Japanese

Misuzu’s

Crispy Chicken Maki

★★★☆☆

Roasted Dengaku Eggplant and Tofu with Sweet Miso

Enjoyable but super salty and had to be eaten with rice.

★★★☆☆

BBQ Salmon Belly Nigiri

★★★☆☆

Spicy Miso Beef

(stir fried scotch fillet and vegetables with a chilli and red miso sauce)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

The food was good, but not good enough to justify the prices. Service was ordinary and the red lighting that bathed the dining area reminded me of being in a darkroom.

Misuzu’s

3-7 Victoria Avenue, Albert Park, VIC

(03) 9699 9022

http://www.misuzus.com.au/

Maru Shih

Sashimi

We were expecting more of a variety but at least this was fresh.

★★★☆☆

Salmon and Avocado Inside Out Hand Roll

★★★☆☆

Yaki Udon

(chicken and vegetables cooked in Japanese sauce with mayo)

★★★☆☆

Okonomiyaki

(Japanese savoury pancake with seafood and vegetables)

Dry with minimal seafood.

★★☆☆☆

Beef Udon

(sliced beef, onion, spring onion and thick udon in soup)

The soup was a little bit too sweet for my liking.

★★☆☆☆

Katsu Curry Udon

(fried crumbed chicken, spring onion and thick udon in curry soup)

A hearty noodle dish.

★★★☆☆

Green Tea Latte

This was unfortunately too sweet and needed a stronger matcha flavour.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Great value for money (especially for a place in South Yarra), friendly attentive service, and tasty Japanese fare. Maru Shih is a place worth visiting if you are in the area.

Maru Shih

49 Toorak Rd, South Yarra, VIC

(03) 9077 9108

http://www.marushih.com/

Happy 4 10

Tempura Udon

★★☆☆☆

Kyoza

(deep fried vegetable dumplings with seasonal salad)

★★☆☆☆

Stir Fried Spicy Pork Set

(stir fried spicy pork, rice, miso soup, kyoza)

★★☆☆☆

Grilled Salmon Set

(grilled salmon with chef special teriyaki sauce dressing, rice, miso soup, kyoza)

★★★☆☆

Bibimbap Set

(mixed fresh salmon and cooked prawn, flying fish roe with special chilli sauce, rice, miso soup, kyoza)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

A good variety of Japanese and Korean fare at a place that has fast service and a playful atmosphere. A gorgeous mural and K-pop playing on a big screen can be found in the front courtyard, while many hanging baubles can be found all over the place within the inside dining area (a bit of an odd decorating choice). The food was decent and each table had a handy buzzer that could be pressed whenever you required a waiter’s attention.

Happy 4 10

82 Sheridan St, Cairns, QLD

4041 2502

Satoru’s Japanese Restaurant

Sushi Set

(salmon, tuna, prawn, calamari, scallop nigiri and sushi roll)

★★★☆☆

Bento Plate

(prawn and salmon dumplings, chicken spring roll, calamari tempura, teriyaki chicken and sushi roll)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

We visited for lunch on a Saturday and had a lovely cheerful man (I’m assuming he’s the owner) both prepare and serve our food. The seafood was fresh and the bento plate unique (this was the first time I’d ever heard of prawn and salmon dumplings). I can see why this place is the most popular Japanese restaurant in the area.

Satoru’s Japanese Restaurant

Shop 1, 108 Old Pacific Hwy, Oxenford, QLD

5665 9295

Izakaya Jiro

Grilled Lobster Tail

Sweet tender lobster that was marvellously seasoned.

= ★★★★

Kushiyaki Combo: Yakitori (chicken thigh skewer), Gyu Kushi (beef fillet skewer), Tsukune (chicken ball skewer), Ebi (prawn skewer), Zucchini skewer

The meat skewers were smoky and well marinated, while the zucchini skewer was so-so.

= ★★★

Sashimi Moriawase

Fresh and tasty.

= ★★★

Overall:

Delightful Japanese cuisine however portions were disappointingly small. This place made it onto Melbourne’s Best Cheap Eats 2015 list and while the food was relatively cheap, you sure don’t get much of it (eg. $4.50 for an Ebi prawn skewer). Just a heads-up.

Izakaya Jiro

830 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn

9818 7163

Home

Kenji

Sushi Bento Box

California deluxe rolls, nigiri sushi, gyoza, chicken karaage, croquette, crumbed fried prawn, calamari ring, edamame, salad

★★☆☆☆

Prawn, scallop and seared salmon nigiri

★★☆☆☆

House Special roll

Tuna, yellow-tail, prawn and cucumber, wrapped in salmon

★★☆☆☆

Green Tea Thickshake

Tasted like vanilla ice cream with occasional lumps of matcha powder.

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Warm and inviting atmosphere, lovely service, extensive menu, typical Japanese fare. Note that this place is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Kenji

Burwood Arcade Shop 10, 1405 Toorak Rd, Camberwell, VIC

(03) 9889 1084

Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen

There’s a new ramen place in town Melbourne! Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen is a well known ramen chain based in the Philippines and this particular restaurant is in fact the first that has been opened in Australia. I recently had the opportunity to attend their soft opening event and was quite impressed with the decor (particularly with the wall paintings and Japanese calligraphy).

I’m not the biggest fan of sake…

But once it’s mixed with juice, it becomes refreshing and tasty!

Yakimeshi (Japanese Fried Rice)

Simple and light.

★★☆☆☆

Gyoza

These were really good: crispy on one side, soft on the other side, with a delicious filling.

★★★☆☆

Spicy Tobanjan Tonkotsu

Ramen with mildly spicy Tobanjan paste, pork, green onion, egg, black fungus, bean sprouts and dried seaweed.

★★☆☆☆

Ikkoryu Original Tonkotsu

Hearty Tonkotsu ramen with pork, green onion, egg, black fungus, bean sprouts and dried seaweed.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

I have always liked places where you can customise your own ramen. Now although the ramen here was good, it certainly wasn’t the best that I’ve had in Melbourne. The broth could have been creamier and portions could have been somewhat larger (considering the prices of these bowls). Nevertheless I think Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen has the potential to become a great izakaya with its delightful space and snack varieties on offer.

Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen

Basement, 27 Russell St, Melbourne

(03) 9659 3708

Home Page

*Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen.

CJ Lunch Bar

Japchae (stir fried sweet potato noodles, vegetables and beef in soy sauce)

★★★☆☆

Bibimbab (steamed rice topped with sautéed vegetables, beef and special chilli sauce)

★★☆☆☆

Fried chicken served with cabbage salad

★★☆☆☆

Cheese chicken bulgogi (chicken bulgogi topped with cheese and spicy sauce)

★★★★☆

Kimchijeon (pan fried kimchi with vegetables and special flour batter)

★★☆☆☆

Dongaseu Don (deep fried marinated pork loin with rice)

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Slightly cramped seating, efficient service, good portions, fantastic value. (eg. the Dongaseu Don was only $6!)

CJ Lunch Bar

Shop 2/391 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne

(03) 9602 1155

Sushi Hotaru (revisted)

Salmon cream cheese roll

Seared salmon and scallops

Lobster salad gunkan

Seared scallop nigiri

Spicy seared salmon nigiri

Prawn box sushi

Chicken karaage

Spicy tuna nigiri

Salmon avocado roll

Takoyaki

Overall:

Love this place. In fact not much has changed since my first visit over a year ago. The service is still super quick (I ordered pretty much everything from the electronic touch screens) and the food is still fresh and delicious. The menu is updated 3 to 4 times a year and everything is freshly hand made right in front of your eyes. This time around I especially enjoyed the spicy seared salmon nigiri, chicken karaage and the seared salmon and scallops (I could really go for more of this right now!) This is definitely the place to go to if you are after quick, tasty, reasonable priced sushi train food. Note that this place can get quite busy and that they will not seat you until your entire party has arrived.

Check out the first part of this clip to get more of an idea of what to expect at Sushi Hotaru.

Sushi Hotaru

Shop 118, 200 Bourke St (1st floor of MidCity Arcade), Melbourne

(03) 9663 7538

*Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of SD Marketing Global.

Garagistes

103 Murray St, Hobart 6231 0558

Smoked new season pink eye potatoes, sauce of whey, garlic scapes, herbs, flowers

Tartare of veal leg, uni and pine nut cream, nasturtium buds, speck and aged buffalo cheese

Green feast peas, lovage, samphire, lardo

Venerupis clams cooked in kombu butter, chicken and anise hyssop dashi

Garagistes smoked eel, poached rhubarb, laver and pickled hawthorn blossom

Lightly steamed Tasmanian blue eye trevalla and oyster mushrooms cooked over charcoal

West Hobart lime posset, iced fig leaf kefir, caraway and dill shortbread

Kunzea blossom ice cream, elderflower milk crisp, green almond cream

Overall:

Garagistes offer an ever-changing five course set menu with optional artisanal sake to match. The food here is beautifully presented and has interesting flavours, however portions are quite small (I left still feeling a bit hungry). Service was friendly but slow, and the decor was simple (eg. plain wooden communal tables) and dark (eg. black walls, dark floors). Not a place I am likely to return to.

Note that this place opens Wednesday to Saturday from 6pm, and that reservations open two weeks in advance.