Reviews

‘Hanabishi is the best Japanese food in Melbourne and possibly the best in Australia!
 
We construct our meals very carefully here trying to select a range of textures and flavours. The meal usually opens with complimentary pickled fish and vegetable dish that is immensely appealing. If you like to sample a range of smaller dishes then try the following.
 
We order the beautifully light and fresh horenso (spinach) topped with bonito flakes. We then move on to gyoza (dumplings) and maybe the gyusashi (thin slices of carefully-arranged raw beef with a vinegar and soy sauce dressing). We might then balance these against a dish of deep-fried small whitebait called shirauo. Then it is time for the moriawase (a mixture of sushi and sashimi) where the sashimi has been cut cleanly so that it provides an amazing sensation on the tongue and palette. If we are lucky they have fresh wasabi available. If you see other tables with small wooden graters carefully grating roots which look like horseradish, then you know it's available.

We might then try the chasoba salad of green tea noodles in a soba sauce and creamy dressing before embarking on the final dish of unaju. This is the prized grilled eel served on steamed rice in a lovely wooden box. The juices from the grilled eel seep into the rice making it a perfect end to the meal.

The service here is excellent and the wine list interesting. We particularly like the refined Yerinberg Chardonnay which is a perfect accompaniment for the food.’

‘A mixture of classical and minimalist Japanese design, this is one of Melbourne's finest Japanese restaurants. With the right advice, some excellent and unusual dishes can be tried. For a real treat book a small private room and order a special banquet in advance. Everything is done to the highest standards and is quite perfect.’

‘Hanabishi has consistently been top of the Japanese restaurant food tree, being awarded Best Japanese in The Age Good Food Guide for a few years running (including 2005)

Hidden away on King Street, in an area more known for the gentleman's clubs which populate the area, Hanabishi is an oasis of Japanese cuisine.’

‘Time and time again the Guide has claimed Hanabishi to be Melbourne's best Japanese restaurant.

‘Undoubtedly one of Melbourne's best Japanese restaurants, Hanabishi is an ultra-popular, casual lunchtime bistro and a sublime dining experience in the evening. Many excellent and unusual dishes adorn Akio Soga's menu, all of them beautifully presented, each one a textural delight. If you are lucky you may get to try the fresh wasabi, hand-grated at the table.’

‘Hanabishi is always crowded at lunchtime because the soothing atmosphere is just the thing after a hectic corporate morning. It’s the impeccable hospitality, uncluttered lines, lots of warm dark wood, white and peacock blue walls… and then there’s the food which is the star attraction. Akio Soga’s cooking represents the best of Japanese cuisine – a blend of thoughtful aesthetics with seasonal ingredients, and a combination of tradition and courteous adventurousness. The bento boxes and the range of lunch sets are the common choice and no wonder, since they provide a full meal beautifully presented in red and black lacquered boxes. 

They’re an easy and excellent option but don’t forget other possibilities such as sugitayaki (oven-cooked fish with the fragrance of Japanese cedar wood) or tempura. Even the miso soup is a treat. Wagyu is one of the specialities here, sometimes served shabu shabu (cooked in broth) or sukiyaki (sliced rare). The dinner banquets range in price according to ingredients; the most expensive includes wagyu and barramundi, scented with bamboo leaves and chestnuts, for which you will need to bring your best appetite.’

‘It may be located on dodgy King Street, but don’t let that prohibit a trip to a traditional Japanese restaurant whose emphasis on freshness is second to none.
After 18 years, Soga still goes to the fish market every morning to inspect and handpick
his seafood like bluefin tuna toro for the day.

MUST TRY:Japanese Steak - Wagyu Premium, Sea Urchin (dissolves in your mouth), Soft Shell Crab’

The Hanabishi Restaurant offers you gourmet dishes in the most traditional Japanese style. The main chef of this licensed restaurant is Akio Soga .At lunchtime this Hanabishi Restaurant is crowded by the office going customers. Seeing the popularity of this ultra popular Japanese restaurant “The Age Good Food Guide 2006” has awarded the Hanabishi Restaurant ‘one chef’s hat’ title.‘