Mannaka Izakaya — Restaurant in Melbourne

A lovely place to sit in and enjoy some Japanese food.I came with a friend for lunch today. Not the biggest restaurant and the tables are quite close to each other but very nice decor. We were promptly seated by the wonderful waitress and given a quick explanation about the menu and the recommendations after we said it was our first time here which I appreciated. Easy menu ordering from the QR code at the table with pictures on the website, cutlery is in the drawer at the side of the table. It's a lot easier to match the food item names with the pictures on the website than the paper menu so I suggest using the website instead.

My friend ended up getting the "Samurai Beef Bowl Seasons Platter" ($36) which included a drink and multiple little side dishes and I ordered the same but with "Osakatsu Don" ($38) as the main donburi. The pricing for the Seasons Platter varies slightly depending on the main donburi / udon that you choose. There is a surcharge if paying by card. Discount if paying by cash but only if the total is over $50.

The food was extremely tasty and portions were filling. There was a good variety of side dishes which included a chawanmushi, fresh sashimi and scallop slice, salted/pickled tomato and cucumber slices, greens with sesame dressing, miso soup, eggplant, strawberry panna cotta and fried small fish with tartar sauce. There was a variety of drinks that you can choose with the Seasons Platter. Both my friend and I ended up getting the Earl Gray Matcha. It ended up being one the the main highlights of the meal. Very smooth and not too sweet. I really liked the taste of the drink.

The Osakatsu Don were well done and gave a comforting feeling and was generous in size, unfortunately there is no way to preserve the full crunch of the katsu just due to the egg and sauce but it was really nice and flavourful. I really enjoyed the chawanmushi, fresh sashimi and scallop slice and especially the strawberry panna cotta. Even the miso soup was really nice, a lot nicer than some of the other teishoku places that I've been too. I can't quite put my finger on what the difference is compared to the other places.

As for feedback, I enjoyed nearly every dish there as I'm not too picky of an eater. The only thing I'd say is while I appreciate having a fried side (the fish) as an option I kind of wish there was a way to swap it out for a fried shrimp/ tempura which is usually a bit lighter and fluffier instead as the fish felt a bit heavy towards the end (this is just wishful thinking as don't get me wrong, the food was still really good). If this switch ever happens let me know because I will be back within the week to try it out.

I can tell a lot of effort has been put into trying to make the perfect menu and set. I hope the restaurant finds great success and remains as high quality as it is now.

I will definitely be back to try out the other menu items, maybe next time I'll try the udon sets instead. I'll drag another friend with me...

This place is a hidden gem that you might easily walk past – but don’t! You’ll be missing out on some seriously amazing food. Everything here is incredibly fresh, especially the sashimi – thick-cut and melt-in-your-mouth good. And it’s only $19?! Absolute bargain!

I highly recommend the Lunch Platters, especially the Fusion Izakaya Tray (the udon set). The rice dons are delicious, but let me just say — the Mentaiko Pink Udon is next level. Creamy base, soft-boiled egg, and pops of mentaiko – such a unique combination, I nearly licked the bowl clean. It’s a three-star recommendation on the menu, and totally deserved!

Another must-try is the Tempura Tower Don. The rice is made with sushi rice, which gives it a special texture, but the real highlight is the tempura. Thin, crispy batter with perfectly fresh, plump prawns inside — crispy, juicy, and seriously well-executed. And don’t leave without trying the Black Brunch Taco! It’s also a three-star menu item, and I’d give it a perfect 10/10. The taco shell is seaweed tempura (so crispy!), filled to the brim with deliciously seasoned fillings. The salmon, beef tartare, and lobster versions are all amazing — I couldn’t even pick a favorite!

Drinks and alcohol options are plentiful too. I had the cherry blossom soda — super refreshing and kind of like a light plum drink. Loved it!

All in all, amazing food, great service, fair prices — and a cozy little spot with way more inside than you’d expect....

We (3) visited this place during their soft opening where they had a 20% off everything offer and we’re so glad that we discovered this place!!

each dish was a 10/10 and we spent $88 in total (including the 20% off discount)

starting off we got; the three crispy seaweed dish was so nice, as someone who doesnt usually eat raw foods i found it quite delicious and easy to eat!!(:

the salmon nigiri pieces were HUGE (compred to your average sushi stores), they had a little brush where you were able to put on how much soy sauce you wanted which we found cool and very yummy

the takoyaki came out hot and fresh, the octopus inside wernt too small which was good and the most important thing is that they were crunchy as soon as you bite into them

moving onto mains we got

the mentaiko udon which was so nice it was gone so quick, it had a perfectly creamy blend with the egg yolk and worked well with the mushroom definitely a must have as well saw many tables have this dish as well

a chicken don with their own tartare sauce, the chicken was beautifully seasons and crunchy on arrival, the tartare complimented the dish well too

I definitely recommend checking this new place out! the service here is amazing, we were given hair ties in cute little packets to tie our hair up, staff did come up to apologise for the long wait times due to their sustems not aligning correctly but anything could go wrong out so it didnt bother us, infact it was worth the...