Okami Japanese Restaurant — Restaurant in Melbourne

Melbourne’s weather is unpredictable; with Summer fast approaching, the last couple of days have been cold & miserable. Perfect weather for feasting with friends!

Okami Camberwell is one of our top five favourite All-You-Can-Eat experiences in Melbourne, and there were some big surprises on our return today!

The space has been beautifully renovated with a stunning hand-painted mural of Mount Fuji and a unique 3D wall feature depicting the Ryoanji raked pebble gardens of Kyoto.

We were seated in the traditional tatami room upstairs – the perfect private room for family gatherings, business lunches or romantic dinners. The space is artfully decorated in a familiar Japanese style, with daruma dolls, a Hokusai print & lovely miniature geisha figurines in various lavish kimonos.

Having travelled to Japan over a half dozen times for both work and pleasure, my dining partner raved about the authenticity of each dish we ordered.

We managed to sample most of the items on the extensive menu, but really couldn’t choose what we liked best as everything was scrumptious.

The nigiri sushi and sashimi boat is one of the more spectacular offerings, bursting with the freshest salmon propped on a bamboo replica of a fishing vessel. We got creative with this one (see our photos!).

The takoyaki (fried octopus balls) are a must-try if you visit Asakusa Kanon temple in Tokyo, yet what most street vendors will offer you there are usually undercooked and doughy in the middle. The takoyaki at Okami was consistently cooked through, with generous tender chunks of octopus tentacle sealed in a perfectly crunchy panko shell.

The various beef dishes were all standouts, from the tataki (like a carpaccio with a tangy soy yuzu marinade) to the plump and juicy cubes of meat sautéed in miso and teriyaki.

There were some delicious new items on the menu: potato croquettes with perfectly crunchy panko casing and warm soft centres, and a lightly seasoned stir fried udon and teriyaki chicken dish. The warm silken strands of udon noodle are the perfect comfort food.

We sampled some warm Yamahai sake: like wine, sake comes in a variety of styles. This one was very sweet, and balanced out the savoury flavours of each dish perfectly.

We also shared a pot of Mugicha tea which had a marvellous smokey & nutty flavour. We really should track down a supplier.

If you have room, there are a variety of ice creams in sesame and green tea flavours, and some sweet mochi (rice cakes) which are best sampled with tea.

Service was very friendly and efficient and the whole place looks beautiful and fresh since the renovation.

Restaurants like Okami make Melbourne such a fabulous place...

Okami Camberwell is one of the best "All you can Eat"" places I've ever gone to. It has set a new standard not only for an "all you can eat" place but for just Japanese cuisine in general.

Everything you try here, you will be impressed by. From the delicious beef carpaccio, to the large spread of sushi choices, you will love everything.

I've been to Okami Camberwell maybe close to 8 times the past few years and it is one of my favourite places to take someone to. Whether its my partner on a date, showing friends who are looking for a quick bite or even like the other night where we celebrated my Mothers birthday. There was about 8 of us, and all of us were completely satisfied and stuffed to the brim with great quality food by then end of it. Everyone loved it!

Okami has ruined other Japanese places in a way for me, because you can spend about double the amount of money, and only receive about half of the amount of food you could here. While tasting almost the same if not better sometimes in favour of Okami! The value really does scream for itself.

I love that they have the no wastage rule, it's extremely smart and makes you really think about your choices before ordering them. Which is all made easier now with their new iPad system where you can literally just click on your selections and it will be sent right to the kitchen. I used to complain about needing to wait for the waiters to come around before you can order more, but they've completely fixed that with this new system.

The space is decorated very nicely and really does feel very Japanese Immediately, plus all the waiters are very kind and also efficient, which is what is required with a place like this.

Before my Partner ever came to Australia she'd never tried any Japanese food, now it's her favourite food and that's all thanks to Okami's.

Okami will continue to be my number 1 pick to show new friends when we're all looking for a feast. I honestly can't recommend it enough. I would suggest going with a group of you to get the best value, and if someone isn't sure about Japanese food then this place is perfect to introduce them to a plethora of new and exciting foods. You won't be disappointed.

Definitely...

Sorry to say but wish I could give negative points.

Food was nothing like the photos, portion was small, tasted terrible.

Definitely over charged.

The sashimi and sushi platter was inconsistent with the quality. The first few pieces of salmon was fresh. And it kept going down from them on. Non of the other food felt fresh or tasty.

Chawamushi (steam egg) was tiny, fillings weren't fresh. And it's tasteless.

Miso soup was a bowl of boiling water with one piece of tofu and one piece of seaweed. There's nothing miso about it.

Sushi roll platter was 4 pieces of roll. (Two of us went) the picture on the menu had a full plate of it at least 16 pieces. We weren't informed that it comes in ratio to how many of you guys on the table. But anyway, the filling of the sushi roll wasn't fresh. And the taste combination was bad between the fillings and the sauce.

Seafood tempura had 2 pieces of prawn tempura, and assorted vegatables (6 pieces) tempura. The batter was horrible. It was chewy!!!!!!!!! And not cooked enough.

Veg dumplings, not cook thru yet the dough was chewy, fillings taste terrible. I couldn't have more than one bite.

And many many more disappointing dishes, the only thing I felt it was OK was.

Sake. Which comes in bottle.

Home made ice cream, we had green tea and black aeasame flavour. It was a bit too icy to our liking. But the flavour was right.

To whoever gave good reviews, u either went when it was a different chef, or u had never had proper Japanese food.

Even if they offer me to eat for free ($30/p all you can eat normal price) , I would...