Bansho — Restaurant in Melbourne

EXCEPTIONAL - Must have food, and an incredible place for good wine!

Bansho does their Japanese and French dishes right, with a unique and well executed finesse.

We sat at the chef's counter. The high seats had backings, a small but important detail for me as I hate breaking my back in discomfort as I sit through a meal. These were very comfy. The décor and atmosphere was modern, cool, chic, warm and cosy. Everything was beautifully appointed - it had sort of a modern new york sophistication, yet art deco and classic at the same time. I am big on bathrooms in fine diners, this one was clean, spacious with Aesop soap - very nice.

FOOD

There was not one fault in all the dishes we had - starting with umami Oyster Bansho Style, fresh and balanced Aburi Scallops and a silky Chawanmushi with a rounded savoury yet delicate flavour.

The sashimi platter was generously cut and of a high quality - clean and tasty, they way it should be in my view.

The sushi was all excellent, with some unique and notable highlights - Summer Snow Crab Nigiri, Ikura Gunkan and Tamagoyaki were all well done.

I emphasise however the very notable highlights that sets this place apart, and extra special amongst other restaurants in Melbourne. The Engawa Gunkan (Aburi Flounder Fin) was a unique experience, a very rare find in Melbourne. Then there is the holy grail Otoro (Fatty Tuna Belly). It is clear that Bansho cares enough about its standards to serve it, and it was as awesome as you would expect. Otoro appeared as a nigiri as well as part of the sashimi platter. Then, the Foie Gras Gunkan was amazing! Another special and unique offering. Packed generously with the beautifully rich and creamy savouriness of foie gras - again, such a rarity. Needless to say, we ordered seconds to have with our wine.

The 9MB Wagyu was beautiful, with a generous portion and a rich savoury pepper sauce (not spicy, and wonderfully fragrant). The standout however of the mains was the Koji-marinated Duck Breast, perfectly cooked pink with extra crunchy skin.

WINE

Despite all that, I have not even reached the BEST PART yet! I enjoy my wines, I am no expert but have a wide enough experience to enjoy fine wine. I am also not usually a person who likes buying bottles at restaurants (although I reluctantly do from time to time), preferring wine matches for the value of the expertise and variety. I nevertheless ask the somm or resident wine expert for recommendations, particularly where there is a wine list as good as Bansho's. Indeed, I look to be genuinely inspired.

I have never received a response as good as LARRY'S from Bansho - his recommendations were extremely well considered, spoke from experience, provided a value proposition, addressed rarity, did not go directly to the upper limit of my budget to 'sell' to me and was all round … well, honest and on point!

We started with tasty cocktails, Sakura Martini and Shiso Mojito - not overly alcoholic and not overly sweet - just right. A glass of a unique variety of white recommended by Larry to start was excellent. Then we got stuck into a delicious bottle of French Pinot Noir that Larry suggested - well put together, sophisticated and reasonably price for the great wine it is. We finished off with a Sauternes, which capped off the meal beautifully as we had our dessert of Bomb Alaska and Hojicha Crème Brulee.

I never write reviews, but I felt compelled after a week of processing the amazing experience to write this one. We spoke with Larry and his wife Mira following the meal, they are good people who embody an honest and foundational endeavour in hospitality. They are doing what they can to provide excellent food, and great wine without ripping you off. Larry loves his wines, and just wants to share that with you. It is such a pleasure after the commercial gouging we get from other restaurants post-COVID (not to say it's malicious, but it's true). Bansho in contrast brings us good food and wine with...

It was my first time dining at Bansho this evening. A family outing for my sisters birthday. And before reading my review, no this is not sponsored lol. I am simply a first time customer who had an experience that lead me to want to leave a review for anyone thinking about dining at Bansho.

First impressions on entrance are that the ambiance of this venue is unmatched. The attention to detail within the restaurant is a credit to the interior designer. The rounded edges and curves throughout the venue met with deep colours and subtle lighting matched the music perfectly.

We were greeted kindly on entrance by one of the many amazing team members at Bansho. Right from the start the service was prompt and all the team were equally informative with all the ingredients in dishes both when ordered and presented to the table. Larry Xie deserves a special mention with his attention to detail, between courses we were lucky enough to try some Japanese Sake, and Larry is a wealth of knowledge for all things both culinary and beverage. Larry really made the experience of dining at Bansho, with each bottle having its own story behind it and Larry knowing the tale.

The food at Bansho is very high quality (seafood in particular) and presentation was beautiful. Our favourite dishes were the Wagyu Beef Skewers, so tender they fell apart in your mouth. The marinated duck breast, had a lightly crispy skin and full of flavour. The king fish, some of the freshest fish I have eaten. And my personal favourite, the Beef Croquettes (you have not lived until you try these).

We finished the night with 2 Green Tea Crème Brûlée’s, I spoke to one of the waitresses and asked if they may have a candle to put in the dish for my sister’s birthday. When the desserts arrived. The Chef’s had hand written “happy birthday” in Coulis de Chocolat. A very special touch, above and beyond really. Which really made her night.

I thank the team at Bansho, waitresses, chefs and Larry for our dining experience this evening. I will definitely be returning in the future and can not recommend this restaurant...

Came here for dinner and ordered several dishes from the menu. For starters, I had the jerusalem artichoke and the paradise prawn tartelette which were both tasty. The artichoke was warm and soft with a fluffy crumbly coating outside. The prawns have a nice bite with a crispy thin tart base and the burst of sake jelly added a mild bitter sweetness. The chawanmushi was a traditional Japanese savoury egg custard with a layer of French sauce on top (think it might be béchamel sauce) adding a creamy richness to it. For mains, I went with the small assorted tempura which included a king prawn, seasonal fish, cheddar cheese, mushroom and three vegetables. The tempura batter was light and crisp and goes well with the salt or the tempura dashi sauce. Favourite was the sweet potato which was very soft and quite filling.

As for the sushi, they have an ala carte menu which also include an innovative plant base sushi selection. I went with the Bansho sushi set for value which included nine pieces in total. The fish were very fresh and the size of each piece of sushi was large and satisfying; rice was good and you can feel each grain. Favourite was the fatty tuna belly sourced from Japan. The sea eel was also very tasty with the seasoned rice and the flame seared flounder fin was extremely soft. Finally, had the matcha choux cream puff for dessert; the puff itself was delicate, thin and crispy, with some layers of soft pastry inside. The cream was sweet enough but needed more of the earthy matcha flavour. Still worth getting just for the fresh choux puff. Overall a pleasant dining experience, food was delicious, especially the sushi, and the staffs and sushi chefs...