Umisango — Restaurant in Lorne

Title: Delicious Japanese Fare with Room for Personal Preferences

During my recent visit to Umisango in Lorne, I was impressed by the variety and quality of dishes offered.

Takoyaki Pop Star: These octopus balls were a delightful start to the meal, capturing the essence of Osaka's street food with their crispy exterior and savory filling.

Chicken Karaage: The chicken was perfectly fried, offering a juicy interior and crunchy coating. However, the wasabi mayo accompaniment was a bit overpowering for my palate. I believe a milder dipping sauce would better complement the dish.

Tonkotsu Ramen: The broth was rich and flavorful, and the pork cutlet added a satisfying crunch. However, I felt the broth could benefit from a stronger meat flavor, as it leaned more towards a vegetable or miso base. A deeper, pork-based broth would enhance the overall experience.

Teriyaki Chicken Bento Box: Beautifully presented, this bento box was a visual and culinary delight. The teriyaki chicken was tender and flavorful, making it a standout.

Overall, Umisango offers a commendable Japanese dining experience. While there are areas for improvement based on personal taste preferences, the quality of the dishes and the ambiance make it a place...

Actually I think this is a Chinese influenced Japanese restaurant. I was impressed with the tempura prawn but I would acknowledge that it is not like a traditional Japanese tempura prawn - it is more like breaded; nevertheless I like its crunchiness but well, my Wife does not share my view. She likes the seaweed salad and yellow tail sashimi, but thinks the salmon sashimi is not up to scratch. Reasonable place to eat in a place like Lorne. Definitely not a 5 star rating but somewhere between 3 and 4.

Just checked with the restaurant manager May. The head Chef is Japanese but the duty Chef is Malaysian chinese. The tempura prawns they have served us are indeed “fusion” to suit Caucasian taste. I had them served me their traditional tempura prawn. It is nicely done and crispy, except for the mayonnaise coating on it. So my advice is to ask them to serve “traditional tempura prawn without mayonnaise”. ...

Good place for a quick sushi lunch while people watching in Lorne. The mixed nigiri plate is exceptional at this price point. It's not a lot of food, but it comes with this exquisitely buttery white kingfish, seared salmon, and scallop that will make your eyes roll into the back of your head. And when you can consider that you're partly paying for the location, this seven-piece lunch is good value.

I'd give five stars, but we also got a teriyaki chicken don, which was pretty average. Not a lot of flavour and no char on the chicken––like it was accidentally steamed in a crowded wok. And it had that fast-food orange colour. (Good Japanese teriyaki dishes are a...