Tenmatsu

Tenmatsu is a must try for those after a superior tempura restaurant in Tokyo. Located just outside Mitsukoshi-mae station, we were seated at the counter while the chef prepared an amazing meal for us. Choose from several set options. We had:

Entree - didn't quite catch what the hostess mentioned but she asked if we wanted something seasonal as an entree and we said yes. It was a wonderful seafood appetiser, fresh and tangy, and certainly got the tastebuds going.

Take set - 6 pieces of tempura: shrimp, fish, vegetables (¥5400) - Substantial tempura set with fresh ingredients, you get an extra serving of fish compared to the Ume set. You get to choose your own vegetable tempura from a basket of goodies and the shrimp is prepared fresh in front of you; still alive and kicking. The tempura batter is light and crispy and expertly fried.

Ume set - 5 pieces of tempura: shrimp, fish, vegetable (¥4320) - Good amount of tempura courses and very good value. As mentioned, you get pretty much everything that the more expensive options have.

Bowl of rice with tendon (¥2700) - Shrimp, veg and fish pancake tempura served on top a bowl of rice. It was accompanied with a tendon sauce on top and was quite tasty.

Service: :star :star :star :star :star
Quality of food: :star :star :star :star :star
Value for money: :star :star :star :star :star 

Type of venue: Japanese,  Tempura

Worth a return visit? Yes.

Address: 1-8-2 Muromachi, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0022

Butagumi

Butagumi specialises in tonkatsu and is about a 10 min walk from Roppongi Station. The menu is easy enough to follow; just choose based on how rich or flavourful you want it to be and whatever is available is highlighted in green. We had:

Croquette (¥350) - Crispy on the outside and deliciously creamy on the inside as it should be. The price is per piece.

Japanese sausage (¥600) - Certainly a high quality sausage served quite simply with a side of seeded mustard and pickles. Looks simple but tastes amazing.

Kagoshima-junsui-kuro-buta (¥3600) - Rich option from Kagoshima prefecture. It was nice but certainly drier and more steak-like. Required more chewing effort.

Meishan-ton (¥3800) - Super rich option from Ibaraki prefecture. So tender it melts in your mouth. Very rich and flavourful.

All sets come with miso soup, rice, slice cabbage and Japanese vegetable pickles. You also get a small appetiser to share and wonderful service as you do throughout Japan!

Service: :star :star :star :star :star 
Quality of food: :star :star :star :star :star
Value for money: :star :star :star :star :star 

Type of venue: Japanese,  Tonkatsu 

English menu: Yes.

Worth a return visit? Yes.

Address: 2-24-9 Nishiazabu, Minato, Tokyo 106-0031, Japan

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Nakajima

Located down some stairs off a side street is Nakajima (One Michelin Star). Famous for their sardines, this is a perfect place for sardine lovers and is surely one of the cheapest Michelin Starred places in the world. Come for lunch if you are after something cheap but just be prepared to queue up. As with most places, dinner tends to be more a more elaborate and expensive affair. We had:

Sardine lunch set (¥800) - Quite a small but delicious meal. You get two pieces of fish, miso soup, rice, pickles and hot green tea with your meal. The sardine is prepared quite simply and is wonderfully sweet, oily and rich. Sardine can be a little difficult to eat for the uninitiated so you may choose to have the sashimi option instead.

Service: :star :star :star :star :star 
Quality of food: :star :star :star :star :star 
Value for money: :star :star :star :star :star

English menu: Yes.

Type of venue: Japanese,  Sardine

Worth a return visit: Yes.

Address: 3-32-5 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Tamawarai

Tamawarai (One Michelin Star) is located in a residential area. We got there just before opening time and were the first ones there. However, some had made reservations and pre-ordered what they wanted so the popular items had already sold out. We had:

Tofu (¥700) - Soft creamy goodness topped with soy milk skin. Quite a simple but tasty appetiser.

Baked Miso (¥600) - Did not know what to expect. Always thought of miso as in a sauce or soup. This version has a charred and crispy outside and baking it brings out a nice aroma and flavour.

Soba Topped With Natto (¥1500) - Simple but very well prepared soba with perfect texture and bite to it. The addition of Natto is not for everyone as it has a slimy texture akin to okra. Simply mix everything together and it is almost like a soba salad.

Soba With Grated Daikon Radish (¥1300) - Again, the soba was simply amazing. Perfect texture and so simple with hot soba "tea" to complete the meal. This version is what most will be familiar with. Just a simple dipping sauce for the soba noodles and you can add the radish and bonito flakes as you wish.

Service: :star :star :star :star  ½
Quality of food: :star :star :star :star :star
Value for money: :star :star :star :star :star

Type of venue: Soba, Japanese

Worth a return visit? Yes.

Address: 5-23-3 Jingumae Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Yoshihashi

We had heard about Yoshihashi Sukiyaki (One Michelin Star) a while ago and it was on our to-eat list. We were worried about there possibly being a long queue of eager patrons but thankfully it was an hour or so before closing time (lunch session) and we were pretty much the only people there at the time. It soon filled up with some wealthier Japanese though. Talk about good timing.

Please note that for some reason, unfortunately this is one of the few places where foreigners are not really welcome. We felt a little uneasy when we were greeted at the entrance and are not sure if it is a new policy because of some incident involving foreigners, but we were shown a laminated card that said you must be accompanied by someone who is fluent in Japanese if you wish to dine there. Maybe too many questions were asked about the Japanese-only menu or people were too boisterous/loud or it could even be the usage of phones as there was also a no-mobile phone policy in place.

We suppose we managed to get in and be served as we were not rude in any way and were quick to point out that we were there for only one thing (showed her photo of sukiyaki set on phone). The waitress was most polite and even though she spoke to us in Japanese, helped us out in the end. The service was definitely top notch but the earlier incident at the entrance did put us off a little. We had:

Sukiyaki beef lunch set - You are served a small serving of pickles, a small bowl with a raw egg in which to use as a dipping sauce, steamed rice, miso soup and a copper pot filled with thin slices of beef, chrysanthemum greens, tofu, mushrooms and onion. It was very generous, extremely tasty and very good value for such a wonderful upmarket establishment. The beef was succulent, meltingly tender and full of flavour. Everything was prepared and cooked beautifully. However, if you don't speak/read Japanese, it will be most difficult for you to order anything else. Time to learn Japanese?

Service: :star :star :star :star ½
Quality of food: :star :star :star :star :star
Value for money: :star :star :star :star :star 

Type of venue: Sukiyaki,  Japanese

English menu: No.

Worth a return visit? Yes (If we can master Japanese by then.)

Address: 1-5-25 Motoakasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Uoriki Kaisen Sushi (魚力海鮮寿司)

Uoriki Kaisen Sushi (魚力海鮮寿司) is a small sushi bar located on the "food hall" floor of the Shibuya Tokyu Department Store. You may be tempted to get something from the various stalls in the food hall but trust us, Uoriki Kaisen Sushi is a must try and rates very highly on some of the best sushi we have ever had. Besides, you can always buy some fresh mochi for dessert after. We had:

Large boiled conger eel (¥500 each) - Large it is. Tastes amazing, succulent and meltingly soft.

Fatty tuna/otoro (¥500 each) - Such good value. Simply divine and so meltingly soft that chewing isn't really necessary.

Horse mackerel (¥160 each) - Nice colour on the skin, bluish green and good flavour to it.

Abalone (¥500 each) - Again, simple and delicious. Served with a small piece of the gonad on top.

Boiled octopus (¥160 each) - No idea how the octopus remains so tender. So simple and yet a nice subtle flavour and not much chewing required.

Uni (¥300 each) - Fresh and so deliciously creamy and sweet. A must try for those who haven't had it before.

Service: :star :star :star :star :star 
Quality of food: :star :star :star :star :star 
Value for money: :star :star :star :star :star

Type of venue: Japanese, Sushi 

English menu: Yes.

Worth a return visit? Yes.

Address: B1 Tokyu Department Store, 2-24-1 Shibuya

Wagyu Ya

Waygu Ya in South Yarra serves up delicious Wagyu beef and other tasty Japanese fare. We heard that Novak Djokovic had his meal here one year and decided to have their soy milk hot pot for dinner. They also do good value lunch sets and this is what we had this time:

Harami set - the thick part of the diaphragm muscle, extremely limited portion with only 1kg per cow. Full flavoured and delicate texture. The set comes with potato salad, fried chicken pieces, salad, miso soup , yummy steamed rice and a piece of orange. You also get three sauces but the meat doesn't need any extra sauce. The steamed rice also comes with this braised fatty meat that is so addictive.

Japanese style soy milk hot pot - smaller version of what you would have for dinner. The unique flavour of the hot pot goes really well with the Wagyu beef that is sliced perfectly thin. Literally melts in your mouth.

Service: :star :star :star :star
Quality of food: :star :star :star :star ½
Value for money: :star :star :star :star

Type of venue: Japanese

Worth a return visit? Yes.

Address: 156 Toorak Road, South Yarra VIC 3141

Hakata Gensuke

Hakata Gensuke is extremely popular and there seems to constantly be a queue outside it. We like it because you can specify how you like your noodles, toppings and broth to be. This time we had:

Signature Tonkotsu - Hakata Gensuke original pork bone broth which is essentially a full-bodied and collagen-rich pork bone soup, served with homemade thin noodles, tender pork Cha-shu, black fungus, egg and spring onions. The soup is deliciously rich and the noodles just the right texture. Simple accompaniments such as the tender pork slices and a perfectly soft boiled egg make this our favourite thing to order here. Quick tip: a dash of the ramen sauce helps lift the broth slightly if you want it a little saltier.

Gyoza - Petite, well-made gyoza goes perfectly as a side with the ramen if you are feeling a little hungry. The chicken karaage is nice too but the gyoza is just light enough to have.

Service: :star :star :star :star :star
Quality of food: :star :star :star :star :star
Value for money: :star :star :star :star 

Type of venue: Japanese, Ramen

Worth a return visit? Yes.

Address: 168 Russell Street,  Melbourne VIC 3000

Supernormal

A very popular modern Asian restaurant so do come prepared for the long wait for a table. Dishes are perfect for sharing and the staff are very attentive. 

We ordered:

Smoked beef, mustard leaf, clam mayonnaise - loved the flavour combination and it was very much like beef tartare done really well. Wish there was more!

New England lobster roll - interesting to try but probably won't order it again. We love lobster but in a buttery roll, the flavour of the lobster was a little lost and certainly the price was a little steep.

White cut chicken, cold noodles, sesame, peanuts and chilli oil - perfectly poached chicken, this was moist and delicious with the peanuts and chilli oil.

John Dory, mussels, wakame, celery and ponzu - a few school prawns tossed in, the seaweed flavour was quite nice and the fish nicely cooked though we did not think it went well with the rice and salad as recommended by the waitress.

Peanut butter parfait, salted caramel and soft chocolate - sweet with hints of saltiness equals a perfect way to end the night. Deliciously smooth. In our humble opinion,  we think this may be the best in Melbourne!

Service: :star :star :star :star :star
Quality of food: :star :star :star :star
Value for money: :star :star :star :star

Type of venue: Modern, Japanese,  Chinese, Asian

Worth a return visit? Yes.

Address: 180 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000

Fukuryu Ramen

Fukuryu Ramen is a very popular ramen restaurant in Melbourne. Hakata Gensuke Ramen is probably the best (but the queues are terrible), this a close second and the third best (although we haven't been here lately) is Kokoro Ramen. Walk up the stairs, walk up to the counter, place your order and grab your seat while you wait for your delicious bowl of ramen to arrive.

This time we had:

Silver Tonkotsu - extra thick pork bone broth,  not for the faint hearted. This comes with the usual condiments but the bamboo shoots are different from the other ramen places and are quite nice. The broth is very thick and the noodles are of the curly variety.

Okonomi Balls - pork belly and egg balls with Japanese BBQ sauce and Kewpie mayo. Cross between an okonomiyaki and takoyaki, this has a crunchy outer layer and a dense meaty centre. Came with the lunch set but we prefer the gyoza if you are thinking of a side order.

Overall, good food and quick service is what you will get here. Plenty of food options and for drinks, free still or sparkling water is available. Otherwise, check out their iced green tea which goes great with the ramen.

Service: :star :star :star :star ½
Quality of food: :star :star :star :star
Value for money: :star :star :star :star

Type of venue: Japanese,  Asian

Worth a return visit? Yes.

Address: Level 1, 22-26 Corrs Lane,  Melbourne VIC 3000

Shimbashi Soba

Wonderful authentic little Japanese restaurant serving a variety of delicious dishes with soba dishes being their speciality. We tried a couple of small dishes and their cold soba dishes as the weather was quite warm but can't wait for cooler days to try their warm soba dishes.

Salmon Yukke - very nice flavours and the salmon was fresh.

Tender Ox tongue - nice thick juicy pieces with a wonderful teriyaki sauce.

Tororo Seiro chilled - Soba noodles with grated mountain yam is uniquely Japanese, delicious and the texture of the yam is very unique. Soba-yu is the water left from boiling the soba and is complimentary. 

Served in a little teapot, it is mixed with the leftover dipping sauce. Simply delicious.

Service: :star :star :star :star :star
Quality of food: :star :star :star :star :star
Value for money: :star :star :star :star

Type of venue: Specialty Japanese,  Soba

Worth a return visit? Yes. 

Address: 17 Liverpool Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Wayo

A very good find. Simple neighbourhood Japanese located on Racecourse Rd in Flemington, Wayo offers delicious a la carte options done very well indeed.

Whenever we crave some delicious but reasonably priced Japanese fare, this is definitely our go-to place. Open for lunch or dinner, our favourite option is the Japanese hamburger steak with demi-glace sauce and an addition of either a poached egg or cheese. Simply divine, the sauce elevates the dish to a completely different level.

The chicken katsu dish is also a good option but to be honest, we have been there nearly ten times and ordered the hamburger steak nine of those times. A must try Japanese place, you will not be disappointed.

Service: :star :star :star :star :star
Quality do food: :star :star :star :star :star
Value for money: :star :star :star :star :star

Type of venue: Japanese

Worth a return visit? Yes.

Address: 286 Racecourse Road,  Flemington VIC 3031

Nobu

Located in the Crown complex, this Japanese restaurant is world renowned and there are a few locations in Australia and worldwide. Serving wonderfully fresh seafood with some of its signature dishes and a couple that are unique to Australia, you will always have an excellent time here be it for lunch or dinner.

For lunch, the bento options are very popular as you get to try some of the dishes albeit much smaller versions of them for a set price. A la carte is available but probably more suited for dinner as most of the lunch crowd are there for something a little quicker and easier on the wallet.

A dinner review will follow at another time as will the review of their most expensive lunch set, the Nobu deluxe bento.

So, let's dig in:

White choc and passionfruit mocktail: this is quite a refreshing option, quite light actually and there is a cocktail version of that if one prefers.

Nobu Bento Box: The stand out is the signature black cod miso, but this bento also comes with a good selection of their signature sushi as well as some butter ponzu baby prawns. The black cod miso is something extremely popular to have even as an a la carte option for lunch or dinner. Black cod or some of you may know it as Patagonian toothfish certainly has a unique rich and buttery taste.

Service: :star :star :star :star
Quality of food: :star :star :star :star :star
Value for money: :star :star :star :star 

Type of venue: Japanese

Worth a return visit? Yes.

Address: 8 Whiteman St, Crown Towers, Southbank VIC 3006