Are There Japanese Restaurants In Melbourne?

Best Japanese Restaurants In Melbourne

From Australia's best Japanese restaurant to trendy izakayas with blaring tunes and frosty brews, Japanese food in Melbourne is as varied and exciting as the city itself.

Minamishima

It takes the discipline of a Zen master to get a seat at Australia's best Japanese restaurant, but the wait is worth it for the seafood aficionados who respect Koichi Minamishima's quiet confidence with fish and rice.

Choosing the greatest Japanese eatery in Melbourne is like playing a minigame. There are at least a half-dozen eateries that could reasonably assert they are the best. The first one we're going to throw in, though, is this one right here. Omakase by Chef Koichi Minamishima is available at Minamishimia in Richmond.

The man has 25 years of experience making top-notch sushi. With this service, you receive each item individually, all of which have been crafted with great care and meticulous attention to detail. Nowhere else on the internet will you find hyperbole like "Melbourne's greatest sushi," but we're going to use it here.

The flavours at this three-hatted shrine, served up over the course of 15 or so omakase dishes, range from delicate  to knock-you-sideways-sublime.

A piece of Tokyo's finest bluefin tuna belly, known for its buttery richness, was brought here and quickly seared to perfection.  Staff in starch-collared shirts and ties move with poise and grace under the direction of sommelier Randolph Cheung, who has curated an excellent sake and wine list. Absolutely stunning.

As a rule of thumb, if fugu is an extra course and you only have one chance at life, go all out and enjoy it.

The Chef's Table At Kisume

Kisume, which means "a genuine passion with beauty," is an appropriate choice of word for this situation. A sushi restaurant occupies the ground floor, while the third story serves as a bar and omakase area, and the basement is home to the hot kitchen. Chef Yonge Kim has assembled an excellent team to assist him. There is probably nothing you need to know about sushi and sake that these dudes don't already know.

Master sushi chef Shinya Nakano of Kyoto, Japan, will serve a precisely choreographed exhibition of Australian seafood consisting of around 18 bites to a restricted group of 12 guests. The menu items are a bold reimagining of classic sushi presentations. Pickled vegetables typical of Kyoto are scattered over a bed of rice that has been topped with raw tuna belly and grilled tuna.

Chef breaks fourth wall by passing around hand roll with tempura-coated Moreton Bay bugs on it as a surprise appetiser. All aspects, from the timing and presentation to the dishes and glasses, are lauded for their stunning beauty. In place of champagne, try the Japanese take on oyster sabayon, which features premium sake and yuzu for added zing. After every 19 courses, the chef will switch up the omakase menu.

Ishizuka

The course of a dinner here is like the soft arc of a ritual. Kaiseki dining is a revered Japanese custom where guests are served a series of seasonal courses in a formal setting.

There are 16 patrons seated around an open kitchen, and each course is prepared in full view of them. The exquisite vegetable cutting, artful jellies, extravagant garnishes, and beautiful plateware are all integral parts of a kaiseki feast. Small bonito jelly globes filled with jewel-like veggies and finished with caviar and gold leaf might be the first course.

There will be more delicious sashimi and cooked daikon topped with foie gras in the future. Please enquire about our elaborate to-go bento lunches. If you have a sizable budget and are looking for a nice place to eat Japanese food, your search ends with Ishizuka. In contrast to many other "luxury" eateries, the quality of the food here actually lives up to the hype. The food served there varies with the seasons and the day.

There are 11 unforgettable items included in the rotating set menu that is served each evening. The catch is that it can only accommodate 16 customers every night. So, you know, make reservations ahead of time. The spots sell out like a few weeks in advance. Look at the tasteful furnishings as well. Essential dish: Five different salts are offered with the extraordinarily rich wagyu beef dish.

Kazuki's

The cuisine in this area has never been easy to label. Nonetheless, after moving to his new location in the heart of the city, Kazuki Tsuya has refined his cuisine to unprecedented heights.

Try one of the many exquisite appetisers before the main course, like the silky lick of taramasalata over a nori crisp bejewelled with fish roe or the delicate chicken liver macaron.

The pickled mussels with juicy tomatoes and the hapuka in yuzu-spiked beurre blanc with salty bursts of avruga bear Kazuki's signature. Kazuki's was relocated to Lygon St a number of years ago from its previous location in Daylesford by Chef Kazuki Tsuya and his companion Saori.

The Omotenashi philosophy behind Kazuki's is what makes the restaurant so special and unique to Japan.

It doesn't matter if you're hungry or interested, because the restaurant has both a set tasting menu and an à la carte menu (seasonal, utilising only the freshest products).

Tempura Hajime

Tucked away behind a plain door, chef Shigeo Yoshihara-san carefully crafts tasty bites for a select group of diners.

Some courses may consist of nothing more than a single spear of asparagus or a single shrimp that has been expertly battered, fried, and coaxed to perfection. At some point in the course of each dinner, there will be a multi-component dish, such as avocado-wrapped tuna or a scallop packed with sea urchin. As with any good restaurant, the product is the star of the show. A variety of sophisticated treats, such as yoghurt jelly adorned with Cointreau, are served, along with delicate zensai (snacks) and simple but stunning sashimi.

Wa Kenbo

Traditional Japanese foods, like the restaurant's notably crisp and delicate tempura, may be found on the small menu, as can creative takes on Japanese food, like the hoji tea-smoked duck breast with duck neck sausage and pickled quandong that comes on the sushi platters. Founder and head chef Kenji Ito honed his skills in Kyoto.

Knife skills and careful plating are required. When the black porcelain cover is raised from the communal pot containing soft grilled octopus tentacles, huge clusters of enoki mushrooms, burdock, and rice bursting with umami, all of that expertise seems almost besides the point.

Pickled daikon and fish floss, a pungent condiment, are included in the side dish. It's delicious, and it has the same soothing, subtle quality as a meal at Ito's peaceful restaurant.

Kenzan

Although it's getting on in years, this sushi bar still rolls out the classics with such confidence and expertise that its Flinders Lane competitors would be jealous.

Examples include delicately sliced sashimi, hand rolls filled just with crab meat, and tempura veggies that are so light they almost melt in your mouth.

Cook-at-the-table nabe ryori, including paper-thin slices of beef, a variety of veggies, and a smattering of spicy sauces, is a fun activity for those who enjoy a more interactive meal (or a first date ice breaker).

The restaurant has a cosy, well-lit dining room where you can enjoy your meal while being attended to by the helpful and friendly wait staff, or you can see the sashimi being sliced in front of your eyes at the bar.

The chawanmushi, a steamed egg and dashi custard cloaked in seafood, is a Melbourne institution.

Shira Nui

There are numerous hidden gems in the ever-growing international culinary cluster near Glen Waverley station.

Shira Nui is one of the most dazzling of the islands, despite being widely known about. With two lunch seatings and two evening seatings, the upbeat wait staff must keep the food coming.

Baking eggplant in a miso sauce creates a dish that resembles savoury pudding (nasu dengaku), and the tight, flavorful gyoza might be calling your name. However, chef Nishikura's omakase cuisine is what continues to draw in customers.

Sushi's crowning jewels, such as kingfish marinated in grilled oysters with homemade mayo wrapped in nori, sweet soy and citrous juice, and salted and lemon-seasoned garfish, are brought out in a leisurely procession.

Tokyo Tina

In this lively izakaya, the atmosphere is just as important as the food.

The hibachi grill is the place to go if you want to sample some of the Japanese and Korean cuisines included on the menu, and the mood is as frantic as the painting of a Tokyo streetscape that runs along one wall.

You'll find two of everything here—cuttlefish, wagyu, spatchcock, and even full spatchcocks doused in bulgogi sauce.

The adage "built to share" describes the ideal of modern dining. Large, crisp pork hock ssam, served with ginger, ssamjang, pancakes, kimchi and cucumber,, is a great example of a dish that encourages conversation and laughter at the dinner table.

Essential dish: The char on the whole spatchcock from the hibachi grill pairs well with the marinade of brown sugar caramel, gochujang, soy, mirin, and sake.

Cibi

The best Japanese cafe and home goods store in Collingwood has expanded into a new, larger location.

A traditional Japanese breakfast of salmon and rice is a terrific way to refuel before perusing their curated collection of desirable home goods.

It's like a little slice of Japan right in your neighbourhood, complete with Japanese language classes, exotic ingredients, and authentic ingredients for your next meal.

Izakaya Den

Izakaya Den serves the city's greatest gyoza, the steamed dumplings that have become a symbol of Japan abroad.

The restaurant's sleek wooden bar, open grill, and flooring complement the restaurant's amazing assortment of traditional foods, including as fried oysters, agedashi tofu, and salted edamame, well. It's recommended that you book a reservation in advance, as the restaurant is frequently full on the weekends.

Supernormal

Izakaya Den serves the city's greatest gyoza, the steamed dumplings that have become a symbol of Japan abroad.

The restaurant is a feast for the eyes and the palate with its sleek wooden bar, open grill, and concrete floors, as well as its wonderful selection of authentic dishes including grilled octopus, agedashi tofu, and salted edamame. It's best to make reservations in advance, as the place tends to get crowded on weekends.

Ichi Ni Na Na

Wagyu steak tartare with pickled shallots, radish, shiso, and croutons seasoned with wafu; sashimi salads made with fresh fish; king prawns roasted over charcoal and served with yakitori sauce; and more can all be found at Ichi Ni Na Na.

Spend the evening at one of Melbourne's best Japanese restaurants with a martini from the Rooftop Bar.

Don Don

Chicken katsu curry from Don Don, one of the top budget Japanese restaurants in Melbourne, will be at your table before you can say "thank you."

Many lunchtime eaters enjoy pulling out their watches to time how quickly they can remove the chargrilled chicken from the grill and top it with a heaping spoonful of flavorful curry sauce (their PB is 12.)

Both college kids and working professionals love Don Don. Get a bento box from the chaotic kitchen behind Don Don's black shutters, and then park yourself on the State Library Lawn for maximum delight.

Teppanyaki Inn

Teppanyaki Inn, one of Melbourne's oldest and most respected Japanese restaurants, has been drawing in customers since 1975 so they may watch an egg being flung "artfully" into a waiting face bowl.

Being the first yakitori restaurant in Australia, they have mastered the art of the open grill and offer the freshest, most delicious fare this side of the equator.

Teppanyaki Inn's Moreton Bay Bugs and broken fried rice have gained national notoriety, so make a reservation in advance if you wish to eat there on the weekend.

Gogyo

If you're looking for a decent Japanese restaurant north of Melbourne, Gogyo is a great option. Their famous charred miso ramen is spicy and flavorful . Because IPPUDO, a giant in the Japanese ramen industry, owns the Gogyo ramen franchise, you know you're getting a good bowl of ramen every time.

Ippudo

IPPUDO is the holy grail of ramen restaurants; eating there should be on everyone's list.

The Shiromaru Motoaji tonkatsu ramen is famous for its trademark bean sprouts,  creamy tonkatsu broth, pork loin, springy hand-pulled noodles, and black fungus.

Find IPPUDO on Artemis lane in QV—follow the crowds to this institute of a Japanese restaurant.

Shujinko

Suggestions for two consecutive bowls of ramen? Please do so. If being available at all times, 24 hours a day, sounds good, how about that? Shujinko doesn't care if you eat your soup at 7 p.m. or 4 a.m.

The food is delicious, too! The one we chose Very traditional. Choose the Shujinko ramen, which is made with a pork broth and topped with grilled pork belly, spring onion, bok choy, a marinated egg, and bean sprouts. If you want things spicy, you should try the Black Ramen.

Little Ramen Bar

The Little Ramen Bar is a mecca for ramen lovers. This little eatery is well-known around Melbourne as one of the best places to grab a bowl of authentic Japanese noodles.

The $7 Sapporo Draught on tap offer and the rest of the menu are safe bets . Get going early and bring along a select few: The restaurant is small since it was decorated in a traditional Japanese style. Even though it may be difficult to get a table for a large group, we still strongly suggest this restaurant.

Deneke

Don't worry, northern Melburnians; we haven't forgotten about you. What a fortunate group you are to have Deneke so close by, in nearby Preston.

There's a lot of cool stuff to look at in this izakaya bar, but that wouldn't be enough to convince you to stop in. Even though everything on the menu is delicious, we highly recommend the karaage and the Kushi-age eggplant skewers.

Accompany it with a selection of both warm and cold boutique sakes. Ask the charming bartenders for suggestions on which drinks would go best with your meal.

Ichi Ni Izakaya

If you enjoyed Ichi Ni Na Na so much, you should definitely look into the rest of the series. If you want to eat sushi in an open kitchen without spending a bunch on flying, Ichi Ni Izakaya in St. Kilda may be able to make your dreams come true. Due to its slightly more refined take on the classic bar snack, this is one of best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne for a sushi supper for one. Place yourself on a stool, chopsticks in hand, and get ready to indulge in the best sashimi and beer in town.

Conclusion

Japanese cuisine can be found in a wide variety of Melbourne and suburbia establishments. Your expectations for a tasty and genuine Japanese meal will be more than met. No matter what Japanese dish you're in the mood for (Sushi, Ramen, or Teppanyaki), you can find it at a local restaurant. In that case, why delay any longer? Get out there and sample the incredible Japanese restaurants Melbourne has to offer!

Content Summary:

• Unlike Italian and Vietnamese cuisine, Japanese food has less of a cultural presence in Melbourne.
• However, in contrast to the large flood of individuals from Japan and other Asian countries during World War II and the Vietnam War, Japanese immigration to Australia has been slow and consistent.
• More evidence that Japanese cuisine has a unique appeal, as it has persisted as one of Melbourne's most ubiquitous and popular cuisines for decades.
• There are a plethora of high-end restaurants with skilled sushi chefs who serve multi-course meals.
• Nonetheless, Melbourne is at its best in the low to moderately priced category.
• As Melburnians, we have an abundance of dining options at our fingertips.
• Your neighbourhood is home to some of the world's finest kitchen masters, who are standing by to prepare any meal your palate can imagine.
• Furthermore, Japanese food is not an exception.
• We like to think that Melbourne has some of the top Japanese restaurants in the world because of the city's extraordinarily large migrant chef community.
• These cooks are bringing not only their culinary heritage but also a burning desire to serve the people of Melbourne.
• The city has a wide variety of excellent Japanese dining options, from casual noodle shops to elegant omakase and kaiseki restaurants, from vibrant yakitori bars to dimly lit izakayas loaded with rare whiskies and saké.
• Sushi, saké, and wacky fusion dishes can all be found in abundance in modern Melbourne.
• Everyone has their favourite local spot for Japanese cuisine, but these are our recommendations.
• From Australia's best Japanese restaurant to trendy izakayas with blaring tunes and frosty brews, Japanese food in Melbourne is as varied and exciting as the city itself.
• It takes the discipline of a Zen master to get a seat at Australia's best Japanese restaurant, but the wait is worth it for the seafood aficionados who respect Koichi Minamishima's quiet confidence with fish and rice.
• Choosing the greatest Japanese eatery in Melbourne is like playing a minigame.
• There are at least a half-dozen eateries that could reasonably assert they are the best.
• The first one we're going to throw in, though, is this one right here.
• Omakase by Chef Koichi Minamishima is available at Minamishimia in Richmond.
• The man has 25 years of experience making top-notch sushi.
• With this service, you receive each item individually, all of which have been crafted with great care and meticulous attention to detail.
• Nowhere else on the internet will you find hyperbole like "Melbourne's greatest sushi," but we're going to use it here.
• The flavours at this three-hatted shrine, served up over the course of 15 or so omakase dishes, range from delicate  to knock-you-sideways-sublime.
• A piece of Tokyo's finest bluefin tuna belly, known for its buttery richness, was brought here and quickly seared to perfection.
• Staff in starch-collared shirts and ties move with poise and grace under the direction of sommelier Randolph Cheung, who has curated an excellent sake and wine list.
• Absolutely stunning.
• As a rule of thumb, if fugu is an extra course and you only have one chance at life, go all out and enjoy it.
• The Chef's Table At Kisume Kisume, which means "a genuine passion with beauty," is an appropriate choice of word for this situation.
• A sushi restaurant occupies the ground floor, while the third story serves as a bar and omakase area, and the basement is home to the hot kitchen.