Review Brothershota - Albert Park

This modern style Japanese eatery is a must to go place for some amazing Japanese food! It's cosy (thus, go early or book to avoid disappointment) but family friendly and the staff are really nice too. Highly recommended, can't wait to go back to try more meals on the menu!

The good: Lots of choices! - Sushi, okonomiyaki stick, wagyu BBQ rice bowl were all yum! The meh: not necessarily bad, just mediocre - salmon rice bowl, ramen, katsu curry. be sure to book as it gets super busy! would definitely return to try all the other things on the menu.

This modern style Japanese eatery has been open for a few years now and serves some Japanese favourites as well as twists on traditional dishes. The decor was gorgeous, and service was so highly attentive throughout our visit with our dishes coming out with very little wait times. 🌮Tuna Sashimi Tacos - These were tasty but could’ve used a little more sauce as it tasted mainly of tuna sashimi. The tuna itself was super fresh though. 🐟 Salmon Nori Tacos - These were only a $1 difference to the tuna tacos but the portion was significantly smaller, and it wasn’t at all a ‘taco’. It was just a deconstructed sushi roll so this was a huge let down especially for the price. Nothing special. 🐲 Dragon Roll (crumbed prawn, grilled salmon, avocado, jalapeño, flying fish roe, soy grill & mustard mayo) - Yum!! Such a good roll, you get a bit of everything in it. Portion was great, the sauce on top was sweet (too much for my sister’s liking) but I personally loved it. Couldn’t fault it. 🥟 Pork Gyoza w/ Sesame Ponzu - One of the best items we ordered! Packed full of flavour and generous filling. 🍣 Mixed Sashimi - Soooo fresh! Another favourite, the quality was great. 🥩Wagyu Sukiyaki (thinly sliced wagyu cooked in warishita sauce) - Another great dish. Generous protein and flavour bombs throughout. Would’ve paired perfectly with steamed rice. 🍄 Spinach and Mushroom Ohitashi - This isn’t something I’d usually order but to my surprise I really enjoyed it! The umami was bursting with each bite, and it was a refreshing side. Brother Shota is absolutely recommended if you’re nearby. I do think there are just as good, if not better options for Japanese closer to me so whether or not I’ll go out of my way to make the trip back - time will tell. I did expect more considering the price but still glad I tried it. I’d be curious to taste their Ramen and Rice Bowls next time.

Went to Brother Shota for lunch and ordered their matcha soba quinoa salad, Shota bento box, and nutella gyoza for dessert. The soba, ordered with teriyaki chicken, was very flavourful although couldn’t really taste the green tea in the noodles, and the Shota bento box had deliciously fresh sashimi & miso salmon. The well-presented gyoza unfortunately wasn’t fully filled with Nutella although the black sesame gelato was quite nice as it wasn’t too bitter/nutty. Service was prompt and staff were friendly. Overall a pretty decent lunch experience.

Amazing food and friendly service. If you are looking for modern Japanese meal then please try this gem! 🌸

Amazing, high quality food and cosy space. Can't wait to try the rest of the menu! Also the dipping sauce for the Spicy Edamame was so good we had to take it home!

Our booking was not there, but they managed to find us a table. Friendly staff, reasonably priced for the delicious and beautifully presented meals

Service is good! However food is a little disappointing as the crab sushi we ordered was blend. The fried chicken is ok. Ramen was on point. Okonomiyaki was good and unique as it comes in a stick.

So glad I finally got around to eating at Brother Shota, even if it didn't quite live up to my hopes for it. The food is good, but this didn't even touch anywhere near my favourite Japanese restaurants.<br/><br/>It's a good size place - plenty of tables for two and plenty for bigger groups. It can get noisy, but not to the point where you can't hear yourself think. The staff were friendly and attentive even if they did often linger and collect items one by one all throughout the evening off the table (even before dessert came, one guy was taking away the menu placemats, and when I had my elbows on it while looking at my phone, I felt him trying to rip it out from under me. Quite rude). I did feel the service/meal was quite rushed, and so if you're looking for a long night out at a restaurant with friends, it's definitely not that.<br/><br/>The menu has a little bit of everything you know, and a few more unique things. We didn't order the tempura eggplant, yet the presentation was superb when we saw it arrive at other tables. Everything we ordered came out looking good.<br/><br/>We shared their version of Chicken Karaage, and a really nice tuna sashimi taco. I ordered some tuna/salmon sushi rolls, and tried their Chicken Katsu Don. Everything was quite nice, but nothing especially so good that I'd rush right back. The restaurant itself is clean and modern looking and they had good music and there was a lovely atmosphere. Pricing is a little on the higher side and parking is a little on the frustrating side. Overall, I would come back again at some stage, but perhaps when they have a menu change and I'll know to come if you want just a nice, quick dinner.

The best bento box I’ve had! Lots of variety with fresh ingredients. One of my favourite restaurants. Fantastic service and mouth watering food. Highly recommend!

Great, authentic Japanese restaurant in Albert Park. I love Brother Shota, it's consistent and they have authentic Okonomiyaki (served on a stick as opposed to a flat pancake), spicy edamame, salmon nori tacos and other delicious treats like the fried chicken w sichimi sauce. My favourite dish would be the crispy eggplant with apple miso glaze, which is quite sweet and served as a large portion. Highly recommended.

Such a fantastic meal with friends, great share options with a wide variety of options to suit everyone’s tastes! The food was so fresh, delicious and light, perfect Japanese food!! Make sure to have the sushi, YUM!!!

Brother Shota was a cute quiet Japanese restaurant that served delicious food! <br/>I would recommend to try the tacos - they were super yummy! Parking to get to the restaurant was a slight pain but once you get in, all the worries go away! <br/>The food was delicious and came out quick, the service was fine but not over the top.<br/>I’d still recommend giving this place a try as the food was sensational! <br/>

A hidden gem that Albert Park locals like to keep to themselves! Clean, authentic Japanese and the tuna tacos are crazy good! Don’t leave without experiencing the phenomenal pork bao but if veggies are more your vibe the eggplant stack is an edible artform you won’t forget. The jewel of the menu is nutella gyoza with banana filling and black sesame ice cream. #melbournesbestjaphandsdown

Absolutely fantastic. Went there with a friend and tried a number of different things all absolutely amazing. The nutella gyoza dessert is to die for. Will be back for sure!

Came here at lunch on a Saturday and this place was deserted. I selected a lunch set which consists of sashimi, rice, tempura, salad and miso soup plus a protein, which I selected salmon teriyaki.<br/><br/>The sashimi (I think it was kingfish) is fresh enough, the salad was at the bottom of the sashimi and was soaked in dressing, which wasn’t great.<br/><br/>The tempura was good. Departing from the usual tempura dipping sauce they gave me a spicy mayo instead, which was nice but probably a bit too rich with the tempura. Nice variety of veg tho.<br/><br/>The salmon teriyaki was just two thin silvers of salmon, whilst nice, not substantial enough.<br/><br/>Thankfully we ordered a entree of wagyu gyoza w spicy sauce. The downside is that the waitress initially gave the order to another i(there were only two tables of guests in the whole restaurant so you would have thought that she remembered orders!) and the chilli sauce was not spicy, at all.<br/><br/>We ordered kids ramen (1 each) which my kids found too little to satisfy their appetite. Thankfully we also ordered edamame for them and we went to Jock’s after for icecream. Not great value for money and food was only so-so. We won’t be back anytime soon<br/>

Good quality of food and friendly service:)<br/>would recommend for casual lanch or dinner with friends or family.<br/>They also have special menu which consistently<br/>change every few weeks.

Delicious food, Nice and cozy atmosphere.<br/>Me and my family comes here at least 4 times a month.<br/>Nice place for family dinner.<br/>I love their big square table for big group  :)

I live in Albert park, this place is our local gem.<br/>We've been here so many times and we always know what we want!<br/>If you haven't tried this restaurant, must go for Crispy eggplant, beef ribs, rock n  roll.

Heard good things about this restaurant, so I came with my family.<br/>Me and my wife had sashimi plate as a starter, and some mini rolls for my kids.<br/>And Fried chicken, crispy eggplant was amazing! <br/>We often eat out in many Japanese restaurants around Melbourne and I think Brother Shota is doing really well with good food and easy casual atmosphere. Nice wine list too!

My friends and I have been here a number of times and we absolutely love having dinner here. The staff are friendly and the food is almost as good as their drinks. And compared to other Japanese restaurants, price is not too expensive. It’s a casual place and one of best thing for me is they do BYO lol I highly recommend at least trying it out because once you do you'll be back for more!

Fun and creative japanese food but with a super high price tag (and very small servings). We also found the service really poor- not one waiter smiled or was helpful and it took forever to be served. The salmon tacos are yum but definitely not worth the price. The miso eggplant is tasty and we liked the matcha green tea noodles with salmon but again probably not worth it. All dishes had great flavour!

Disappointing - the Teriyaki Chicken Don didn’t taste like Teriyaki - it had a slight vinegar flavour no sweetness - the salmon Teriyaki don tastes ok.

Instagram looked drool-worthy, it had a great Zomato score and the location was perfectly located for where. I live - just on Victoria Avenue on Albert Park. However, unfortunately I did. not love Brother Shota – in fact, I probably would have had a better experience. visiting the Japanese fast-food joint at the Crown food court.

My idea of modern Japanese, think packed sushi with mayo.<br/><br/>Good flavours in all their dishes, we ordered popcorn prawns which were nothing special, sashimi which was nice, spider sushi rolls were delicious and a highlight! The pork belly dish was beautiful and super tasty. I would come back here for the sushi rolls and the bigger meals maybe not the sides.

I ate the ribs, sushi, and the soft shell crab. The ribs is the MVP of the year for me. The best ribs ever. Sushi is really nice too. soft shell crab just normal. But i really wanna go back forsure for the ribs and sushi.

Always reliable, Sharp and super! Love the variety and flair of food and atmosphere. A good ‘go to’ option in the local area. Nice decor and style, too

"I'm not feelin it" - I say to the wife, after she suggests we walk to Brother Shota for dinner - cause I already know i'll consume my body weight in food and Asahi and I wont want to walk home. After more than a dozen visits, I've developed a standard order, like most of us do at Macca's* - Edamame, Popcorn Prawns (have that with a glass of Pinot Gris) - followed by Rock and Roll roll's, the Wagyu Beef (two thumbs up) - and for the first time Pork Katsu - Unreal!<br/><br/>In fact everything on the Menu is fully lit** and to that end I have a theory - I reckon it's all about the culture - Honne and Tatemae*** - I don't know the owner or the head chef, but you can't deny they have a very passionate idea of how their food should be designed, prepared and presented and it's as consistent as Melbourne's changing weather. The external element of course is the environment itself, yeah there's a heap of helpful staff**** but it's clean, simple and not trying to be any more than it is.<br/><br/>If you like Japanese, I suggest you try it.<br/><br/>* I must get around to writing a Macca's review, Its just that their restaurants are all so different.<br/><br/>** Teenagers say that - it means very good.<br/><br/>*** Honne and Tatemae are Japanese words that describe the contrast between a person's true feelings and desires (本音 hon'ne, "true sound") and the behavior and opinions one displays in public (建前 tatemae, "built in front", "façade").<br/><br/>**** Some not so helpful

Looking more like a cafe than a Japanese restaurant, Brother Shota is pulling in the crowds with its minimalistic decor and warm hospitality. We were lucky to get a table as the place filled up with customers not long after.<br/><br/>We started off with the assorted sashimi and the prawn green tea soba. While the seafood were fresh, both tasted quite average, and did not excite us at all. We feared for our mains, which took a while, but what a massive turnaround they did. The kingfish katsu curry don and the grilled salmon were quite remarkable. Delicious and filling, beautifully plated and bursting with flavours and freshness. <br/><br/>Next time, we are definitely going to skip straight to the mains. Save on money and time!

Love this authentic Japanese restaurant at Albert Park. Plating is perfectly designed and food is delicious. Friendly staff. They get both traditional Japanese dishes that you can find in most jap rest and some innovative dishes.

Such a good find in Albert Park, Brother Shota is up there in my fave Japanese restaurants! The restaurant itself is really nice and spacious! The sashimi is fresh and presented beautifully, the sushi was delicious and by far my fave was the crispy eggplant with apple miso, crushed sesame seeds, chives and apple miso glaze - so indulgent, so amazing!

Fine Tuning Maybe????<br/>We have eaten here several times in recent months and find the food to be of a high standard.<br/>Unfortunately a number of things have made us less eager to return.<br/>There's a certain arrogance and lack of flexibility about some of the staff that is just a tad annoying.<br/>The menu, although a bit different, is quite limited. Especially if you have eaten here a few times.<br/>And, whats with the door open at the front in winter? I know it can be warm work, running around serving food, but what about the comfort of the diners? <br/>These are not major, OMG issues, and on there own, don't add up to much. Collectively, however, we sometimes question the overall importance of a visit here and it often steers us in a different direction for the minute.

Pretty good for jap home delivery, especially for the area. The bento came with what it described (choice of protein, veg underneath, basic sashimi and sushi) and more (salads).

We "Shota" had Japanese somewhere else. We ordered an overpriced sushi platter and two ramen bowls. What a disservice and dishonour to Japanese food this place is. The ramen barely resembled a broth, it was more like an overly salty and oily soup mix. The sushi was tiny and $20 - snack size at best.

Food was very very good and reasonable price.<br/>Sashimi platter was the best part , beautifully sliced and presentation is stunning. Taste is so fresh and kingfish belly was my first try and now it's my favorite.<br/>Shota beef rib was fantastic too, soft, tender and perfectly cooked.<br/>I will definitely back again!<br/><br/>

We spotted this place on the way from The Vincent earlier this week and decided to come and give it a go. <br/><br/>We were greeted by a really surly waitress and she stuck us next to the other occupied table when we got in. Would have appreciated being spread out a bit further but that was not even the worst part. Her face was literally a storm cloud.<br/><br/>Some of us ordered coffees and after a while she said because she was the only person it would be a 5-min wait. It turned out to be at least 15-mins because more people came in in the meantime and she did all their teas first. My colleague asked her how much longer food would take and she asked Why? We aren't answerable to her - we didn't have to explain that we needed to go back to work but that tone was plain rude. <br/><br/>It was clear she really does not work under pressure. How could service staff be so rude?<br/><br/>When food arrived they were almost just shoved at us. The food was actually good so at least there was some saving grace. <br/><br/>It was only when another waitress turned up for her shift that our surly server lightened up a bit. <br/><br/>Not sure we'd be back in a hurry with that kind of service.

Nice restaurant I recently found, <br/>Food was delicious! <br/>Wasn't over priced and it was warm and friendly with good wine list. <br/><br/>I'd come back next time with my family.

Such a beautiful place with nice atmosphere and high quality food, and the price is really reasonable. Enjoyed my dinner there and will definitely back to visit again!

Really good Japanese food with an edge.  I would describe the menu as traditional Japanese with a twist and by that I mean lots of interesting dishes.  The crispy eggplant miso was my favourite, 6 thick cut eggplant chips with apple miso sauce, mmm.  The pork gyozas rate in my top 5, almost as good as Irori (Matt Preston said their gyoza's are the best in Melbourne), the tuna tataki was delicious but a bit small for the price, the chicken Nanban was great - juicy sweet and sour chicken loin in batter.  I didn't overly like the pork katsu bao tho. I will be certainly going back.

Brother Shota has popped up in Albert Park and Instagram was making me drool from the gorgeous pictures! We popped in on a quiet Saturday afternoon to try out some of their Japanese fusion fare. Pork Katsu Bao with crumbed pork loin, pickles and shiso tartare, it was nice, the boa had stuck to the board so it was a bit difficult to pick up, the pickles were nice and the pork was crunchy and juicy.

So excited to finally have a Japanese restaurant that covers all bases in the area! Space has a more casual mid-week version of Supernormal vibe (light-filled, blonde timber, modern etc), only needs a bit of music for a bit more ambience. The menu is so versatile - from teriyaki bowls/ramen/bento, through izakaya to sushi/sashimi and full dishes - and all done well. Could pop in for a quick solo dinner as equally as a decent sashimi session with a few wines/sake. Good luck, guys, will be seeing plenty of you!

Food was great, the waiter was a little timid but really nice and friendly! Overall great food, we had the sashimi and the fried chicken. Will be heading back soon.

Very tasty food- the Pork Bau were delicious, tasty gyoza and beautiful sushi platters. Food arrived quickly which meant we could add extra dishes easily.<br/>Only negative was they only have 2 highchairs which in Albert Park is going to be an ongoing issue!

So excited to have this place in our neighborhood, it's up there with the best Japanese food we've had. Most of the staff are lovely, but a few rude ones do let it down a little.

Stumbled across this place when we were walking through Albert Park. Great food and lovely staff. There is a really good range of options on the menu. The soft shell crab tempura was delicious!

This place just opened a short while ago, tried it last night, it was great. <br/>Staff very attentive , food was beautiful and service was excellent . BYO was another great thing about this place.<br/>Well done guys , another cool place to eat out at in Albert Park 🐈🐈🐈😼

Great new local Japanese. Fantastic service, relaxed atmosphere and delicious food. Loved the bao, great combination of flavours. Also tried the slow cooked beef ribs - yummy! Already decided our favourite table for our return visit!

A good test of a restaurant is the service when things go wrong......<br/><br/>And it did go wrong. My 7 year old stood up, said he wasn't feeling well, turned and vomited all over the restaurant floor.<br/><br/>What reaction did we receive? Cool, calming and reassuring to him, helping him to the bathroom and making sure he was ok. The whole time the staff were making sure he didn't feel bad, and this continued once he was back.<br/><br/>Amazing way to react and to own the situation.<br/><br/>Oh, and the food was excellent as well. Sashimi was clean, fresh and well cut. The scallops and the octopus on the Sashimi were a highlight.<br/><br/>Stuffed chicken wings were not what I was expecting, and once again were delicious.<br/><br/>And our 10 month old devoured the Japanese pancake with both hands, no noise till it was all gone

Really delicious and fresh sashimi!!! 3 of us had entrees, mains , dessert, beers for approx $40 each. Mixed sashimi was super fresh and not so expensive compare to other Japanese restaurant. Also crispy eggplant, Lamb gyoza and beef rib was amazing!! Service was very good as well! Loved everything and will be back!! Highly recommended.

These guys have a lot of work to do.  We hadn't been fed an hour an a half after arriving at the restaurant.  The sushi that came was great but there is no way it should take that long for some teriyaki rice bowls to turn up!

Thank goodness - good value - fabulous food and charming staff - I wish them well - a rare combo in AP - decent people turning out unique, well presented and frankly delicious food - well done