Japanese

Chanoma Cafe

Matcha Float

(iced matcha latte with matcha ice cream)

★★★☆☆

Matcha Fruit Parfait

(matcha ice cream, rice cake, pocky, cornflakes, cone, brown sugar syrup, fruit cocktail)

★★☆☆☆

img_20161212_212253

Black Sesame Soft Serve

★★★☆☆

Chanoma Cheese Dog

(kransky sausage, chopped cabbage, salsa sauce, mozzarella cheese)

★★☆☆☆

Creamy Shrimp Dog

(deep fried shrimp croquette, chopped cabbage, paprika, tartar sauce)

★★★★☆

Overall:

Known for their matcha creations, this busy Japanese-style cafe offers a wide range of hot and cold drinks, desserts as well as savoury snacks. Worth visiting if you are a matcha fan. Note that this place is cash only.

Chanoma Cafe

Shop 11, 501 George St, Sydney, NSW

(02) 9266 0667

home

Kyoto Cafe

Grilled Salmon

Heavy on the sauce and mayonnaise.

★★☆☆☆

img_20161104_204804

Grilled Salmon Crepe

Poached egg was overcooked and I wasn’t a fan of the rice and crepe combo.

★★☆☆☆

img_20161104_211458

Tuna Sashimi Fry

★★☆☆☆

Prawn Tempura

★★★☆☆

Matcha Beer

★★★☆☆

Overall:

The plan was to try the matcha and/or the black sesame custard puffs but after ordering way too much food, we sadly could not fit in dessert. The food and service were generally okay, and there’s a decent variety of matcha drinks that range from the typical matcha lattes to the not-so-typical matcha juices and beers. If I were to return, I’d probably stick to the drinks and the desserts.

Kyoto Cafe

Eastland Shopping Centre, Level 3

175 Maroondah Hwy, Ringwood, VIC

(03) 8820 8003

Mugen Ramen & Bar

Wafu Ramen

(soy sauce and dashi broth, house made thin noodles, slow cooked pork, bamboo shoots, seaweed)

★★★☆☆

Tori Soba

(chicken broth with Himalayan pink salt, house made special wavy noodles, chicken meatballs, slow cooked chicken breast slices, bamboo shoots, spring onion)

★★★★☆

IMG_20160823_125900_HDR

Goma Tsukemen

(sesame soy sauce broth, house made thick noodles, slow cooked pork, bamboo shoots, seaweed)

★★★☆☆

Matcha Creme Brulee with Hot Green Tea

Although there was a good amount of matcha flavour, this creme brulee was lumpy and still needed more time to set properly.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

We sat at some bar seats on the ground floor, which gave us perfect views of the kitchen and the chefs in action. I can’t say that this was the best ramen I’ve ever had but I can say that the service was quick and that the ambience was more sophisticated than most typical ramen bars.

Note that this place is closed on Sundays.

Mugen Ramen & Bar

11 Bligh Place, Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9620 3647

http://www.mensousaimugen.com/

Shimbashi Soba & Sake Bar

Kamo Nan Soba

(noodles with sliced seasoned duck meat and mushrooms in a warm soup)

Aside from the tough chewy duck that was in the soup, everything was really good.

★★★★☆

Salmon Salad Soba

(chilled noodles with salmon sashimi and green salad topped with basil sauce)

A refreshing salad with nicely seared salmon.

★★★★☆

Agedashi Tofu

(deep fried tofu in a soy based broth)

★★★☆☆

Complimentary potato salad

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Look no further for fresh authentic soba noodles! Using Tasmanian buckwheat, an in-house Japanese stone mill produces buckwheat flour daily which is then used to make their hand-kneaded noodles. Service was friendly however the arrival of our food was very staggered. Note that this place only accepts lunch reservations, so arrive early for dinner or expect a bit of a wait.

Shimbashi Soba & Sake Bar

17 Liverpool St, Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9654 6727

http://www.shimbashisobamelbourne.net/

Aka Siro

Maguroni – simmered tuna, egg, soy, ginger

★★☆☆☆

Teriyaki Hamburg Teishoku – simmered ground beef and pork mince patty with teriyaki sauce, vegetables and grated daikon

Juicy flavourful hamburgs that practically melt in your mouth.

★★★★☆

Higawari Teishoku – deep fried chicken katsu with BBQ sauce, potato salad with JP mayo, simmered turnip and fried tofu with soy and dashi broth

This menu item changes daily and comprises of 3 different dishes on the one plate. I really enjoyed the chicken katsu as it had amazing crunch and the meat was very tender. The simmered turnip was also a standout: simple and delicious.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

As soon as we sat down we were given some menus and a pot lid that had the daily specials written on it. We didn’t have to wait long for our food to arrive and when it did, every dish was comforting and homely. Each teishoku menu item is served with a bowl of warming miso soup and unlimited rice. There is an authentic Japanese vibe to this place and I wouldn’t mind returning if I’m ever in the area.

Aka Siro

106 Cambridge St, Collingwood, VIC

(03) 9417 0886

Ponshu Kiroro

Edamameholic

(stir fried edamame with garlic and red chilli)

Spicy, salty, garlicky deliciousness covered each and every edamame bean! I found these to be very addictive.

★★★★☆

Parfait Lunch Set

(marinated salmon sushi parfait, chunky miso soup, wasabi dressing)

Fresh, tasty, and well presented.

★★★★☆

Spicy Miso Ramen

(spicy Hokkaido miso ramen with kurobuta pork, boiled egg, cabbage, onion, bean sprouts, spring onion and sesame)

The thin broth reminded me of kimchi soup. The pork was quite tasty and the pieces of cabbage came in really big chunks.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

A bright charming place that offers delicious Hokkaido fusion cuisine, as well as a lovely range of Japanese beverages. This hidden gem is well worth visiting for their interesting dishes and their friendly service.

Ponshu Kiroro

9 Katherine Place, Melbourne, VIC

(03) 8657 8553

http://www.kiroro.com.au/

Darac Grill & Bar

Seafood Sausage Stew

This hearty stew compromised of a great selection of ingredients and was cooked right in front of us which was nice.

★★★☆☆

Ramen

I give this ramen one star because it costed $3. Ridiculous.

★☆☆☆☆

Gyoza

These prawn dumplings had an extremely soft filling and were not as crispy as I would have liked.

★★☆☆☆

Cheese Fire Chicken

Spicy Korean stir fried chicken with melted mozzarella cheese. Yum!

★★★☆☆

Seafood Spring Onion Pancake

Bland and underwhelming.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Good service, wide menu selection, relaxed atmosphere, sticky floors. I think my expectations were a bit too high so I was a little disappointed that nothing in particular stood out.

Darac Grill & Bar

51 A’Beckett St, Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9662 2441

En Izakaya

Seared momen tofu and oven baked miso infused eggplant

A great combination of flavours and textures made this dish very delectable.

★★★★☆

BBQ calamari with white miso and vinegar coated rocket, served on Yamagata soba noodles

The calamari was seriously amazing; it was smoky and tender, and some of the best I’ve had in a while. Unfortunately there were only a few pieces to enjoy as the majority of this dish was rocket.

★★★★☆

Salmon and broad bean tempura fritters with a Tasmanian salmon cream dipping sauce

The batter was extremely crispy however the salmon was slightly dry.

★★★☆☆

‘Son in law’ tsukune – pork, ginger and chilli meatball with a soft steamed egg and sweet soy

Underwhelming. I suppose I was expecting something bigger and something more unique tasting. This was just a average meatball with an egg on top.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

The dishes here were delectable and well presented. Our waitress recommended 4-5 dishes to share between two people which turned out to be just the right amount. Service was attentive and the decor sleek and modern. I must return one day to sample their $17 lunch set menu.

En Izakaya

277 Carlisle St, St Kilda East, VIC

(03) 9525 8886

http://enizakaya.com.au/#/home

Gyoza Gyoza

Salmon Tataki

Tuna Tataki

Soba Noodle Soup

Yaki Hotate

(baked Japanese scollops with creamy miso sauce)

Lobster Mini Burgers

Panfried Miso Eggplant and Duck Gyoza

Kinoko Hoiru-yaki

(foil baked mix mushrooms with ponzu butter sauce)

Overall:

What makes Gyoza Gyoza such an appealing place is that all their dishes are $6.50. With more than 80 Japanese tapas style dishes to choose from, we spent a fair amount of time deliberating over the menu. We had high expectations with the gyoza (due to the restaurant name) but they turned out to be rather ordinary and also smaller than expected. In fact most of the dishes we sampled turned out to be quite ordinary, with the only stand out dish being the baked scallops. Service was average and the small tables meant that it became a tetris challenge trying to fit all our dishes onto the table. Gyoza Gyoza may not offer the best Japanese food, but they do offer a wide variety for a decent price.

Gyoza Gyoza

115-117 Little Bourke St, Melbourne, CBD

(03) 9663 0801

http://www.gyozagyoza.com.au/

Hinoki Japanese Pantry

I finally tried the sushi bar at Hinoki Japanese Pantry the other day after buying groceries from here in the past.

Hotate (scallop) and Salmon Aburi

★★★☆☆

Nosé Maki and Hoso Maki

★★★★☆

Small Sashimi

★★★★☆

Overall:

Our order took a little while to prepare but when it was finally ready, everything tasted fresh and was of fantastic quality. The grocery store section at Hinoki Japanese Pantry is impressive with a wide range of products ranging from Japanese curries and ramen to sake and green tea Kit Kats. This simple orderly store is a good place to head to for your Japanese grocery needs, as well as for delicious sushi and sashimi. Note that limited seating is available so getting takeaway may be necessary during busy periods.

Hinoki Japanese Pantry

279 Smith St, Fitzroy, VIC

(03) 9417 4531

http://hinoki.com.au/