Yokoso Izakaya Moonee Ponds — Restaurant in Melbourne

Had beef tataki, fried king fish and the special fried tempura udon.

I am the beef tataki lover so beef tataki is my must order menu at the Japanese restaurant and I can tell you that IT WAS THE BEST BEEF TATAKI EVER!!! The fonzu sauce had fresh citrus aroma and flavour that perfectly complemented the dish. The combination of crisp fried garlic with sliced spicy pepper on top of beef tataki was phenomenal. I never thought I could enjoy the authentic beef tataki in Essendon.

I wanted to have some nice hot broth for the cold weather and the staff recommended the Special Tempura Udon. It wasn't on the menu so I am not sure if this is a hidden menu or winter only menu. However, Udon should be listed on their everyday menu. You guys are missing a big sale!!!! UDON BOWL WAS MASSIVE. Tempura was really nice not oily at all. Variety of tempura was amazing. The broth was beyond my expectation. Udon noodle was the square shape not the typical round one and it gave the different texture. I never thought Udon noodle could give such a unique experience.

Fried King fish was nice too. It wasn't too dried. I am not a fan of fried fish without batter but I still enjoyed it.

Highly recommending this restaurant. Chef who cooked the food for us tonight was amazing.

Overall, I cleared my dish for everything. I highly recommend the Special Tempura Udon. I would def come back for Udon and beef tataki for...

Yokoso is a Moonee Ponds neighbourhood gem. Many customers are addressed by name. We have been here a number of times over the last few years and every time we have been impressed with the quality of the food and service. There is a 6 and 8pm sitting. It is wise to book as we have often seen people disappointed as it’s regularly booked out.

The moment you walk in, there is a warm welcome of ‘Hajimemashite’ from the wait and kitchen staff.

It is a step above ‘ordinary’ Japanese food with the usual fare and some unusual dishes.

We had the Gyoza pork dumplings; ‘golden morsels’ which melted in your mouth.

We love the Yokoso King Crab Rolls which are pieces of crab rolled with avocado, carrot, daikon and mayo; a fresh and colourful dish.

We then shared the large sushi platter ( $35); perhaps not as large as some restaurants but outstanding quality.

For dessert, we shared the citrus based pannacotta, decorated with a few strawberries; it cleanses the palate and so a lovely way to finish the meal.

We ate an interesting, well balanced meal.

There is a small wine menu which is reasonably priced or you can BYO for $10 per bottle.

Highly recommend for groups of 2 to 10;...

This restaurant is always full on Friday/weekends every time we walk past. We finally got to try and the food did bit disappoint.

Started off with the beef tataki. The fried garlic and chilli pepper elevated this dish. I could have finished another plate of this.

The ebiten (fried prawn) had a perfect and light outer crumb 🍤🍤🍤

The okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) was fried until it had a crispy outer layer. This gave it a great texture and different to what this dish typically tastes like.

Nothing bad to say about the sushi and sashimi platter either 🍣 It all tasted fresh, with real wasabi provided as well.

The wagyu yakitori was nice and buttery.

All the dishes were great to nibble on accompanied by a sake or beer 🍺

Yokoso would have to be the best Japanese restaurant in the west/north-west that I have tried 👌🏼

A booking is essential for Friday nights and...