AKAMARU Japanese Casual Dining — Restaurant in Melbourne

Pretty lacklustre dining experience. I normally don't leave a bad review unless I feel like the rating of the restaurant does not match the actually dining experience that you receive.

First off no way is this a 20-40$ per person restaurant, if you get a "cold dish" and a "hot dish" each and a drink each, easily expect to pay more than a $100 for two people. The menu items are trying to go for fine dining like Nobu but you are in the middle of Heidelberg Rd.

Wagyu Sushi Roll: The "Wagyu" pieces are well grilled over what seems to be charcoal, but the meat was quite tough and lean for "Wagyu" seems to be either regular Australian beef scotch filet, or maybe a very tough wagyu cut like top round. Also the beef pieces were laid on top of the cut sushi pieces, but the sushi was only caramelised onions and lettuce. Not a problem if you could eat it all at once but the awkward shape meant you have to eat the piece of beef first really and then eat the pretty much flavourless sushi piece after Taste: 5/10 Value: 2/10

Soft Shell Crab Roll: Soft Shell crab inside was well done but the pieces are quite small and then they dollop a bunch of mayo on every piece. All I could taste was mayo. Taste: 4/10 Value: 3/10

Tuna Tartare: This was my favourite dish and saving grace. The Tuna was fresh, the citrus and garlic flavours mixed in was balanced very well. Decent amount to share between two people. Reasonable priced at $19, The only downside was probably that the fried crackers given were a tiny bit too thin to easily eat. Taste 9/10 Value: 8/10

Terryaki Chicken: Not good, the sauce was thin, there was weak flavour from the sauce, and the portions were so small. Also why is there this little tiny circle of poorly made mashed potatoes with the Terryaki Chicken, they do not go together. Also $25 for that? Taste: 5/10 Value 3/10

On top of that they don't accept AMEX as well. Worst 4.9 restaurant, I doubt they are real reviews. Bill was $151 for two people, not worth it at all, I could make better Japanese...

We had a fantastic time here! The food was wonderful and so was the service. This tiny place is infinitely superior to the two Japanese restaurants in the main Ivanhoe shopping strip, IMO. Those places are both a bit old and staid, something this wonderful place is not. What they do here in a very compact space is amazing. It’s a serious hidden gem. We had a range of dishes - see photos - and they were all delicious. My highlights were the sashimi, the soft shell crab and the kingfish collar. The desserts are innovative too especially the green tea brûlée! The service throughout was utterly charming and efficient. The whole thing is a reminder of dining in Japan itself. One tip: make sure you book like we did as this is not a large restaurant. Do not miss it here. It’s a fabulous experience!

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Loved it so much we came back again a week later. We had a few things we didn’t have the first time including spicy edamame, tuna tartare, dumplings, oysters and some drinks we didn’t have the first time. Absolutely delicious again with impeccable service again. It’s our new...

Visited Akamaru with three friends for dinner and we were all thoroughly impressed. The casual setting made it the perfect spot for a relaxed evening with great conversation and the food was outstanding from start to finish.

We shared a variety of dishes, each one cooked to perfection:

Nasu Dengaku – silky and rich, done perfectly.

Ika Mentai Yaki – absolutely scrumptious! I can already see myself coming back just for this dish alone. I don’t know of anywhere else in Melbourne that serves it quite like this.

Agedashi Tofu – light, delicate and comforting.

Chicken Namban – panko crumbed to perfection, with tender, juicy chicken inside.

Tuna Potato Salad – a refreshing and satisfying pairing.

Mayura Wagyu Steak – melt-in-your-mouth quality with beautiful flavour.

Greens – a well-balanced mix of vegetables in a delicious sauce that elevated every bite.

Service was warm, accommodating and friendly... adding to the overall experience. Whether you’re catching up with friends or simply craving top-notch Japanese flavours, Akamaru is well...