DenDeke Japanese Bar & Dining — Restaurant in Melbourne

Nestled in the vibrant northern suburb of Preston, DenDeke Japanese Restaurant is a delightful discovery for food enthusiasts, meriting a resounding five-star review. As regular patrons, my wife and I have found DenDeke to be a consistent beacon of culinary excellence, blending traditional Japanese flavors with modern culinary artistry.

The menu at DenDeke offers a tantalizing variety of dishes, both hot and cold, catering to a wide range of tastes. The restaurant’s ability to continually refresh its offerings through a regularly updated specials board is commendable.

A standout feature of DenDeke is its extensive beverage selection. The restaurant boasts a remarkable collection of Sake, Japanese whisky, and imported beers, with several choices available on tap. The customizable Sake flight, offering three generous samples, is particularly noteworthy. For those new to Sake or wishing to deepen their understanding, a conversation with Aaron or Kai can be enlightening and enjoyable. Both have an extensive knowledge of Japanese beverages,

The service at DenDeke adds another layer to its appeal. The staff's professionalism, coupled with genuine warmth, makes each visit memorable. Their attentiveness and friendliness ensure that every diner feels welcomed and valued.

DenDeke's ambiance is thoughtfully curated, balancing elegance with a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere. Whether it’s for a casual meal or a special occasion, the restaurant’s setting enhances the dining experience, making it suitable for a variety...

We were excited to dine here after seeing 4.7 stars on google, however we left extremely disappointed. After ordering, the waitress came over and told us they “ran out” of the sushi rolls we ordered, and that we could only order maki rolls. Initially disappointed as we came here specifically for sushi, we very clearly asked the waitress for our order of maki rolls - only to find out by another waitress 5 minutes later that we could only order 1 serving of maki for both of us which is 6 very small pieces of sushi. We were visibly disappointed, so after deciding whether to stay or leave, they explained that it was the sushi rice they were “out” of - and that we could wait 30mins for them to cook more. We agreed and waited, only for the sushi to come out and it be probably the worst sushi we’ve ever had. The rice was bland, and it tasted old. Don’t bother ordering the veggie rolls, it’s half coles lettuce mix which was incredibly bitter. The Gyoza was also picked up at the Coles freezer section it seems. The chicken karaage was bland, literally just chicken dipped in flour and water with no seasonings. Okami is better than this, the potato gems we ordered were the best thing on the table which is saying a lot. We also waited about 30 minutes for a raspberry lemonade to come out, the restaurant was not busy, this takes a minute to prepare. If you’re wanting authentic, delicious Japanese food and good service - avoid this restaurant. Paid $104...

Went there for dinner and overall experience was ok.

The food was alright nothing amazing with them, all was tasty but no wow factor. I feel the menu needs more main dish items to it.

We were seated close to the main door and each time someone would open the door we would feel the cool air and sometimes people won’t close the door properly and the constant cool air coming through was annoying. I would suggest requesting a table in the back.

The inside of restaurant look quite small and with all the table so close to each other it can feel quite tight.

There is street parking around the venue.

This place wouldn’t be suitable for kids and there won’t be space for pram.

We had the salmon aburi roll which was nice. The crispy tuna roll was not my favourite, didn’t like the warm tuna mayo. The soft shell crab was alright. The beef tataki was alright, wasn’t a fan of those little red string they had on it for the decoration, it made the dish have a bitter taste. The wagyu skewer, I wasn’t a fan had too much of the irony taste due to the blood. The chicken kaarage was juicy and nice.

The matcha cheesecake was nice, but after eating couple of bite it started to taste more bitter, definitely needed to pair it with the matcha ice cream.

The ice cream sandwich was nice as well, the crispy bao tasted like those fried chinese bun you get when you have the singaporean chilly crab.

Was quite an expensive dinner as well most of the dish...