Oushou — Restaurant in Melbourne

Oushou provided a delightful culinary experience for our friend's birthday. The food served in the restaurant is undoubtedly delicious and the portion sizes are just right.

One of the things that stood out for me was the variety of options available on the menu. They had a good selection of dishes and drinks to choose from, ranging from sushi to tempura and teriyaki. I particularly enjoyed their tasting plate, which were fresh and expertly prepared. The presentation of the dishes was also impressive, adding to the overall dining experience.

However, the atmosphere in the restaurant was a bit noisy (however it was a Saturday night).

While the food was exceptional, the service at Oushou was just okay. The staff didn't show us to our table and wasn't attentive enough. We had to call them over a few times to get cutlery and order more drinks, and they took away dishes that weren't finished without asking.

Regarding the price, it was what you would expect in dining in South Yarra. However, the quality of food justifies the price tag.

In conclusion, Oushou is a fantastic Japanese restaurant with delicious food, a good selection on the menu, and a lively atmosphere. Although the service could be improved, it is still a good spot for...

A mixed bag. Start off:

Food was good: A combination of Japanese classics with some modern/fusion. Particular highlights include the Salmon Taco which was the best item there, Gyu Tataki and Kingfish Carpaccio. Also had the sashimi platter, miso soup and the desserts. Dessert was a bit lacking. Vibe of the place is nice. Dark, dimly lit and with a modern but classic look. Price is actually pretty good for a place like this.

But then it gets a bit weird: Staff are very odd for a place that you would expect would have better staff. Not very attentive, will miss out on you if you don't really get their attention. They weren't too helpful when I asked them about the difference in drinks. When they were closing up and giving us the bill, they just said "we're closing up now, please pay". So it's not absolutely horrible service, but you'd expect much better from a place that looks this huge (and charges this much). There were flies everywhere around our area. I don't know where it was coming from, but in the back area there was just a huge congregation of flies that we constantly had to shoo...

ORDERED: Oushou Tasting Menu ($59.00) 🦪 Entree Kaiseki: scallop cocktail, natural oyster, gyu tataki, agedashi tofu 🍣 Second: Assorted sushi sashimi, seared salmon nigiri, kingfish nigiri topping with black tobiko, warm prawn nigiri, tuna salmon kingfish tataki 🥩 Main: Oushou Eye-fillet steak

I paid $73.00 for my portion, which included a drink!

REVIEW: ❌ The sashimi quality is not the best. It's got that slimy fishy taste, along with oysters that taste incredibly salty. Not particularly strong indicators of freshness. However at the low point... one could say you get what you paid for. ✔ In saying that, Oushou do fried things well (agedashi tofu, fried prawn nigiri).

➖ The presentation of the food is really nice too! A little misleading when the menu splits the 'Entrees' and the 'Seconds' into two, when it's all delivered onto one tray.

💭 Service is efficient. Didn't find any issues that the other reviews have at Oushou, but would recommend spending a little more to enjoy higher quality...