedamame, oysters, 2 lots of gyozas all for 3 people. Fast service. Polite staff. Quiet corner for us to chat about Adelaide. Worth coming back!

Such a hip and trendy place here and all meals are $6.80 each. We got a booth, with a Japanese…read moretheme booth and table, where the plates and cutlery were neatly presented before arrival. We sat on a flat cushion as the booth were made of wooden boards and the staff were friendly and nice. There were plenty of Japanese dumplings and over 80 types of dishes to choose from and I spent a little longer than usual, eyeing the menu as I was undecided what to order. At Gyoza Gyoza they use local produce whilst incorporating the traditional techniques of gyoza making to produce the freshest and finest Japanese dumplings. What we ordered: *Takoyaki - Traditional Japanese style street snack, deep fried octopus with mayo *Fried Kaki - Deep fried panko pacific oyster with Kushi sauce *Tori No Karrage With Mustard Miso - Deep fried bite size chicken pieces with mustard miso sauce *Wafu Steak - Grilled thin cut Porterhouse steak with wafu sauce *Crab Claw - Deep fried crumbled crab claw with tartar sauce *Gyoza (Panfried) *Salmon Sashimi *Kaisen Harumaki: Seafood spring roll wrap with lettuces and mayo *Green tea Soft serve with waffle cone $2.80 *Plum wine. Overall, I'll come back again to try more dishes. Thumbs up x 5

My son lives in Japan. I've had 15+ trips there. I love Japanese food and have tried nearly…read moreeveryone in Adelaide. We always come back to Hotaru. Good quality. Reasonable price and you can always get a table. Perfect

If you're stuck for somewhere new along Gouger, don't be afraid to venture a little farther west,…read morepast Morphett St. Hotaru is a solid Japanese offering. First off, ohhh jjjeeaahh.. they serve the best gyozas I've ever tasted. Hands down. Golden brown. And on the edge of being delicate. I could have kissed the chef! Dishes were perfect for sharing, they all came with even amounts of items (unlike Matsuri across the road, or Yakitori Takumi where things come in threes). Graceful vegetable tempura. Wicked good choice of sashimi, including: blue fin tuna, beef, scallop and clam. If you're not a fan of mayo, perhaps shy away from the rolls, or ask them to use a little less. They do some tasty lunch specials under $15 including bento boxes. Take away available. Atmosphere is average. Save room for the green tea ice cream!

One of if not the best japanese restaurant in Adelaide, Matsuri is where I go when I want good…read moreauthentic japanese food. The entrance to the restaurant is a sliding door and when you walk in you have the option of two rooms. The first is the standard dining area where you can sit at a table and the second is the room where you have to take off your shoes and you can sit on the floor. For those of you who don't feel comfortable with sitting cross legged don't worry. This is the non traditional version of sitting on the floor where the the area for you to place your legs is built down into the floor so that you can sit how you would normally sit on a chair. My friend Ryota used to work here and he was the one who introduced me to this restaurant its owner George who is japanese but grew up in Australia. Most of the serving is done by waitresses dressed in traditional kimono's and service is good and very professional. Most if not all of the staff are japanese as well which adds to the atmosphere of the place. Wood dividers are used to separate tables so that you have the privacy of enjoying your meal without encroaching on the conversation of neighbouring tables. The prices are reasonable for a restaurant of this standard and the food never disappoints. For people who are used to sushi train and aren't sure how to navigate the vast menu of japanese dishes presented before them, I recommend trying out their sashimi and sushi boats which comes in 2 sizes depending on how hungry you are. This is like a tasting platter served on a literal small wooden boat and on it are a variety of different sushi rolls and a selection of fresh sashimi. For me, Matsuri scores high in terms of food, atmosphere, presentation and service. If you're looking for a good place to have japanese food in Adelaide, Matsuri is definitely the place to be.

I loved everything about this restaurant…read more The busy vibe. The private sunken booths. The friendly service. The shoeless section. The menu. The specials board. THE FOOD! Our waiter was so helpful and accommodating, he talked us through each of the specials (& not in the "automated could be pre recorded" way you get at so many restaurants) and he was more than happy to answer all of our questions about the specials and the full menu. All of the seafood was just perfect - fresh & tasty. The sushi boat is a great option to be able to share a little of everything. The seared tuna was perfection and I am still salivating over the roasted eggplant. Suitable for Japanese first timers up to Japanese expats themselves. Strongly recommend booking.

Been wanting to try this place for a while. Very close to my hotel (Adelaide Ibis) but almost…read morecouldn't find it as it is tucked into a small corridor within the Adelaide Arcade. It's a small space, seating maybe 20 or so. Got there about 10:45 so had to wait a little bit (it opens at 11am). Ordered the Tori Teriyaki set, which comes with miso soup, white rice, daikon, and the main plate with the teriyaki chicken, a few leaves of lettuce. I was the only one in the place so I wasn't expecting to wait very long to get my food. I was surprised when the server came out 5 minutes later with my meal. Japanese food is a favorite of mine, and this food was excellent and priced fair for the portions. I will definitely return on my next visit.

If you love some Authentic tasting Japanese food for lunch you can't go past here…read more Not an extensive menu, but what they make is delicious. My favourite is the Tori Teriyaki Set. Crispy Teryaki chicken with salads, rice and miso soup on the side.. There are a few sets as well as these stand alone and some Don dishes. Well worth a visit if you are nearby and love fresh (mostly healthy) tasty Japanese Food.