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.

Great location , beautiful delicious food. We ordered banquet for 2 reasonably priced including all…read moreJapanese food we wanted. Saki was perfect, service amazing. Great choice of wines Highly recommend for service, food, ambience, cleanliness..well done Definitely be coming back ! Thank you

Amazing service. Food is great. And they took us in when others said they were closed. I have to…read moresay this place is a gem that hasn't yet been discovered.

This place feels genuine and high-end. From walking in on their stone-tiles-on-pebbles entrance to…read moresitting down to funky twisted cutlery (ok, small shiny things amuse me) - this place immediately makes you realize you're not going to get a stale two-buck-fiddy California roll served to you. The staff were friendly and the restaurant was clean, clever and inviting. This place was nice and warm when it was freezing and windy outside. The selection of food is what I would call high-end Japanese. I'm not a Japanese food expert but their menu sounded well rounded. You can choose to eat traditional dishes like sashimi or raw tuna and oysters, or go for their selection of steaks. They had a wagyu steak for $70+. Sounded amazing. However, I went for the green peppercorn and it was so tender and soft. Loved it. They also gave us what I can only describe as potato salad/coleslaw starters. Unexpected food items are always nice and these things tastes amazing. Wish they had a whole main meal of these things. Overall, an excellent night. Thought this place was fantastic.

Oritas, just off Toorak rd, is a superb japanese fushion restaurant! I felt that I had transfered…read moremyself back to Japan the moment I stepped in and our evening could begin! We were a big group and the service umpeccable! The food gets 5 stars from me and if you're looking for a true japanese with a mix of today, go here!

We came here after we were blown away with with Niku Ou, their sister restaurant located in…read moreMelbourne CBD. In fact, Wagyu Ya is the first branch! They have similar menus but over here, they cook the meat inside and not on the table.  The chef was very kind and suggested that we order the foie gras fried rice to try and it absolutely knocked our socks off because it was literally one of the best things we've ever eaten. You HAVE to try it at least once in your lifetime, we HIGHLY recommend it!

This venue just opened, steps from Cafe Republic. Downstairs serves standard sushi and similar…read morefare, upstairs is the grill tables. We chose the grill and were seated at a pleasant two-person table. We had arrived early for dinner and the room was mostly empty when we sat down, but it rapidly filled to capacity as we ate. And ate, and ate, and drank! We started with edamame and marinated wasabi octopus. The octopus was lovely, as the Aussies like to say. Next we has a small dish of Unagi, which is my wife's favorite sushi. It was quite good, on par with other fine sushi shops I have visited. For mains, to be self cooked on the charcoal grill built in to the table, we had Ox shoulder, fillet, and sirloin, with a variety of small vegetables and corn coblets. All of the meats were excellent, along with the selection of dipping sauces that were provided. Cooking the food in the table grill was a bit of fun and the very attentive wait staff helped us thru the process. We finished with black sesame ice cream with almonds, which was exceptionally good. All of this was washed down with an excellent bottle of sake. This restaurant is a welcome addition to Toorak Road!

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.

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

Went there to have my first meal in the city and wasn't disappointed. Delicious ramen, such a rich…read moreflavor! Service was quick and friendly. Atmosphere is so unique - all these little things. Very well thought

Good food & service. Limited menu with a few small plates and ramen noodles. A good place for a…read morequick, hot meal and a beer

Wasn't too sure walking in, but I was very pleasantly surprised…read more Great variety, great food, prompt service. What more can you ask for? And, unlike some other Chinese restaurants, it was CLEAN.

The quality of food at Mr Huang Jin is excellent. They are known for their xia-long bao (XLB), and…read moreit's deserved. We ate the default XLB, the shiu-mai, pan-fried beef dumplings, spicy fried squid and some BBQ pork bun to close it out. Everything we ate had the perfect combination of delicate flavour with a robust-enough construction to fulfil its purpose. It's a dumpling. It tastes great with soy or vinegar and it's meant to be eaten in a single chomp. This concept is 100% present in the construction of the dumplings. The dough wasn't too thick or too thin. The soup inside didn't spray everywhere as soon as a chopstick touched the side. But it was the BBQ pork bun at the end that stole the show for me. The sauce wasn't the traditional char shiu but a much spicier version. The pork was sliced really thin and melted at the slightest pressure of teeth. So tasty.